Thunderstorm Wind, Emmet
- When
- July 1, 8:52 PM CST
- Where
- Emmet County, Estherville
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Coordinates
- 43.420, -94.850
Damaging Wind in Iowa, July 1, 1997
An unusually strong system for the time of year moved across the upper midwest. Intense low pressure passed north of Iowa with a strong feed of warm and moist air.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.
An unusually strong system for the time of year moved across the upper midwest. Intense low pressure passed north of Iowa with a strong feed of warm and moist air. Surface dew point temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s with 850 mb dew point readings near 20 degrees C. The atmosphere was very unstable with lifted indices near -16 degrees C. and CAPE values near 5000 J/kg by afternoon. The atmosphere was "capped" however as the 700 mb temperature as reported by Omaha at 1800 UTC was 17.4 degrees C. This proved to be a deciding factor in the prevention of deep convection in spite of the presence of a strong cold front entering western Iowa by evening. A few thunderstorms developed over northwest Iowa during the evening hours. One did become severe briefly as it moved through Estherville. A wind gust of 62 MPH was recorded, however damage was quite minor.
The radar
The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 153 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:51 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Minnesota, July 1, 1997
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, July 1 to 25, 1997
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 1, 1997
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, July 1, 1997
- Drought in Maryland, July 1 to 31, 1997
- Flash Flood in Tennessee, July 1, 1997
- Drought in West Virginia, July 1 to 31, 1997
- Drought in Virginia, July 1 to 31, 1997
- Heavy Rain in North Carolina, July 1, 1997
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Montana, July 1 to 23, 1997
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 1, 1997
- Hail in Kansas, July 1, 1997
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, July 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5603021.