Hail, Washington
- When
- April 30, 4:11 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, Crawfordsville
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.217, -91.550
Tornado and Flash Flood in Iowa, April 30, 2003
Supercell thunderstorms developed in the afternoon and evening north of a warm front that ran from Southern Iowa into Central Illinois. Three distinct supercells produced a majority of the wind, hail, and heavy rain reports from Jefferson County Iowa into Henry County Illinois.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $8.4 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 44
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 DVN wrote it up.
Supercell thunderstorms developed in the afternoon and evening north of a warm front that ran from Southern Iowa into Central Illinois. Three distinct supercells produced a majority of the wind, hail, and heavy rain reports from Jefferson County Iowa into Henry County Illinois. Mercer County Illinois was under tornado warnings on a continuous basis for 2 hours. Officials at a high school track meet in Aledo, Illinois ushered all students into the safety of the school resulting in no injuries. The training of the supercells from Louisa County Iowa to Henry County Illinois dumped heavy rain over the Edwards River and Pope Creek basins in Illinois with radar estimating 9 inches of rain. Actual amounts varied due to large amounts of hail with the storms. Cambridge Illinois estimated 7 to 8 inches of rain fell in the town. Illinois Route 17 was closed due to flooding between Aledo and Viola with Illinois Route 94 closed south of Aledo. In Andover Illinois, two thirds of the town had basements flooded. Toward the end of the event a bow echo developed in Henry County Illinois and raced east across Bureau and Putnam counties. The fire department in Standard, Illinois measured a 69 knot (80 mph) wind gust when the bow echo moved through. In Clinton, Iowa, a lightning strike started a warehouse fire at the Nestle Purnina Complex.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 2:00 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 2:00 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED FOR DATE/TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 300 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003 SYNOPTIC PICTURE THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM AN EASTERN KANSAS LOW THRU NORTHERN MISSOURI TO BRL TO PRINCETON. AT 500H BROAD RIDGE EXTENDS ACROSS THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE COUNTRY...WITH A BROAD TROF WEST AND A CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHERN IDAHO. THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FIRE ALONG THE 850MB FRONT... WITH A SECOND LINE OF STORMS SOUTH ALONG THE FRONT ITSELF. THE MODELS INITIALIZED WELL THIS MORNING AT THE SURFACE AND 500MB. NONE OF THE MODELS HAVE DONE TERRIBLY WELL WITH QPF SINCE 12Z. THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS ARE TWO-FOLD. FIRST IS THE ONGOING EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL END AFTER TONIGHT...IT WILL CONTINUE ON AND OFF THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE KICKING EAST...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST PORTIONS. THE SECOND EVENT IS A WARM FRONT AND ASSOCIATED LOW AND COLD FRONT IN THE SUNDAY AND MONDAY TIME FRAME...POSSIBLY LINGERING INTO TUESDAY. THE SHORT-TERM MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE HANDLING OF THE WARM FRONT...BRING IT NORTH TO INTERSTATE 80 THIS EVENING IN ILLINOIS...AND SOUTH OF I-80 IN IOWA...A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ORIENTATION. CONVECTION MAY DIMINISH TEMPORARILY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...AS THE PRIMARY ACTIVITY MOVES EAST OF THE AREA. PRESSURE FALLS IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA WILL BRING THE KANSAS LOW NORTHEAST INTO THE EVENING...AS THE WARM FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY. MOISTURE CONVERGENCE IS ALREADY INCREASING ALONG THE FRONT IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI. CONVECTION WILL INCREASE AGAIN ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE APPROACH OF THE SURFACE LOW...AIDED BY STRONG VVS THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z AND MODERATE 300MB DIVERGENCE. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO HEAD SOUTHEAST BY 09Z...EXITING THE AREA AROUND 15Z. THE FRONT MAKES SLOW PROGRESS ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE ASSOCIATED LOW REACHING THE EVV AREA BY 12Z FRIDAY. A STRONG VORT MAX THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING WILL BRING A LAST ROUND OF RAINFALL. THE 500MB SHORT WAVE PASSES OVERHEAD FRIDAY...WEAKENING AS IT GOES. ON SUNDAY ANOTHER LOW MOVES INTO CENTRAL KANSAS...WITH A WARM FRONT POSSIBLY FORMING ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI...SOMEWHAT ANALOGOUS TO OUR CURRENT SYSTEM. THE MEDIUM-RANGE MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT ON LIFTING THIS FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...WITH THE TRAILING COLD FRONT MONDAY EVENING...AND A SURFACE WAVE MOVING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT BEFORE IT KICKS EAST ON TUESDAY. WILL CONTINUE WITH ONGOING FORECAST...WITH ONLY MINOR CHANGES. MAIN DIFFERENCE WILL BE TO HANG ONTO PRECIP THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...AND POSSIBLY INTO FRIDAY. DVN... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. REA
