A tornado and a damaging wind report accompanied numerous reports of large hail across northwest Iowa during the late afternoon and early evening of August 13th.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 FSD wrote it up.
A tornado and a damaging wind report accompanied numerous reports of large hail across northwest Iowa during the late afternoon and early evening of August 13th.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 13, 3:45 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 445 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 .DISCUSSION... WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVE SPREADING THROUGH THE AREA AND IS SUPPORTING SOME ELEVATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. MAIN CORRIDOR OF STRONGEST THETA-E ADVECTION SHOULD BE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90 AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 29 LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ACARS SOUNDINGS FROM FSD AND SUX SUGGEST SFC BASED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE A LITTLE TOUGH TO COME BY BUT STILL SOME THREAT OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE SUNSET. WITH A CAPE AROUND 2000 J/KG...DCAPE AROUND 1200 J/KG AND ONLY MARGINAL SHEAR...EXPECT THE MAIN THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS TO BE HAIL TO HALF DOLLARS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. OTHERWISE...DEW POINTS FROM MOSGUIDE SEEMED TOO LOW SO WENT ABOVE. FAIRLY UNFOCUSED AS FAR AS CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL EARLY THU. MAIN UPR CIRCULATION WL CONTINUE TO WORK SWRD/SSWRD TOWARD ERN WY/WRN SD. IN RESPONSE...CDFNT/INVERTED TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP THRU ERN SD ON THU. ATM DOES DESTABILIZE THRU THE DAY...NOT TO A TREMENDOUS DEGREE...BUT ENOUGH WITH OVERALL WK FLOW PATTERN TO MAKE PCPN DISTRIBUTION FCST DIFFICULT. ALSO HAVE WK BACKDOOR FRONT PUSHING IN FM NE...REACHING FAR ERN CWA LATE AFTN. ENOUGH TO PUT AT LEAST A SMALL THREAT IN EVERYWHERE BY AFTN...BUT BEST THREAT FOR STORMS WOULD SEEM TO OCCUR FROM LATE THU AFTN THRU THU NIGHT AS MAIN DIV Q SLIDES SWRD THRU WRN CWA...WITH BEST ELEVATED INSTABILITY AXIS. THE THREAT FOR LINGERING SHOWERS AND STORMS WL BE LIMITED THRU SWRN THIRD OF AREA...BEFORE OVERWHEMLING PUSH OF DRIER AIR AND RIDGING BEHIND SYSTEM CUTS OFF THREAT FROM NE TO SW. THIS DRIER AIR WL KEEP MOST OF AIR CLEAR OF PCPN FRI NIGHT THRU SAT NIGHT...WITH EXCEPTION OF A VERY LOW END THREAT ALG MO RVR MAINLY TIED TO DIURNAL HEATING CYCLE. THIS IS MORE FOR UNCERTAINTY IN THE LOCATION OF UPR LOW THAN ANY OTHER REASON. IN THE EXTENDED RANGE /SUN THRU WED/ THE WHOLE FORECAST FALLS BACK ON HANDLING THE UPPER VORTEX AND EVENTUAL EVOLUTION. CONSENSUS TREND TO TAKE IT FARTHER SWRD INTO SUNDAY BEFORE SLOWLY LIFTING CORE NE. THIS WOULD ALLOW A GOOD PUSH OF DRIER AIR TO BUILD WWRD NORTH OF THE CIRCULATION INTO MOST OF CWA. ...AND HARD TO TIME ANY PARTICULAR LOBES WRAPPING ARND THE CORE WHICH MIGHT BRUSH THROUGH THE FAR SRN CWA. CUT BACK POPS LEADING INTO SUN NIGHT AND MON...AND WHILE NOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY WITH THE COLD CORE...WL MENTION A SOMEWHAT LESSER CONCENTRATION OF THUNDER TIED TO DIURNAL CYCLE. LATE LOOK AT 12Z ECMWF WOULD PUSH PRECIP THREAT PAST EXTENDED RANGE AS TAKES UNTIL THU AND FRI TO LIFT BACK NWRD INTO AREA. WOULD NEED TO END UP MUCH DRIER AND WARMER IF THIS SLN IS TO ASSERT ITSELF IN THE SUPERENSEMBLE SLNS. && .AVIATION... MAINLY VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD DROP THE VISIBILITY BRIEFLY INTO MVFR. MOST THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE NEAR THE KFSD...17Z THROUGH 22Z...AND KSUX...21Z THROUGH 01Z...BUT WILL REMAIN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && 08/CHAPMAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 1115 AM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 SDZ038>040-050-052>071-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098- IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-141200- AURORA-BEADLE-BON HOMME-BROOKINGS-BRULE-BUENA VISTA IA- CHARLES MIX-CHEROKEE IA-CLAY-CLAY IA-COTTONWOOD MN-DAKOTA NE- DAVISON-DICKINSON IA-DIXON NE-DOUGLAS-GREGORY-HANSON-HUTCHINSON- IDA IA-JACKSON MN-JERAULD-KINGSBURY-LAKE-LINCOLN-LINCOLN MN- LYON IA-LYON MN-MCCOOK-MINER-MINNEHAHA-MOODY-MURRAY MN-NOBLES MN- OBRIEN IA-OSCEOLA IA-PIPESTONE MN-PLYMOUTH IA-ROCK MN-SANBORN- SIOUX IA-TURNER-UNION-WOODBURY IA-YANKTON- 1115 AM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA... SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON WITH A FEW STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BE SOUTH OF A TYNDALL TO WINDOM LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER 200 PM CDT. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SIOUXFALLS. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
521 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 PM HAIL 2 N EDGERTON 43.90N 96.13W
08/13/2008 E1.75 INCH PIPESTONE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
526 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0512 PM HAIL EDGERTON 43.87N 96.13W
08/13/2008 E3.00 INCH PIPESTONE MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
THREE AND A HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS REPORTED JUST
WEST OF EDGERTON.
