Thunderstorms developed across Iowa during the predawn and morning hours of the 3rd. Lightning from one storm stuck the main lodge of the Honey Creek Resort at Rathbun Lake.
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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 DMX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed across Iowa during the predawn and morning hours of the 3rd. Lightning from one storm stuck the main lodge of the Honey Creek Resort at Rathbun Lake. There was structural and electrical damage reported from the lightning strike.
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 Oct 3, 6:16 AM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 716 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 716 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 HAVE UPDATED THE FORECAST TO REFLECT LATEST RADAR TRENDS...WITH ACTIVITY MOVING INTO CENTRAL IOWA A BIT FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. COULD ALSO SEE A BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY AFTER THIS MORNINGS ACTIVITY HEADS OUT BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND DEVELOPS TOWARD MID/LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. HAVE TRIED TO REFLECT THIS TREND IN THE WX/POP GRIDS AS WELL. && .SHORT TERM.../TODAY /... ISSUED AT 311 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 FOCUS TODAY WILL BE ON CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION...WITH SITUATION A LITTLE TRICKY DEALING WITH CURRENT CONVECTIVE TRENDS AND HOW IT AFFECTS REDEVELOPMENT LATER. CWA CURRENTLY IN AREA OF STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT ORIENTED FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ALOFT. MUCAPE QUITE WEAK...WITH LITTLE SHEAR SO MAINLY SCATTERED WEAK ACTIVITY EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT FEW HOURS. UPPER LEVEL ENERGY EJECTING OUT AHEAD OF THE PARENT TROUGH OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WILL LIFT THROUGH THE CWA BY LATE MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. THEREFORE EXPECT MORE SCATTERED ACTIVITY LINGERING ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHWESTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE CWA THROUGH THE EARLY/MID MORNING HOURS AS THE LLJ REMAINS ORIENTED INTO THE STATE. AS THE ENERGY ALOFT LIFTS THROUGH THE CWA...THETA-E ADVECTION INCREASES ACROSS THE WESTERN/CENTRAL CWA. CURRENTLY AREA OF CONVECTION THAT HAS BEEN STEADILY PUSHING SOUTH/SOUTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN NE AND DIMINISHING SOME...SHOULD SLOWLY MIGRATE EAST/NORTHEASTWARD AS THE UPPER LEVEL ENERGY NEARS THE STATE TOWARD THE EARLY/MID MORNING HOURS. OVERALL TREND IS FOR THIS AREA OF CONVECTION TO EXPAND AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE CWA TOWARD MID/LATE DAY. EXTENSIVE CLOUD SHIELD ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA ALREADY...WITH IT EXPECTED TO EXPAND AND REMAIN THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY WHICH WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM RISING TOO MUCH ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH WHERE CLOUDS EXPECTED TO BE THICKEST. MAY SEE SOME INITIAL PEAKS OF SUN THIS MORNING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN CWA...SO HAVE WARMEST TEMPS IN THAT AREA WITH MID 70S TO MID 80S EXPECTED FOR HIGHS. MAJORITY OF ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO BE ELEVATED TODAY WITH STRONGER CAP IN PLACE AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER TO LIMIT DAYTIME HEATING. DEEP LAYER SHEAR WEAKER THIS MORNING AND INCREASING ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...SO STRONGER STORMS TOWARD MID/LATE DAY MAY YIELD AN ISOLATED HAIL THREAT THIS AFTERNOON. .LONG TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... ISSUED AT 311 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM THAT WILL IMPACT THE STATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND IS NOW OVER OREGON AND IDAHO. AS EXPECTED THE PAST SEVERAL NIGHTS...THE TREND HAS BEEN TOWARDS A SLOWER SOLUTION ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SFC FEATURES. THE NAM REMAINS THE FAST OUTLIER AND HAVE USED A GFS/ECMWF COMPROMISE THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND INCREASE AS THE LOW LEVEL JET VEERS INTO THE STATE PUSHING ADDITIONAL STRONG THETA-E ADVECTION INTO THE STATE. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL MAINTAIN THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z AND POSSIBLY LONGER AS A PLUME OF 1000 TO 2000 J/KG MUCAPES LIFT THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR A FEW SUPERCELLS TO DEVELOP IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY. THIS WOULD POSE A LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO REMAINS AS WELL WITH LOW LEVEL SRH VALUES NEAR 200. IN ADDITION...THERE IS THERE ALSO IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN TO DEVELOP WITH STORM MOTIONS NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE SFC BOUNDARY AND A DEEP AND UNSEASONABLY MOIST AIR MASS IN PLACE. THE WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHOULD CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTH WITH MUCH OF THE STATE WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR ON FRIDAY. MUCH OF THE DAY VERY WELL MAY BE DRY MOST LOCATIONS WITH A CAP IN PLACE NEAR 850 MB. THE EXCEPTION WOULD BE OVER THE FAR NORTH WHICH WOULD BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BE GREATEST OVER THE NORTH FRIDAY AFTERNOON THEN THE ENTIRE AREA FRIDAY EVENING AS THE BOUNDARY PASSES THROUGH. THE CONVECTION NEAR THE WARM FRONT AND JUST EAST OF THE SFC LOW WOULD HAVE INCREASING DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED SHEAR THROUGH THE DAY AND WOULD BE A FAVORED AREA FOR SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT BY MID AFTERNOON OVER NORTHERN IOWA. AGAIN LOW LEVEL SRH VALUES OF 200-400 ARE POSSIBLE AND WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL ASSUMING STORMS ARE ABLE TO BECOME ESTABLISHED. A VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE SECOND LINE OF STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT WILL HAVE A WIND AND HAIL THREAT AS WELL. A FEW LOW LEVEL MESO VORTICES WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS LINE BUT AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS IT WOULD BE A FOCUSED WIND THREAT AS OPPOSED TO QLCS TORNADO THREAT. THIS SECOND LINE OF STORMS WOULD BE FAST MOVING AT 40 TO 50 KTS. STORM CHANCES WILL DIMINISH THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY AS THE DRY SLOT MOVES OVERHEAD AND THE COLDER AIR RUSHES INTO THE REGION. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE VERY EARLY MORNING THEN A PERIOD OF FALLING TEMPERATURES FOLLOWED BY SOME RECOVERY. SUNDAY WILL BE QUITE COOL WITH WRAP AROUND SHOWERS POSSIBLE MAINLY CENTRAL AND NORTH. SEASONABLE WITH A MODEST WARMING TREND THEN THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...03/12Z ISSUED AT 716 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AROUND INITIALLY THIS MORNING...WITH ADDITIONAL CHANCES BY THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. SOME MVFR CIGS LINGERING OUT THERE WITH THE PRECIP...BUT EXPECT CIGS TO LIFT TO VFR BY LATE MORNING AND REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD. MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EXPECTED TONIGHT...THUS HAVE SOME VCTS MENTIONS AT MOST TAF SITES. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && UPDATE...BEERENDS SHORT TERM...BEERENDS LONG TERM...DONAVON AVIATION...BEERENDS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 516 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086- 092>097-041030- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE- BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION- CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE- DAVIS- 516 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE. QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND 60 MPH WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN 3 PM AND 9 PM IN AN AREA WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AFTERNOON NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30 THEN ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND 65 MPH WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW TORNADOES ESPECIALLY OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THEN AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:45 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck the main lodge of the Honey Creek Resort at Rathbun Lake causing structural and electrical damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, October 2013
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: 472346.