Thunderstorm Wind, Cerro Gordo
- When
- May 30, 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cerro Gordo County, Meservey
- Measured
- 78 kt (90 mph)
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 42.920, -93.480
Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 30, 1998
The airmass over Iowa continued to be capped through the late afternoon and early evening hours with the exception of the storms that produced the incredible hail damage over the northwest and central sections of the state during the afternoon. Thunderstorms did eventually fire after sunset and move across northern Iowa toward midnight.
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
- $75,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Events
- 2
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.
The airmass over Iowa continued to be capped through the late afternoon and early evening hours with the exception of the storms that produced the incredible hail damage over the northwest and central sections of the state during the afternoon. Thunderstorms did eventually fire after sunset and move across northern Iowa toward midnight. High winds of 90 MPH were reported in Meservey, causing damage there. High winds also swept through the Mason City area, though damage was not as serious. About $20,000 damage was done to a church that was under construction in Mason City.
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:01 UTC.
Event by event
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cerro Gordo
- When
- May 30, 11:10 PM CST
- Where
- Cerro Gordo County, Mason City
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 43.150, -93.200
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 in South Dakota, May 30, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 30, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, May 30, 1998
- Tornado in South Dakota, May 30, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, May 30 to 31, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 30, 1998
- Tornado in South Dakota, May 30, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 30 to 31, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Georgia, May 30, 1998
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Minnesota, May 30, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 30 to 31, 1998
- Tornado in South Dakota, May 30, 1998
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 1998
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: 5647210, 5647211.