Lightning Strike in Iowa, May 3, 2001

Name: Lightning Strike in Iowa, May 3, 2001
Start: 2001-05-03T06:30
End: 2001-05-03T06:50
Location: Iowa

May 3, 2001 · NWS DMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms moved across southern Iowa during the early morning hours. Though the storms were not severe, they did contain a considerable amount of lightning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Thunderstorms moved across southern Iowa during the early morning hours. Though the storms were not severe, they did contain a considerable amount of lightning. One of the storms moved through the Creston area. As it did, lightning struck two house, the County Courthouse, and several power poles. The two houses that were struck sustained damage as a fire was started in each. Damage to the Courthouse was limited to electrical equipment.

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 May 3, 2:20 AM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 2:20 AM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
320 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

SHORT TERM...
CONCERNS QPF AMOUNTS AS NEXT SHORTWAVE LIFTS NORTHEAST ALONG 850 MB
BOUNDARY DRAPED FROM NORTH OF WATERLOO TO BACK TO ATLANTIC. RADAR
LOOPS ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA INDICATE REFLECTIVITY WEAKENING AS
ECHOES GO NORTH OF THE 850 MB BOUNDARY...THINKING NOW THAT PRECIP
AMOUNTS AROUND AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF ACROSS NORTHERN HALF OF
IOWA OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS...MOST PLACES CAN HANDLE THIS. IF
CONVECTIONS INTENSIFIES...THIS WOULD BE A CONCERN...RIGHT NOW THIS
DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE TREND. A BIT OF A BREAK THIS AFTERNOON
FROM THE RAIN CENTRAL AND SOUTH. FOR TONIGHT BOTH THE MESOETA AND
AND AVN AGREE ON DEVELOPING AN MCS AND MOVE IT ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF
OF THE STATE. IF THIS COMES TO PASS THIS WILL GIVE THE NORTHERN HALF
A BREAK AND DUMP 1 TO 1.5 IN AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SOUTH. THE FRONT IS
PUSH FARTHER SOUTH INTO MISSOURI ON FRIDAY...WILL KEEP LOW CHANCES
OF PRECIP ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF ON FRIDAY AND DRY NORTH. THE COLD
FRONT ACROSS MISSOURI BEGINS TO MOVE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT FRIDAY
NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...WITH MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN
ASSOCIATION WITH THE WARM FRONT...WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE
INCREASING GOING INTO SATURDAY. SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE LOW
TODAY SHEAR AND INSTABILITY WEAK...POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING RAINS WILL
BE LOW TODAY AND LOW TO MODERATE TONIGHT.
.DSM...NONE

TC

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 3, 4:41 AM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
541 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

A NEARLY STATIONARY BOUNDARY EXTENDS FROM AROUND ST JOSEPH MISSOURI
TO DUBUQUE IOWA. SEVERAL WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL INTERACT WITH
THIS BOUNDARY...ONE DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE FROM WESTERN IOWA INTO
NORTHERN SECTIONS THIS MORNING. ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL
EFFECT MAINLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA TONIGHT. ATMOSPHERIC
SHEAR AND INSTABILITY IS MARGINAL AT BEST TO SUPPORT AN ISOLATED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THIS AFTERNOON...PRIMARILY SOUTHEAST OF A
WATERLOO TO ATLANTIC LINE. THE THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS
POSSIBLE DUE TO THE TRAINING OF ECHOES ACROSS THE SAME AREA.

SEE SITE SPECIFIC DETAILS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

IAZ039-050-060>062-072>075-081>086-092>097-032238-
ADAMS-APPANOOSE-BLACK
HAWK-CLARKE-DAVIS-DECATUR-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MONROE-
POLK-POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CENTERVILLE...CHARITON...CRESTON...DES
MOINES...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...KNOXVILLE...LAMONI...NEWTON...
OSKALOOSA...OTTUMWA...PELLA AND WATERLOO
541 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

* EVENT TIMING...THIS MORNING AND THEN AGAIN THIS EVENING

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... NONE
     LARGE HAIL....... NONE
     FLASH FLOODING... LOW

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... NONE

* MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - RECENT HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SAC AND
CALHOUN COUNTY AREAS HAS LEFT THE GROUND NEARLY SATURATED.
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN THE AREA.
ALSO SOIL MOISTURE IS HIGH OVER THE NORTHERN TWO TIER OF COUNTIES
ALONG THE IOWA AND MINNESOTA BORDER...SO HEAVY RAIN IN THAT AREA
COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>038-044>049-057>059-070-071-032300-
ADAIR-AUDUBON-BOONE-BREMER-BUTLER-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CASS-CERRO
GORDO-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-EMMET-FRANKLIN-GREENE-GRUNDY-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON-
HANCOCK-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-MARSHALL-PALO
ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-STORY-WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...AMES...ATLANTIC...BOONE...
CARROLL...DENISON...ESTHERVILLE...FORT DODGE...IOWA FALLS...
MARSHALLTOWN...MASON CITY...PERRY...WAVERLY AND WEBSTER CITY
630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

