Tornadoes · United States · Iowa · 2014

EF1 tornado, Dundee to Edgewood, Iowa, June 16, 2014

From Dundee to Edgewood, this EF1 tornado ran 12.6 miles across Delaware County on June 16, 2014, touching down at 9:33 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $100,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
June 16, 2014
Touchdown
9:33 PM CDT (02:33 UTC)
Lifted
9:55 PM CDT (02:55 UTC)
On the ground
22 minutes
Path length
12.6 miles (20.3 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$100,000
County
Delaware County
Touchdown point
42.551, -91.609
Lift-off point
42.637, -91.398
Record number
1406162033-01

The damage survey

6 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS DVN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 105 mph.

  • Reduced wind speed due to lack of corroborative impacts.
  • Also several trees snapped off, one grain bin destroyed, two severely damaged.
  • Lowered wind speed due to quality of construction (modular home) and nearby damage. Two small, old silos also blown over.
  • Appeared that wind lifted roof from ridgeline causing roof to buckle and framing to snap or collapse. Door directly exposed to the wind did NOT collapse in, while nearby collateral damage suggested this lower wind speed.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

A warm front extended from eastern Nebraska to western Illinois and was lifting northward on June 16-17, 2014. An extremely unstable air mass was over the area on June 16 along with strong deep layer shear. This allowed scattered supercells to form during the afternoon and evening which produced two tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds. A weak tornado formed 4 miles south of Lamont, Iowa in Buchanan County, tracked about 1 mile to the northeast before crossing into Delaware County. In Delaware County the tornado continued for about 13 miles to the northeast to Edgewood, Iowa. Another weak tornado briefly touched down in Benton County, Iowa. Strengthening mid level winds along with a strong low level jet in place later in the evening and overnight on June 17 produced widespread damaging winds of 60 to 70 mph. Strong warm air advection triggered more severe thunderstorms during the late evening of June 17.

A tornado formed 4 miles south of Lamont, IA in Buchanan County, tracked about 1 mile to the northeast before crossing into Delaware County. In Delaware County the tornado continued for about 13 miles to the northeast to Edgewood, IA. ||This entry is for the Delaware County portion of the tornado track (second and final segment).||Most of the damage was south and east of Dundee into south Edgewood. Several grain bins collapsed or were destroyed. Two old hog confinements were seriously damaged along with an aluminum roof being torn off. Numerous trees were snapped along the path.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 02:01 UTC and running to 04:19 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
20:36 UTC02:01 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchDVN
01:21 UTC02:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVN
01:35 UTC02:15 UTCTornado WarningDVN
02:01 UTC04:19 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchDVN
02:14 UTC03:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVN

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 01:14 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Davenport, (KDVN), 00:00Z

2.6 hours before the tornado, 136 km from the path. June 17, 2014.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2014-06-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2074 joules per kilogram, CIN -15, lifted condensation level 1135 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2014-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 78 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 45 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2074 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2990 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1135 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
122 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
5.2
0-3 km lapse rate
7.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Davenport, (KDVN), 12:00Z

