Thunderstorm Wind, Buchanan
- When
- September 16, 4:42 PM CST
- Where
- Buchanan County, Independence
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.470, -91.880
Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Iowa, September 16, 1997
Thunderstorms with frequent lightning moved across Eastern Iowa into Western Illinois producing widespread wind and lightning damage across both states.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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.
Thunderstorms with frequent lightning moved across Eastern Iowa into Western Illinois producing widespread wind and lightning damage across both states.
The radar
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:40 UTC.
Event by event
7 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Linn
- When
- September 16, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Linn County, Alburnett
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.150, -91.620
Trees and large limbs downed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Delaware
- When
- September 16, 5:02 PM CST
- Where
- Delaware County, Manchester to 4 mi NW of Manchester
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.480, -91.530
Large trees downed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Linn
- When
- September 16, 5:10 PM CST
- Where
- Linn County, Cedar Rapids
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.000, -91.650
Thunderstorm Wind, Linn
- When
- September 16, 5:12 PM CST
- Where
- Linn County, Springville
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.070, -91.450
Trees and large winds downed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Dubuque
- When
- September 16, 5:35 PM CST
- Where
- Dubuque County, Dubuque Arpt
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.400, -90.720
Measured by ASOS (observation equipment)
Lightning, Clinton
- When
- September 16, 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clinton County, Camanche
- Coordinates
- 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning strike caused minor damage to transformer and widespread power outages from Camanche to Clinton.
Lightning, Henry
- When
- September 16, 6:05 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, Mt Pleasant
- Coordinates
- 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Power feeder line damage caused five to ten minute power outage across city due to lightning strikes at two transformers.
Lightning, Henry
- When
- September 16, 6:15 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, Mt Pleasant
- Coordinates
- 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Mt Pleasant pumping station on the Skunk River struck by lightning.
Thunderstorm Wind, Louisa
- When
- September 16, 6:55 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Columbus City
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Coordinates
- 41.270, -91.380
Large tree limbs down.
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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, September 16, 1997
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Wisconsin, September 16, 1997
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Wisconsin, September 16, 1997
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Michigan, September 16 to 17, 1997
- Waterspouts in Florida, September 16, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, September 16, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Florida, September 16, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Illinois, September 16, 1997
- High Wind in Oregon, September 16 to 17, 1997
- Hail in North Dakota, September 16, 1997
- Damaging Wind in North Dakota, September 16, 1997
- High Wind in Oregon, September 16, 1997
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, September 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: 5623987, 5623988, 5623989, 5623990, 5623991, 5623992, 5623986, 5623985, 5623984, 5623993.