Heat, Benton
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Benton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat in Iowa, July 25 to 27, 1997
Heat and high humidity teamed together produced excessive heat index values reaching 105 to 110 during the day. This came in the middle of an otherwise much cooler than normal summer and many claimed that their bodies were not properly acclimated and therefore unprepared for the sudden spike in temperatures and humidity.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 22 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
- 12
- Property damage
- $500
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 22
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 DVN wrote it up.
Heat and high humidity teamed together produced excessive heat index values reaching 105 to 110 during the day. This came in the middle of an otherwise much cooler than normal summer and many claimed that their bodies were not properly acclimated and therefore unprepared for the sudden spike in temperatures and humidity. The warmest day, Saturday the 26th, saw highs in the upper 90s and record setting highest minimum temperatures near 80. The 26th was also the date of the Quad Cities Bix 7 Run. Thousands ran in the race and attended the city's celebration. Twelve persons had to be hospitalized for heat related illnesses and four persons were kept overnight. One fatality occurred during the race, due to overexertion. Heat also played a roll in area county fairs. Attendance was down as were concession revenues. The heat caused Fair Officials to release poultry and rabbit entries early, though the animals were judged and the awards were given. Despite precautions Fair Officials took against the heat, such as running water over the tin-roofed buildings and fans, two hogs died due to the heat. The Fair director said "I believe this is the first time, in the 10 years I've been involved, that we've ever lost a hog... but we've never had weather this extreme either."
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
22 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Heat, Buchanan
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Buchanan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Cedar
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cedar forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.772, -91.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Clayton
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clayton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.845, -91.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Clinton
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Delaware
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Delaware forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Des Moines
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Des Moines forecast zone
- Property damage
- $500
- Coordinates
- 40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Dubuque
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dubuque forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Henry
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Henry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Iowa
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Iowa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Jackson
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Jefferson
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.032, -91.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Johnson
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Johnson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Jones
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jones forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Keokuk
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Keokuk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Lee
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Linn
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Linn forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Louisa
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Muscatine
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Muscatine forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Scott
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Scott forecast zone
- Injuries
- 12 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Van Buren
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Van Buren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.753, -91.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Washington
- When
- July 25, 4:00 AM CST to July 27, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heat
- Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Wisconsin, July 25, 1997
- Heat in Illinois, July 25 to 28, 1997
- Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 25, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Minnesota, July 25, 1997
- Heat in Kentucky, July 25 to 28, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, July 25, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 25, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 25 to 26, 1997
- Lightning Strike in New Mexico, July 25, 1997
- Heat in Illinois, July 25 to 27, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 25, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 25, 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: 5603930, 5603931, 5603932, 5603933, 5603934, 5603935, 5603936, 5603937, 5603938, 5603939, 5603940, 5603941, 5603942, 5603943, 5603944, 5603945, 5603946, 5603947, 5603948, 5603949, 5603950, 5603951.