* EVENT TIMING... THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... NONE
     LARGE HAIL....... LOW
     FLASH FLOODING... LOW

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... NONE

* MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL BE
MARGINAL...SO ISOLATED SEVERE MULTICELLULAR STORMS CAN NOT BE RULED
OUT THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOW LEVEL JET TONIGHT AND AN UPPER LEVEL
WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLEX OF
STORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA...WHICH WILL PRODUCE A LOW
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

THREAT KEY:
    TORNADO.......... ANY TORNADO OCCURRENCE
    DAMAGING WINDS... WINDS >= 58 MPH
    LARGE HAIL....... HAIL >= 3/4 INCH DIAMETER
    FLASH FLOODING... FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS WITHIN 6 HOURS
                      OF RAIN EVENT. POSES THREAT TO LIFE OR
                      PROPERTY.

THREAT CATEGORY KEY:  PROBABILITY OF THREAT OCCURRING WITHIN 25
                      MILES OF POINT WITHIN FORECAST AREA
    NONE....... NOT EXPECTED.  LESS THAN 5% ( 2% FOR TORNADOES)
    LOW........ 5-15% (2-15% FOR TORNADOES)
    MODERATE... 25-35%
    HIGH....... 45% OR GREATER

SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK KEY:
    NOT EXPECTED
    LOW........ ACTIVATION POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY
    MODERATE... POSSIBILITIES ABOUT 50-50
    HIGH....... ACTIVATION LIKELY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PROBABILISTIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOKS...GO
TO THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER WEBSITE AT
WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/OUTLOOK/PROBINFO.HTML .

Special weather statement, May 3, 5:30 AM CST, 1 hour before

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TIMES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

A NEARLY STATIONARY BOUNDARY EXTENDS FROM AROUND ST JOSEPH MISSOURI
TO DUBUQUE IOWA. SEVERAL WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL INTERACT WITH
THIS BOUNDARY...ONE DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE FROM WESTERN IOWA INTO
NORTHERN SECTIONS THIS MORNING. ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL
EFFECT MAINLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA TONIGHT. ATMOSPHERIC
SHEAR AND INSTABILITY IS MARGINAL AT BEST TO SUPPORT AN ISOLATED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THIS AFTERNOON...PRIMARILY SOUTHEAST OF A
WATERLOO TO ATLANTIC LINE. THE THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS
POSSIBLE DUE TO THE TRAINING OF ECHOES ACROSS THE SAME AREA.

SEE SITE SPECIFIC DETAILS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

IAZ039-050-060>062-072>075-081>086-092>097-032238-
ADAMS-APPANOOSE-BLACK
HAWK-CLARKE-DAVIS-DECATUR-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MONROE-
POLK-POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CENTERVILLE...CHARITON...CRESTON...DES
MOINES...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...KNOXVILLE...LAMONI...NEWTON...
OSKALOOSA...OTTUMWA...PELLA AND WATERLOO
630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

* EVENT TIMING...THIS MORNING AND THEN AGAIN THIS EVENING

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... NONE
     LARGE HAIL....... NONE
     FLASH FLOODING... LOW

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... NONE

* MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - RECENT HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SAC AND
CALHOUN COUNTY AREAS HAS LEFT THE GROUND NEARLY SATURATED.
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN THE AREA.
ALSO SOIL MOISTURE IS HIGH OVER THE NORTHERN TWO TIER OF COUNTIES
ALONG THE IOWA AND MINNESOTA BORDER...SO HEAVY RAIN IN THAT AREA
COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>038-044>049-057>059-070-071-032300-
ADAIR-AUDUBON-BOONE-BREMER-BUTLER-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CASS-CERRO
GORDO-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-EMMET-FRANKLIN-GREENE-GRUNDY-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON-
HANCOCK-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-MARSHALL-PALO
ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-STORY-WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...AMES...ATLANTIC...BOONE...
CARROLL...DENISON...ESTHERVILLE...FORT DODGE...IOWA FALLS...
MARSHALLTOWN...MASON CITY...PERRY...WAVERLY AND WEBSTER CITY
630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

* EVENT TIMING... THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... NONE
     LARGE HAIL....... LOW
     FLASH FLOODING... LOW

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... NONE

* MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL BE
MARGINAL...SO ISOLATED SEVERE MULTICELLULAR STORMS CAN NOT BE RULED
OUT THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOW LEVEL JET TONIGHT AND AN UPPER LEVEL
WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLEX OF
STORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA...WHICH WILL PRODUCE A LOW
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

THREAT KEY:
    TORNADO.......... ANY TORNADO OCCURRENCE
    DAMAGING WINDS... WINDS >= 58 MPH
    LARGE HAIL....... HAIL >= 3/4 INCH DIAMETER
    FLASH FLOODING... FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS WITHIN 6 HOURS
                      OF RAIN EVENT. POSES THREAT TO LIFE OR
                      PROPERTY.

