Damaging Winds in Iowa, June 13, 2001

Name: Damaging Winds in Iowa, June 13, 2001
Start: 2001-06-13T20:57
End: 2001-06-13T22:35
Location: Iowa

June 13, 2001 · NWS DMX · 8 events in 3 counties and zones

Conditions remained relatively unchanged from the previous two days. Temperatures warmed in to the mid 80s to low 90s as dew point temperatures in the low to mid 70s.

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: $116,000
Crop damage: $7,000
Events: 8

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.

Conditions remained relatively unchanged from the previous two days. Temperatures warmed in to the mid 80s to low 90s as dew point temperatures in the low to mid 70s. CAPE values soared to between 4000 and 5000 J/kg over western Iowa and areas west. Thunderstorms erupted during the early evening hours from South Dakota, south into Kansas. Wind shear profiles were favorable for tornadic development. A few tornadoes were reported to the west of the Des Moines CWA, however the main severe event for the Des Moines CWA came in the form of high winds as small bow shaped storms moved northeast along the line. One storm moved into Emmet County by mid evening. This storm produced winds of 75 MPH in the town of Estherville, resulting in tree and power line damage around town. Winds gusted to around 60 MPH as one of the stronger storms moved through Crawford County. A bow echo moved into Sac County late in the evening. High winds overturned a semi-tractortrailer truck east of Sac City just south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 20 and State Road 196. High winds damaged roofs in the town of Sac City. Winds in Sac City were measured by an observer in town at 92 MPH.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 13, 4:57 PM CST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 13, 4:57 PM CST, 4 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
557 PM CDT WED JUN 13 2001

PER SELS DISC, XPCT 427 TO BE DROPPED BY 00Z.  AL ALSO DROP FFA FOR
ENTIRE CWA ATTM.  UPDTS SHUD BE OUT DURG THE NXT HR.

.DSM...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT OVER ENTIRE CWA.
MS JUN 01

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 13, 5:32 PM CST, 3 hours 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
632 PM CDT WED JUN 13 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....e

1215 PM    2 SE COOPER               IA   1 INCH HAIL
06/12/01   GREENE                         REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Emmet

When: June 13, 8:57 PM CST
Where: Emmet County, Estherville
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 43.417, -94.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Emmet

When: June 13, 8:57 PM CST
Where: Emmet County, Estherville Arpt
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.400, -94.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: June 13, 10:01 PM CST
Where: Crawford County, 6 mi NW of Denison
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.083, -95.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Sac

When: June 13, 10:15 PM CST
Where: Sac County, Odebolt
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.317, -95.267

Thunderstorm Wind, Sac

When: June 13, 10:17 PM CST
Where: Sac County, Sac City
Measured: 79 kt (91 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.417, -95.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Sac

When: June 13, 10:20 PM CST to 10:30 PM CST
Where: Sac County, 2 mi E of Sac City
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.417, -94.967

Thunderstorm Wind, Sac

When: June 13, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Sac County, Sac City
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.417, -95.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Sac

When: June 13, 10:35 PM CST
Where: Sac County, Lake View
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.317, -95.050

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

Every storm in Iowa in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, June 2001

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: 5246415, 5246416, 5246621, 5246624, 5246626, 5246622, 5246623, 5246625.