A line of thunderstorms along a cold front pushed eastward into Buchanan, Benton, and Linn counties during the late afternoon and early evening hours of September 21st producing damaging winds between 60 and 70 mph.
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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.
The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
A line of thunderstorms along a cold front pushed eastward into Buchanan, Benton, and Linn counties during the late afternoon and early evening hours of September 21st producing damaging winds between 60 and 70 mph.
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 Sep 21, 1:58 PM CST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 258 PM CDT FRI SEP 21 2007 .SYNOPSIS... LATEST SFC ANALYSIS WAS INDICATING DEEPENING CYCLONE JUST NORTH OF INTERNATIONAL FALLS...WITH INTENSE PRESSURE FALL-FIELD NORTHEAST OF IT HI-LIGHTING THE WAY TO JAMES BAY THROUGH SAT MORNING. FOCAL POINT FEATURE OF INTEREST WAS TRAILING COLD FRONT EXTENDING DOWN THROUGH CENTRAL MN...INTO NORTHWEST IA AND ACRS SOUTHEAST NEB CURRENTLY. ALONG WITH THE PRESSURE FALLS TO THE EAST OF IT...HUGE RISE SURGE ACRS THE DAKOTAS AND WESTERN MN SUGGEST THIS FEATURE ON THE MOVE. LOCALLY...DEEP SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AND MIXING/UP CLOSE TO H8 MB/ HAS SFC TEMPS ON THEIR WAY TO NEAR RECORD OR RECORD LEVELS AT MOST CLIMATE SITES. MIXING INTO DRIER AIR ALOFT HAS ALSO PRODUCE A SFC DPT CRASH WELL DOWN INTO THE 50S AND EVEN SOME 40S...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE MS RVR. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT...WILL FOCUS ON STORM POTENTIAL ALONG INCOMING FROPA PROCESS THIS EVENING. SHORT RANGE MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT/ SHOULD BE WITH SUCH A STRONG FORCING AND WELL DEFINED SYSTEM/ WITH THE SFC FRONT ACCELERATING AND MAKING IT INTO THE FAR NORTHWESTERN DVN CWA BY 00Z...AND ALONG AND EAST OF THE DVN CWA BY 06Z SAT. EXPECT THE ABOVE MENTIONED LOWERING DPTS TO RISE AGAIN AT LEAST INTO THE MID 60S AHEAD OF THE FRONT...AND RATHER STOUT CAPPING LOW TO MID LEVEL THERMAL RIDGE CENTERED FROM H8-H7 MB...TO ERODE QUICKLY AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. WHILE THE MOST OPTIMUM AND SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS ARE COMING TOGETHER LATE THIS AFTERNOON GENERALLY TO THE NORTH ACRS FAR NORTHWEST IA AND UP THROUGH WESTERN WI...STRENGTH OF LLVL FORCING BY THE TRAILING FRONT AND NICE UPPER DIVERGENCE ACRS IA OFF HORSE-SHOEING UPPER JET STREAK OVER MN...SUGGEST A SQUALL LINE WILL STILL EVOLVE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS FROM SOUTHEAST MN...TO SOUTHWEST OF DSM. THE FRONT SHOULD MAKE THE MOST OF THE LAPS INDICATED CAPES ACRS CENTRAL IA WHICH HAVE RISEN OVER 1500 J/KG AND SCOOP UP STORMS BY 21Z...WITH THE THERMAL RIDGE HOLDING THEM TO RIGHT ALONG OR EVEN SLIGHTLY POST-FRONTAL. STRENGTH OF AMBIENT LOW TO MID LEVEL WIND FIELDS ALONG WITH PROGGED CORFIDI VECTORS SUGGEST A QUICK MOVING LINE OF POSSIBLY UP TO 50 MPH. EXTENT OF DOWNDRAFT CAPES AND STORM MOMENTUM SUGGEST STRAIGHT LINE WIND MIX DOWN POTENTIAL UP TO 65 MPH ALONG AND WEST OF A WASHINGTON...TO MAQUOKETA...AND TO A STOCKTON NW IL LINE FROM MAINLY 23Z-02Z OR SO THIS EVENING. THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES ALSO SUGGEST HAIL UP TO 1.25 INCH IN DIAMETER ALSO POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY AND FORCING WILL THEN LOOK TO REALLY WANE AFTER 03Z WITH A DECAYING LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXITING THE REST OF THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN CWA BY 08Z AT THE LATEST. WILL TREND POPS ACCORDINGLY WITH LATEST THINKING AND MENTION DAMAGING WIND POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF THE FCST AREA THIS EVENING. LOW TEMPS TONIGHT A SECONDARY THOUGHT...BUT EXTENT OF INCOMING CAA AND LONG FETCH TRAJECTORIES FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS/ND SUGGEST THE COOLEST MAV GUIDANCE MORE ON TARGET. ..12.. