Tornadoes · United States · Iowa · 2014

EF0 tornado, Wyoming, Iowa, June 29, 2014

This EF0 tornado ran 0.1 miles across Jones County on June 29, 2014, touching down at 10:36 PM CDT and reaching 25 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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 mphthis tornado

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    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
EF0
Date
June 29, 2014
Touchdown
10:36 PM CDT (03:36 UTC)
Path length
0.1 miles (0.2 km)
Path width
25 yards (23 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Jones County
Touchdown point
42.090, -90.960
Lift-off point
42.090, -90.960
Record number
1406292136-01

The damage survey

1 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS DVN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The highest wind the damage implies is 60 mph.

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 strong cold front pushed into a very warm unstable air mass as a significant upper level storm system tracked into the northern Great Lakes on June 29-30, 2014. A major severe weather and flash flood event unfolded across the area. This event resulted in the direct deaths of 2 people and direct injuries to 7 others. Three weak tornadoes, widespread damaging winds of 60 to 80 mph, and life-threatening flash flooding due to 4 to 6 inches of rainfall was reported. Two of the tornadoes were in northeast Iowa while another tornado was spotted in northwest Illinois. Law enforcement reported a business building destroyed by high winds from a severe thunderstorm in Fairfax, Iowa. One person was killed and another injured due to the collapsed structure. A severe thunderstorm packing 80 mph winds blew a tarp on top of several people trying to cover the infield at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Three people suffered concussions while another person had a dislocated shoulder. In North Liberty, Iowa a tree fell on a person who was then transported to a local hospital. Severe flash flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa resulted in the drowning death of a teenage boy with another boy injured. They were swept into a storm sewer and were found a mile away in a lake.

The Jones County Emergency Manager relayed a public report of a tornado west of Maquoketa. No damage was reported.

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

The warnings

5 minutes of warning. NWS DVN issued a tornado warning for this county at 03:31 UTC, 5 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 04:00 UTC.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 01:20 UTC and running to 07:54 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
01:20 UTC07:54 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchDVN
03:01 UTC08:32 UTCFlash Flood WarningDVN
03:08 UTC03:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVN
03:31 UTC04:00 UTCTornado WarningDVN
03:53 UTC09:32 UTCFlash Flood WarningDVN
04:10 UTC05:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVN
04:10 UTC09:36 UTCFlash Flood WarningDVN
04:12 UTC06:00 UTCFlash Flood WatchDVN
06:41 UTC01:40 UTCFlood WarningDVN
08:27 UTC14:30 UTCFlood WarningDVN
09:31 UTC15:30 UTCFlood WarningDVN
09:34 UTC15:30 UTCFlood WarningDVN
19:05 UTC22:13 UTCTornado WatchDVN
19:59 UTC20:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVN
20:13 UTC02:15 UTCFlash Flood 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 Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 01:00 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

3.6 hours before the tornado, 65 km from the path. June 30, 2014.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2014-06-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1816 joules per kilogram, CIN -89, lifted condensation level 1110 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 2014-06-30The 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 74 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 43 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
1816 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-89 J/kg
Surface CAPE
4021 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1110 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
126 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
5.6
0-3 km lapse rate
6.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Davenport, (KDVN), 12:00Z