9.4 hours after it, 136 km from the path. June 17, 2014.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2014-06-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -85581, lifted condensation level 1253 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2014-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -222 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 50 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85581 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1253 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-222 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-87 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:32 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
01:26 UTCTSTM WND GST 686 Ne WaterlooBlack Hawk, IA65 TO 70 MPH WIND GUST. SEVERAL SMALL TREE LIMBS DOWN. DIAMETER UNKNOWN.
01:28 UTCTSTM WND DMGWestgateFayette, IABARNS BLOWN DOWN WITH TIN ACROSS THE ROAD. CORRECTED THE TIME OF THE REPORT BASED ON RADAR DATA.
01:29 UTCTSTM WND DMGWestgateFayette, IANUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN AND DAMAGE TO A CHURCH ROOF IN TOWN. DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED TO A BARN WEST OF TOWN ON STATE HIGHWAY 3 WITH CATTLE TRAPPED INSIDE THE BARN. CORRECTED THE TIME OF THE REPORT BASED ON RADAR
01:29 UTCTSTM WND DMGWestgateFayette, IASHED BLOWN DOWN AT A FEED MILL. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ABOUT A HALF DOZEN HOMES.
01:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGWestgateFayette, IANUMEROUS LARGE TREES 2 TO 4 FEET IN DIAMETER EITHER UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. 2 GRAIN BINS BLOWN OVER ONTO A BUILDING AND TRUCK.
01:50 UTCTSTM WND DMG6 N WaterlooBlack Hawk, IADOWNED TREE BLOCKING THE ROAD. REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
01:55 UTCTSTM WND DMGWestgateFayette, IABARNS BLOWN DOWN WITH TIN ACROSS THE ROAD.
01:56 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 S BrainardFayette, IACATTLE BARN COLLAPSED WITH AROUND 150 CATTLE TRAPPED IN THE DEBRIS ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF WADENA.
01:56 UTCTSTM WND DMGWestgateFayette, IANUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN AND DAMAGE TO A CHURCH ROOF IN TOWN. DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED TO A BARN WEST OF TOWN ON STATE HIGHWAY 3 WITH CATTLE TRAPPED INSIDE THE BARN.
02:13 UTCHAIL 0.251 Ne HazletonBuchanan, IAVERY HEAVY RAIN.
02:30 UTCTORNADO4 S LamontBuchanan, IAAN EF1 TORNADO FORMED 4 MILES SOUTH OF LAMONT IOWA AND TRACKED TO THE NORTHEAST FOR 17 MILES ENDING IN EDGEWOOD IOWA. MOST OF THE DAMAGE WAS SOUTH AND EAST OF DUNDEE IOWA INTO EDGEWOOD IOWA. SEVERAL GRAIN BINS COLLASPED
02:31 UTCTORNADON WinthropBuchanan, IA160TH AND 187TH.
02:32 UTCTORNADON WinthropBuchanan, IA160TH AND 187TH.
02:37 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDE DundeeDelaware, IAEAST OF DUNDEE. PEA SIZE HAIL WITH HEAVY RAIN.
02:42 UTCHAIL 1.75Strawberry PointClayton, IA
02:46 UTCTSTM WND GST 702 W ManchesterDelaware, IAFROM MANCHESTER FIRE DEPT RELAYED BY DELAWARE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
02:49 UTCTSTM WND GST 559 S IndependenceBuchanan, IAESTIMATED 50 TO 55 MPH WINDS ON HWY 150.
02:50 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 W IndependenceBuchanan, IASTREETS ARE FLOODING DUE TO STORM SEWERS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE HEAVY RAIN. ESTIMATED OVER AN INCH OF RAIN FELL SO FAR.
03:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S EdgewoodDelaware, IATWO BUILDINGS ON FARM LOST. TREE AND POWER POLE DOWN.
03:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S EdgewoodDelaware, IATWO BUILDINGS ON FARM LOST. TREE AND POWER POLE DOWN. TIME BASED ON RADAR.
03:15 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.25UrbanaBenton, IA1.25 TO 1.49 INCHES IN 20 MINUTES. DELAYED REPORT.
03:40 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.81Wsw QuasquetonBuchanan, IATOTAL FELL IN 1 HOUR FROM 2130L TO 2225L. MINOR STANDING WATER VISIBLE IN FRONT PASTURE. NO WIND DAMAGE VISIBLE AT THIS TIME.
04:18 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.011 Ese PeostaDubuque, IASTILL RAINING.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2014 tornado in IowaEvery tornado in Iowa since 1950Warnings in force in Iowa nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 16, 2014

35 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 163:38 PM CDTEF0Stanton, NE1.3100
June 163:42 PM CDTEF4Stanton, NE12.1400$2.0 million
June 163:43 PM CDTEF0Lyon, IA0.250
June 164:00 PM CDTEF4Stanton, NE23.9500120$14 million
June 164:13 PM CDTEF4Stanton, NE11.55001$1.1 million
June 164:40 PM CDTEF4Wayne, NE15.8530$3.0 million
June 165:41 PM CDTEF0Dakota, NE0.350
June 165:44 PM CDTEF0Pocahontas, IA6.1250
June 166:22 PM CDTEF0Humboldt, IA4.650
June 166:24 PM CDTEF0Custer, NE0.240
June 166:35 PM CDTEF1Garfield, NE2.4400$15,000
June 166:48 PM CDTEF1Cerro Gordo, IA3.0110$50,000
June 166:52 PM CDTEF1Wright, IA2.6175$27,000
June 166:56 PM CDTEF0Cerro Gordo, IA1.140$5,000
June 167:01 PM CDTEF2Garfield, NE5.2500$100,000
June 167:20 PM CDTEF2Garfield, NE1.6700$100,000
June 167:28 PM CDTEF2Garfield, NE0.3400$5,000
June 167:30 PM CDTEF0Garfield, NE0.240$1,000
June 167:39 PM CDTEF1Butler, IA4.7100$200,000
June 167:45 PM CDTEF0Butler, IA1.7150$400,000
June 167:52 PM CDTEF1Butler, IA2.1120$200,000
June 168:12 PM CDTEF0Bremer, IA2.075
June 168:23 PM MDTEF0Stark, ND1.425
June 169:30 PM CDTEF1Buchanan, IA1.350$50,000
June 1610:05 PM CDTEF0Benton, IA0.130
June 1610:45 PM CDTEF2Grant, WI3.81005$21 million
June 1610:49 PM CDTEF1Grant, WI0.525$540,000
June 1611:00 PM CDTEF1Lafayette, WI1.250$33,000
June 1611:00 PM CDTEF1Lafayette, WI4.3200$1.5 million
June 1611:10 PM CDTEF1Iowa, WI0.4100$20,000
June 1611:36 PM CDTEF1Green, WI0.5125$200,000
June 1611:36 PM CDTEF1Green, WI0.4125$50,000
June 1612:08 AM CDTEF3Dane, WI1.0100$14 million
June 1612:15 AM CDTEF2Dane, WI0.2200$5.0 million
June 1612:21 AM CDTEF1Dane, WI1.5300$300,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.