Damaging Winds in Iowa, June 2, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Iowa, June 2, 2002
Start: 2002-06-02T02:55
End: 2002-06-02T03:15
Location: Iowa

June 2, 2002 · NWS DMX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

An unstable airmass remained in place over Iowa. A narrow line of thunderstorms developed to the northwest of Polk County and dropped southeast into the county.

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: $35,000
Crop damage: None recorded
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.

An unstable airmass remained in place over Iowa. A narrow line of thunderstorms developed to the northwest of Polk County and dropped southeast into the county. One cell became severe as it moved into Polk County. Winds of 70 MPH were reported in Polk City. The storm weakened rapidly after passing through Polk City A short time later, another cell fired up over Jasper County. The storm produced high winds in the town of Monroe, downing many trees around town.

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 1, 2:40 PM CST, 12 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 1, 2:40 PM CST, 12 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
340 PM CDT SAT JUN 1 2002

ETA DOING A GOOD JOB ON THE DVLPG SITUATION. TMPS HAVE PUSHED INTO
THE LOWER 90S ACRS MOST OF SRN IA WITH DWPTS POOLING IN THE LOWER
70S. MID LVL BAROCLINIC ZONE ARCING ACRS SD INTO NRN IA PER CUR
IMAGERY. CAP IN PLACE ACRS KS/MO AS EVIDENT BY SURPRESSED N CNTRL KS
CONVECTION. SUBTLE E-W BNDRY BCMG VSB IN IMAGERY ARCS SRN IA. CAP
MAY NOT BE AS STG ALG THIS BNDRY AS SUGGESTED BY RDPLY DVLPG CU FLD.
INITIALLY MAY HAVE DVLPMT ALG THIS BNDRY THIS EVENING. BUT...PRIMARY
ACTIVITY XPCD TO DVLP FARTHER TO THE W IN NEB XPND INTO MCS
OVRNGT...FLOWING INTO IA AND PROBABLY NRN MO. TYPCIAL SCENARIO THEN
FOLLOWS FOR TMR WITH MRNG DEBRIS WITH SUNSHINE BREAKING OUT ALG AND
S OF SYNOPTIC BNDRY...WHICH IS FCST TO MV N A BIT...BUT NOT AS MUCH
AS THE MDLS THINK. CAPES GO XTRM TMR WITH PROBABLY A BIT BTR
DYNAMICS...HENCE DECENT POPS FOR TMR NGT WITH ANOTHER MCS. HELD PCPN
THEN IN CUR FCST INTO TUE NGT AND THEN SHUT IT OFF AS CANADIAN HI
MOVS IN AND COOLS US DOWN ON WED. HAVE LEANED ON ETA TMPS HEAVILY
SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE HANDLING THE THERMAL GRADIENT ACRS IA BTR
CONSIDERING XPCD MCS AND CLDS...IE...HOT S...COOLER N.

.DSM...NONE
MYERS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 1, 10:21 PM CST, 4 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1121 PM CDT SAT JUN 01 2002

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

1058 PM    HUMESTON                  IA   1.75 INCH HAIL
06/01/02   WAYNE                          REPORTED BY MEDIA.

Local storm report, Jun 1, 10:42 PM CST, 4 hours 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1142 PM CDT SAT JUN 01 2002

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

1042 PM    4 W DERBY                 IA   1 INCH HAIL
06/01/02   LUCAS                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Jun 1, 10:44 PM CST, 4 hours 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1144 PM CDT SAT JUN 01 2002

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

1042 PM    4 W DERBY                 IA   1 INCH HAIL
06/01/02   LUCAS                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Jun 1, 10:45 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1145 PM CDT SAT JUN 01 2002

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

1055 PM    DERBY                     IA   1 INCH HAIL
06/01/02   LUCAS                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Jun 1, 10:48 PM CST, 4 hours 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1148 PM CDT SAT JUN 01 2002

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

1100 PM    HUMESTON                  IA   2.75 INCH HAIL
06/01/02   WAYNE                          REPORTED BY MEDIA.

Local storm report, Jun 1, 10:58 PM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1158 PM CDT SAT JUN 01 2002

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

1145 PM    ALLERTON                  IA   2.5 INCH HAIL
06/01/02   WAYNE                          REPORTED BY MEDIA.

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 4 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:56 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: June 2, 2:55 AM CST
Where: Polk County, Polk City
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.767, -93.717

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: June 2, 3:15 AM CST
Where: Jasper County, Monroe
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.517, -93.100

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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, June 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: 5294222, 5294223.