&&
TRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
529 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0502 PM HAIL 1 S DALLAS 43.22N 99.52W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH GREGORY SD PUBLIC
IN ADDITION TO PENNY SIZED HAIL, 1.00 INCH OF RAIN FELL
WITH THIS STORM.
&&
TRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
535 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 PM HAIL 2 SW MARSHALL 44.43N 95.82W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH LYON MN AMATEUR RADIO
0355 PM HAIL 1 W MARSHALL 44.45N 95.81W
08/13/2008 E0.88 INCH LYON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0403 PM HAIL 6 NNE ARCO 44.46N 96.11W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH LINCOLN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0403 PM HAIL 3 NNE RUSSELL 44.35N 95.92W
08/13/2008 E1.25 INCH LYON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
HALF DOLLAR SIZED HIAL REPORTED AT CAMDEN STATE PARK.
0405 PM HAIL 2 SE LAKE BENTON 44.24N 96.26W
08/13/2008 E1.50 INCH LINCOLN MN PUBLIC
0410 PM HAIL 1 N RUSSELL 44.33N 95.95W
08/13/2008 E1.00 INCH LYON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
IN ADDITION TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL, 40 TO 50 MPH WIND
GUSTS ACCOMPANIED THE STORM.
0429 PM HAIL 1 S BURKE 43.17N 99.29W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH GREGORY SD PUBLIC
0430 PM HAIL 12 NNW MOUNTAIN LAKE 44.10N 95.02W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH COTTONWOOD MN PUBLIC
IN ADDITION TO PENNY SIZED HAIL, 0.65 INCH RAIN FELL
DURING THE STORM.
0450 PM HAIL 12 E PIPESTONE 44.00N 96.07W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH PIPESTONE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0502 PM HAIL 1 S DALLAS 43.22N 99.52W
08/13/2008 E0.75 INCH GREGORY SD PUBLIC
IN ADDITION TO PENNY SIZED HAIL, 1.00 INCH OF RAIN FELL
WITH THIS STORM.
0510 PM HAIL 1 N EDGERTON 43.89N 96.13W
08/13/2008 E1.00 INCH PIPESTONE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
IN ADDITION TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL, ROTATION WAS NOTED IN
THE CLOUDS.
0512 PM HAIL EDGERTON 43.87N 96.13W
08/13/2008 E3.00 INCH PIPESTONE MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
THREE AND A HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS REPORTED JUST
WEST OF EDGERTON.
0515 PM HAIL 2 N EDGERTON 43.90N 96.13W
08/13/2008 E1.75 INCH PIPESTONE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
546 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0540 PM HAIL 5 SSW OKABENA 43.67N 95.35W
08/13/2008 E0.88 INCH JACKSON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
600 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0553 PM HAIL MAGNOLIA 43.64N 96.07W
08/13/2008 E1.00 INCH ROCK MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TRMThe Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:08 UTC.
13 hail, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado damaged several outbuildings and tore half the roof off a hog confinement building.
Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large branches blown down.
Large hail damaged roofs, siding, windows, and crops; and stripped leaves off some trees. The amount of crop and property damage was not known.
Large hail covered the ground.
Large hail dented vehicles. The amount of property damage was not known.
Large hail covered the ground to a depth of one to two inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 2008Warnings in Iowa, August 2008
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: 131162, 131164, 131166, 131168, 131169, 131170, 131171, 131173, 131174, 131175, 131176, 131177, 131379, 131178, 131179.