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY... 1021 SURFACE RIDGE SLIDES ACROSS CWFA SATURDAY FOR A SPECTACULAR START TO THE WEEKEND. MODELS HAVE CONSISTENTLY UNDERCUT HIGHS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL EVENTS. GIVEN FULL SUN PLUS DRY SURFACE CONDITIONS...HAVE OPTED FOR THE WARMEST GUIDANCE PLUS A DEGREE OR TWO. ACTIVE REGIME ON STAGE FOR NEXT WEEK WITH A SERIES OF TROUGHS AND RIDGES TO TRAVERSE THE MIDWEST. THE NEXT FROPA SET FOR LATE MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...WITH DOMESTIC MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT ON THIS TIMING BUT THE ECMWF SLOWER BY ABOUT 12 HOURS. SLOWER TIMING WOULD ALLOW FOR BETTER MOISTURE RETURN AND THUS GREATER POPS. AM LEANING TOWARD SLOWER ECMWF SOLUTION DUE TO THE BLOCKING RIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC COAST. WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS WE WAIT TO SEE HOW IT DEVELOPS. IN THE LONGER RANGE...NEXT WAVE IS ON TAP FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. AGAIN FAVORING SLOWER TIMING WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY WITH AN EYE TO THE WEEKEND FOR THE NEXT RAIN-MAKER. ..33.. && .AVIATION... GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS UP TO 30KTS WILL VEER TO THE NORTHWEST AND DECREASE WITH INCOMING FROPA PROCESS THROUGH 05Z AT ALL TERMINAL SITES. HAVE HIGHLIGHTED A 2 HOUR CONVECTIVE WINDOW AT EACH SITE WITH FRONTAL TIMING FOR POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT STORMS/STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. CLEAR OUT AND RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS LOOK ON TARGET AFTER 06Z AND THROUGH 12Z. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && 12/33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 454 AM CDT FRI SEP 21 2007 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-221000- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 454 AM CDT FRI SEP 21 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY DOWNPOURS. THE AREA OF GREATEST RISK IS ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM DUBUQUE...THROUGH IOWA CITY...TO NORTH ENGLISH BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 4 PM AND 8 PM. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK HAS A SLIGHT RISK FOR ROUGHLY THE ENTIRE AREA NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34 FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE ON-GOING AS THE COLD FRONT ENTERS EASTERN IOWA NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AROUND MID AFTERNOON. SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...INSTABILITY AND DEEP WIND SHEAR IS EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT BOWING THUNDERSTORM SEGMENTS WITH DAMAGING WINDS. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SOMEWHAT LESS FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS THE FRONT PROGRESSES FURTHER EAST AND SOUTH INTO THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MONDAY AND TUESDAY...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL ACCOMPANY A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. CONDITIONS REMAIN TOO UNCERTAIN TO ASSESS ANY SEVERE POTENTIAL OR HEAVY RAIN RISK AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHEETS/NICHOLS
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:43 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds estimated to be 60 mph blew down some tree limbs about 5 miles northeast of Independence, IA. Time estimated.
A wind gust was estimated to be 65 mph near Mount Auburn, IA.|
A wind gust was estimated to be 60 mph three miles east of Cedar Rapids, IA.
Winds estimated to be 65 mph blew down a tree and some power lines at the intersection of Wilson Ave and 6th Street in Cedar Rapids, IA. Relayed by KCRG TV. Time estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, September 2007
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: 59260, 59261, 59262, 59263.