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 4:20 AM CST, 11 hours 51 minutes before
IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-009- 015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-011000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 520 AM CDT WED APR 30 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA... NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG...SPRING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED OVER KANSAS WILL MOVE INTO MISSOURI TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE ALONG AND NORTH OF A STATIONERY FRONT PARKED SOUTH OF I-80 TODAY. BY LATE AFTERNOON...STORMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE TRAILING COLD FRONT. FAIRLY LOW FREEZING LEVELS MAY ALLOW FOR LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS ALONG THE STATIONERY FRONT...NEAR AND NORTH OF I-80. ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34...STORMS LATER TODAY INTO THIS EVENING MAY PRODUCE HAIL THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH. ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE WARM AIR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34 IF SURFACE TEMPERATURES REACH INTO THE 80S. IN ADDITION... THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND THE ASSOCIATED FRONTS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS...PRODUCING WIDESPREAD TOTAL STORM RAIN AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR MORE...WITH SOME AREAS RECEIVING UP TO 3 INCHES BY THURSDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST RAIN AMOUNTS MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS THIS SYSTEM PASSES. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS ALONG WITH MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS. EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS LATER TODAY FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON STORM REDEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS PROBABLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34. && UPCOMING SPOTTER TRAINING CLASSES: April 28, 2003: Training - Keosauqua, IA - 7 pm Severe weather and tornado spotter training will be conducted in Keosauqua, Iowa (Van Buren County) at the Roberts Center at 7 pm. This is a free 2 hour class. For additional information, contact Don Pool at vbcoeng@netins.net April 29, 2003: Training - Keokuk, IA - 630 pm Severe weather and tornado spotter training will be conducted in Keokuk, IA (Lee County) at the Holiday Inn Express at 630 pm. This will be a free 2 hour class. For additional information, contact Steve Cirinna at 319-372-4124. MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING URL: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dvn NICHOLS
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 30, 1:03 PM CST, 3 hours 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
203 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
145 PM KEOKUK IA 1 INCH HAIL
04/30/03 LEE REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER. EVENT DURATION
5 MINUTES.Local storm report, Apr 30, 1:22 PM CST, 2 hours 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
221 PM CST WED APR 30 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
147 PM DAVENPORT IA .25 INCH HAIL
04/30/03 SCOTT NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
HAIL ACROSS THE CITY
WITH SIZES RANGING FROM
0.25 TO 0.70 INCHES.
REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTERS.Local storm report, Apr 30, 1:27 PM CST, 2 hours 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
227 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
150 PM ATKINS IA SMALL STREAM FLOODING
04/30/03 BENTON IN RURAL AREAS STANDING
WATER ON MOST FIELDS.
DITCHES WERE FULL TO
HALF FULL AND SMALL
CREEKS WERE NEAR
BANKFULL. REPORTED BY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.Local storm report, Apr 30, 1:32 PM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
232 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1220 PM MAYSVILLE IA .75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
EVENT DURATION 5 MINUTES.
1228 PM BUFFALO IA 1 INCH HAIL
04/30/03 SCOTT DELAYED REPORT FROM
STORM SPOTTER.Local storm report, Apr 30, 1:37 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
237 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1230 PM BELLE PLAINE IA .5 INCH HAIL
04/30/03 BENTON REPORTED BY MEDIA.Local storm report, Apr 30, 2:21 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
221 PM CST WED APR 30 2003
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
147 PM DAVENPORT IA .25 INCH HAIL
04/30/03 SCOTT NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
HAIL ACROSS THE CITY
WITH SIZES RANGING FROM
0.25 TO 0.70 INCHES.
REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTERS.The radar
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:10 UTC.
