Iowa, 2000

Hail and Damaging Wind in Iowa, May 31, 2000

May 31, 2000 · NWS DMX · 12 events in 5 counties and zones

The weather situation continued to be active with a stationary frontal system remaining draped across northern Iowa and an old outflow boundary extending east to west across the southern third of the state. CAPE values during the late afternoon hours soared to 6000 J/kg as the low level jet strengthened during the early evening.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$95,000
Crop damage
$102,000
Events
12

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 weather situation continued to be active with a stationary frontal system remaining draped across northern Iowa and an old outflow boundary extending east to west across the southern third of the state. CAPE values during the late afternoon hours soared to 6000 J/kg as the low level jet strengthened during the early evening. The main frontal boundary fired after sunset with strong supercell storms forming over far northern Iowa. These storms produced heavy rainfall and hail. Some strong winds were reported, however most wind speeds remained below severe criteria. One storm produced winds around 75 MPH in the Titonka area. The winds flattened a cattle shed there with debris spread across the field. Most of the hail reported was smaller than one and one quarter inch in diameter. A few large reports were received from Cerro Gordo and Worth Counties with golf ball up to two inch diameter hail reported in those counties.

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 169 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:32 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kossuth

When
May 31, 5:31 AM CST
Where
Kossuth County, Titonka
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$40,000
Crop damage
$2,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.233, -94.050

Hail, Worth

When
May 31, 8:13 PM CST
Where
Worth County, 5 mi N of Manly
Measured
0.75 in hail
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
43.350, -93.200

Hail, Winnebago

When
May 31, 8:18 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County, 3 mi SE of Thompson
Measured
0.88 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.333, -93.733

Hail, Worth

When
May 31, 8:34 PM CST
Where
Worth County, Hanlontown
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.283, -93.383

Hail, Hancock

When
May 31, 8:38 PM CST
Where
Hancock County, 5 mi N of Garner
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.167, -93.617

Hail, Worth

When
May 31, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Worth County, Joice
Measured
2 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
43.367, -93.467

Hail, Worth

When
May 31, 8:43 PM CST
Where
Worth County, Grafton
Measured
0.75 in hail
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.333, -93.067

Hail, Kossuth

When
May 31, 8:45 PM CST to 8:55 PM CST
Where
Kossuth County, 1 mi N of Lu Verne
Measured
0.88 in hail
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
42.933, -94.083

Hail, Worth

When
May 31, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Worth County, Grafton
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.333, -93.067

Hail, Cerro Gordo

When
May 31, 8:53 PM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County, 4 mi W of Clear Lake
Measured
1.5 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.133, -93.467

Hail, Cerro Gordo

When
May 31, 8:58 PM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County, 5 mi NW of Clear Lake
Measured
0.88 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.183, -93.450

Hail, Hancock

When
May 31, 9:13 PM CST
Where
Hancock County, 6 mi NE of Corwith
Measured
0.75 in hail
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.050, -93.883

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 2000

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: 5143336, 5143325, 5143326, 5143327, 5143329, 5143328, 5143330, 5143332, 5143331, 5143333, 5143334, 5143335.