THREAT CATEGORY KEY:  PROBABILITY OF THREAT OCCURRING WITHIN 25
                      MILES OF POINT WITHIN FORECAST AREA
    NONE....... NOT EXPECTED.  LESS THAN 5% ( 2% FOR TORNADOES)
    LOW........ 5-15% (2-15% FOR TORNADOES)
    MODERATE... 25-35%
    HIGH....... 45% OR GREATER

SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK KEY:
    NOT EXPECTED
    LOW........ ACTIVATION POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY
    MODERATE... POSSIBILITIES ABOUT 50-50
    HIGH....... ACTIVATION LIKELY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PROBABILISTIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOKS...GO
TO THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER WEBSITE AT
WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/OUTLOOK/PROBINFO.HTML .

Special weather statement, May 3, 5:33 AM CST, 57 minutes before

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
541 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

A NEARLY STATIONARY BOUNDARY EXTENDS FROM AROUND ST JOSEPH MISSOURI
TO DUBUQUE IOWA. SEVERAL WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL INTERACT WITH
THIS BOUNDARY...ONE DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE FROM WESTERN IOWA INTO
NORTHERN SECTIONS THIS MORNING. ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL
EFFECT MAINLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA TONIGHT. ATMOSPHERIC
SHEAR AND INSTABILITY IS MARGINAL AT BEST TO SUPPORT AN ISOLATED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THIS AFTERNOON...PRIMARILY SOUTHEAST OF A
WATERLOO TO ATLANTIC LINE. THE THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS
POSSIBLE DUE TO THE TRAINING OF ECHOES ACROSS THE SAME AREA.

SEE SITE SPECIFIC DETAILS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

IAZ039-050-060>062-072>075-081>086-092>097-032238-
ADAMS-APPANOOSE-BLACK
HAWK-CLARKE-DAVIS-DECATUR-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MONROE-
POLK-POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CENTERVILLE...CHARITON...CRESTON...DES
MOINES...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...KNOXVILLE...LAMONI...NEWTON...
OSKALOOSA...OTTUMWA...PELLA AND WATERLOO
541 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

* EVENT TIMING...THIS MORNING AND THEN AGAIN THIS EVENING

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... NONE
     LARGE HAIL....... NONE
     FLASH FLOODING... LOW

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... NONE

* MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - RECENT HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SAC AND
CALHOUN COUNTY AREAS HAS LEFT THE GROUND NEARLY SATURATED.
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN THE AREA.
ALSO SOIL MOISTURE IS HIGH OVER THE NORTHERN TWO TIER OF COUNTIES
ALONG THE IOWA AND MINNESOTA BORDER...SO HEAVY RAIN IN THAT AREA
COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>038-044>049-057>059-070-071-032300-
ADAIR-AUDUBON-BOONE-BREMER-BUTLER-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CASS-CERRO
GORDO-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-EMMET-FRANKLIN-GREENE-GRUNDY-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON-
HANCOCK-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-MARSHALL-PALO
ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-STORY-WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...AMES...ATLANTIC...BOONE...
CARROLL...DENISON...ESTHERVILLE...FORT DODGE...IOWA FALLS...
MARSHALLTOWN...MASON CITY...PERRY...WAVERLY AND WEBSTER CITY
630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2001

* EVENT TIMING... THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... NONE
     LARGE HAIL....... LOW
     FLASH FLOODING... LOW

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... NONE

* MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL BE
MARGINAL...SO ISOLATED SEVERE MULTICELLULAR STORMS CAN NOT BE RULED
OUT THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOW LEVEL JET TONIGHT AND AN UPPER LEVEL
WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLEX OF
STORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA...WHICH WILL PRODUCE A LOW
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

THREAT KEY:
    TORNADO.......... ANY TORNADO OCCURRENCE
    DAMAGING WINDS... WINDS >= 58 MPH
    LARGE HAIL....... HAIL >= 3/4 INCH DIAMETER
    FLASH FLOODING... FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS WITHIN 6 HOURS
                      OF RAIN EVENT. POSES THREAT TO LIFE OR
                      PROPERTY.

THREAT CATEGORY KEY:  PROBABILITY OF THREAT OCCURRING WITHIN 25
                      MILES OF POINT WITHIN FORECAST AREA
    NONE....... NOT EXPECTED.  LESS THAN 5% ( 2% FOR TORNADOES)
    LOW........ 5-15% (2-15% FOR TORNADOES)
    MODERATE... 25-35%
    HIGH....... 45% OR GREATER

SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK KEY:
    NOT EXPECTED
    LOW........ ACTIVATION POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY
    MODERATE... POSSIBILITIES ABOUT 50-50
    HIGH....... ACTIVATION LIKELY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PROBABILISTIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOKS...GO
TO THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER WEBSITE AT
WWW.SPC.NOwAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/OUTLOOK/PROBINFO.HTML .

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Union

When: May 3, 6:30 AM CST to 6:50 AM CST
Where: Union County, Creston
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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

Every storm in Iowa in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, May 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: 5242517.