Event by event
33 hail, 5 funnel cloud, 2 heavy rain, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Jefferson
- When
- April 30, 4:37 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Fairfield
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 41.000, -91.983
Hail, Jefferson
- When
- April 30, 4:45 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Batavia
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.000, -92.167
Hail, Jefferson
- When
- April 30, 4:45 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Packwood
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.133, -92.083
Hail, Jefferson
- When
- April 30, 4:45 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Fairfield
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.000, -91.983
Sheriff car damaged
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:45 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Wapello
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.183, -91.200
Hail, Washington
- When
- April 30, 4:45 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, Brighton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.183, -91.817
Funnel Cloud, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:46 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Elrick
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:48 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 1 mi N of Wapello
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.200, -91.200
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:48 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Grandview
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.283, -91.200
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:50 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 2 mi S of Wapello
- Measured
- 2.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.150, -91.200
Thunderstorm Wind, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:50 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 2 mi S of Wapello
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.150, -91.200
Power lines down
Funnel Cloud, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 4:56 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 3 mi E of Wapello
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 4:59 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, 1 mi N of Mt Pleasant
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.983, -91.550
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, 4 mi W of Mt Union
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.067, -91.483
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:02 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 1 mi SE of Grandview
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.267, -91.183
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 5:03 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, 5 mi N of Mt Pleasant
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.033, -91.550
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:04 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 4 mi NNE of Wapello
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.233, -91.167
Funnel Cloud, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:04 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 4 mi NNE of Wapello
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Possible funnel
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 5:04 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, Wayland
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.150, -91.667
Funnel Cloud, Des Moines
- When
- April 30, 5:25 PM CST
- Where
- Des Moines County, Yarmouth
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 5:30 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, 2 mi N of Mt Union
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.100, -91.400
Jct Iowa 78 & County X23
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:35 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Wapello
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.183, -91.200
Tornado, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:35 PM CST to 6:20 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 1 mi ESE of Morning Sun
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 16 mi
- Path width
- 880 yd
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 41.100, -91.250
Path narrowed to 50 yards
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:40 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Wapello
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.183, -91.200
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:40 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Morning Sun
- Measured
- 2.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $4.0 million
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.100, -91.267
Funnel Cloud, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 5:42 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 1 mi S of Morning Sun
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Washington
- When
- April 30, 6:25 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, 2 mi S of Riverside
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.450, -91.600
Hail, Jefferson
- When
- April 30, 6:39 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Fairfield
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 41.000, -91.983
Covered the ground
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 6:45 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Cotter
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.300, -91.467
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 6:50 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, Columbus Jct
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.267, -91.350
Hail, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 6:50 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 2 mi SSW of Columbus Jct
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.233, -91.367
Pea hail covered ground
Heavy Rain, Washington
- When
- April 30, 7:04 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, Kalona
- Measured
- 2
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Street flooding
Hail, Benton
- When
- April 30, 7:09 PM CST
- Where
- Benton County, 1 mi NW of Vinton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 42.183, -92.050
Hail, Muscatine
- When
- April 30, 7:15 PM CST
- Where
- Muscatine County, Muscatine
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.417, -91.050
Hail, Benton
- When
- April 30, 7:20 PM CST
- Where
- Benton County, Urbana
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $400,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.217, -91.867
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 7:23 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, Mt Pleasant
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.967, -91.550
Hail, Benton
- When
- April 30, 7:26 PM CST
- Where
- Benton County, Urbana
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 42.217, -91.867
Hail, Buchanan
- When
- April 30, 7:26 PM CST
- Where
- Buchanan County, Aurora
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.617, -91.733
Heavy Rain, Jefferson
- When
- April 30, 7:28 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Fairfield
- Measured
- 2
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 41.032, -91.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Henry
- When
- April 30, 7:30 PM CST
- Where
- Henry County, Mt Pleasant
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.967, -91.550
Hail, Iowa
- When
- April 30, 9:10 PM CST
- Where
- Iowa County, Victor
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.733, -92.300
Flash Flood, Louisa
- When
- April 30, 9:30 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa County, 5 mi N of Wapello
- Measured
- 5
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
US 61 covered with water
Lightning, Clinton
- When
- April 30, 9:32 PM CST
- Where
- Clinton County, Clinton
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Warehouse fire at Purina complex
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- 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.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- 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
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, April 30, 2003
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, April 30, 2003
- Lightning Strike in Iowa, April 30, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, April 30, 2003
- Flash Flood and Hail in Georgia, April 30, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, April 30, 2003
- Hail in Missouri, April 30, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, April 30, 2003
- Hail and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, April 30, 2003
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 30, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 30, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, April 30, 2003
More
Every storm in Iowa in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 2003Warnings in Iowa, April 2003
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: 5353441, 5353506, 5353507, 5353508, 5353509, 5353510, 5353514, 5353511, 5353512, 5353513, 5353515, 5353516, 5353517, 5353518, 5353519, 5353520, 5353521, 5353522, 5353523, 5353524, 5353525, 5353526, 5353527, 5353528, 5353529, 5353530, 5353531, 5353532, 5353533, 5353534, 5353535, 5353536, 5353537, 5353538, 5353539, 5353291, 5353292, 5353293, 5353294, 5353295, and more.