Iowa, 2002

Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 16, 2002

August 16, 2002 · NWS DMX · 13 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong push of warm and unstable air came into Iowa during the afternoon of the 16th ahead of an approaching warm front. The situation was very dynamic for mid August as a strong 70 to 100 kt jet max approached the state.

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
$272,000
Crop damage
$90,000
Events
13

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.

A strong push of warm and unstable air came into Iowa during the afternoon of the 16th ahead of an approaching warm front. The situation was very dynamic for mid August as a strong 70 to 100 kt jet max approached the state. Surface dew points south of the warm front were in the mid 70s. Thunderstorms erupted over northwest Iowa. Initially the storms produced hail as they were quite elevated in nature. Generally speaking, the hail was an inch or less in diameter. By late afternoon as the next round of development occurred the storms produced high winds. Wind gusts were between 60 and 80 MPH with the stronger storms. Most of the damage was limited to tree, power line, and crop damage. The winds did damage a grain bin and twisted small buildings in Humboldt southwest of the town of Humboldt.

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 Aug 16, 12:10 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 12:10 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
110 PM CDT FRI AUG 16 2002

MAIN CONCERN IN SHORT TERM IS DVLPG SVR WX AND HOW LONG IT WILL LAST
THEN SECOND ROUND WITH COLD FNT.

ALL MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT ON INTENSE SFC LO DVLOP CNTRL PLAINS
DEEPENING AND MOVING NEWRD WITH SHARP S/W TROF MOVG OUT OF PACIFIC
NW AIDED BY DECENT JET ALG CANADIAN /U.S. BORDER.  AVN LOOKS BEST ON
POSITION OF SFC LO AND UPPER S/W TROF THIS MRNG.  LINE HAS DVLPD IN
STG THETA E ADVCTN ZN.  HWVR ATTM LN STRUGGLING TO PENTRATE MUCH
DRIER CAPPED AIR IN MUCH OF IA.  LTST RUNS OF AVN/MESOETA SHOW
TRENDS OF DYING OUT THIS ROUND OF PCPN THEN DVLPG STG SQUALL LINE
AFT MIDN WITH HIGH POTENTIAL FOR WIND DAMAGE.  ALL DYNAMICAL FIELDS
STG THO BRF TIME FRAME PASSING THROUGH AREA MORE TYPICAL OF FALL
SYSTEM.  AFTER TNGT LINGERING SHWRS IN SERN CWA THEN FAIR WEATHER
UNTIL ERY NXT WEEK.  SECOND HALF OF NXT WEEK HAS SERIES OF FAIRLY
STG SYSTEM MOVG THROUGH FAST FLOW.  VERY ACTIVE PATTERN EVEN FOR
SECOND HALF OF AUGUST.

GUID TEMPS LOOK GD AS PASSAGE OF COLD FRNT BRINGS DECENT THCKNS
FALLS.  SOME ADJSTMNTS NEEDED FOR LCL EFFECTS.

.DSM...NONE

FORSTER

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Sac

When
August 16, 1:55 PM CST
Where
Sac County, Odebolt
Measured
0.88 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.317, -95.267

Hail, Carroll

When
August 16, 2:38 PM CST
Where
Carroll County, 3 mi S of Manning
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.850, -95.067

Hail, Carroll

When
August 16, 2:42 PM CST
Where
Carroll County, 3 mi S of Manning
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.850, -95.067

Thunderstorm Wind, Palo Alto

When
August 16, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Palo Alto County, Ruthven
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.133, -94.917

Hail, Palo Alto

When
August 16, 3:35 PM CST
Where
Palo Alto County, 3 mi SW of Ayrshire
Measured
0.88 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.000, -94.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Pocahontas

When
August 16, 4:24 PM CST
Where
Pocahontas County, Pocahontas
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.733, -94.667

Thunderstorm Wind, Pocahontas

When
August 16, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Pocahontas County, Pocahontas
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$100,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.733, -94.667

Thunderstorm Wind, Pocahontas

When
August 16, 4:35 PM CST
Where
Pocahontas County, 5 mi E of Palmer
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.633, -94.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Humboldt

When
August 16, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Humboldt County, 2 mi SW of Humboldt
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$40,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.700, -94.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Webster

When
August 16, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Webster County, Ft Dodge
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.500, -94.183

Thunderstorm Wind, Webster

When
August 16, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Webster County, Duncombe
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.467, -93.983

Thunderstorm Wind, Winnebago

When
August 16, 5:58 PM CST to 6:13 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County, Thompson
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.367, -93.783

Thunderstorm Wind, Winnebago

When
August 16, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County, Leland
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.333, -93.633

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, August 2002

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: 5311780, 5311781, 5311782, 5306920, 5311783, 5311784, 5306919, 5306913, 5306914, 5306915, 5306916, 5306917, 5306918.