8.4 hours after it, 65 km from the path. June 30, 2014.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2014-06-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1426 joules per kilogram, CIN -49, lifted condensation level 544 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 12:00Z on 2014-06-30The 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 253 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 46 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
1426 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-49 J/kg
Surface CAPE
370 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
544 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
262 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.3
Supercell composite
15.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 03:35 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
03:04 UTCHAIL 1AnamosaJones, IATHE EMERGENCY MANAGER RELAYED A REPORT OF QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN THE CITY OF ANAMOSA.
03:10 UTCTSTM WND DMG7 W MonticelloJones, IALARGE BARN BLOWN COMPETELY DOWN AND WAGON MOVED 100FT. AND TIPPED OVER. SOME DAMAGE TO 3 OTHER BARNS ON FARM. TIME OF THE EVENT WAS ESTIAMTED USING RADAR. REPORT RELAYED BY NWS EMPLOYEE.
03:10 UTCHAIL 14 Ene AnamosaJones, IA
03:10 UTCHAIL 14 Ene AnamosaJones, IA
03:33 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.75AsburyDubuque, IA
03:33 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.75AsburyDubuque, IA
03:36 UTCTORNADO3 Ne WyomingJones, IAPUBLIC REPORT OF A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN. RELAYED BY THE JONES COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER.
03:44 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 Nne DubuqueDubuque, IAWATER 2 TO 3 FEET ON 17TH STREET AND KAUFMANN AVENUE
03:49 UTCTSTM WND GST 60WyomingJones, IA
03:49 UTCTSTM WND GST 60WyomingJones, IA
04:17 UTCTSTM WND DMGBaldwinJackson, IAWINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF A HOME ALONG HIGHWAY 64 AND 82ND STREET.
04:20 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 W MaquoketaJackson, IACORN FLATTEN. TREES DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 61. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR.
04:51 UTCFLASH FLOODOlinJones, IAEMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS FLASH FLOODING IN OLIN, NEAR ONSLOW AND 3 MILES NORTH OF ONSLOW. A PUBLIC REPORT OF 3.30 INCHES 3 MILES NORTH SCOTCH GROVE.
04:55 UTCFLASH FLOOD3 E Cedar RapidsLinn, IAWIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING AND BASEMENTS FLOODING
04:55 UTCFLASH FLOODMount VernonLinn, IATOTAL WASHOUT OF HIGHWAY 1 NORTH OF MOUNT VERNON. VEHICLE WITHIN THE WASHOUT BUT UNSURE OF OCCUPANTS STATUS. RELAYED BY KCRG-TV.
05:26 UTCHEAVY RAIN 3.25Wnw StanwoodCedar, IARAIN FELL IN 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES. ALSO REPORTS FLASH FLOODING.
05:30 UTCFLASH FLOODLowdenCedar, IASTREET WASHOUTS IN TOWN. BASEMENTS FLOODED.
05:34 UTCFLASH FLOODWest BranchCedar, IABASEMENTS AND RAODS FLOODED IN WEST BRANCH WITH WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
05:35 UTCHEAVY RAIN 41 Ne MarionLinn, IA
05:35 UTCHEAVY RAIN 41 Ne MarionLinn, IA
05:44 UTCHEAVY RAIN 4.69OlinJones, IAPOWER IS OUT.
05:55 UTCHEAVY RAIN 3.05LowdenCedar, IA
05:55 UTCHEAVY RAIN 3.05LowdenCedar, IA
05:55 UTCHEAVY RAIN 43 Nne Cedar RapidsLinn, IA
05:55 UTCHEAVY RAIN 43 Nne Cedar RapidsLinn, IA
06:00 UTCFLASH FLOODLangworthyJones, IATOWN EVACUATED.
06:00 UTCFLASH FLOODMorleyJones, IATOWN EVACUATED.

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 29, 2014

14 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 296:05 AM CDTEF1Gove, KS1.050$50,000
June 297:28 PM CDTEF0Hamilton, IA2.040
June 298:08 PM CDTEF0Shelby, IA0.550
June 298:18 PM CDTEF1Grundy, IA1.950$30,000
June 298:25 PM CDTEF1Hardin, IA1.375$1,000
June 299:12 PM CDTEF0Buchanan, MO0.325
June 299:20 PM CDTEF0Shawnee, KS1.630
June 299:55 PM CDTEF1Mercer, MO6.3300
June 2910:00 PM CDTEF1Grant, WI8.2600$410,000
June 2910:18 PM CDTEF2Iowa, WI29.1400$3.5 million
June 2910:26 PM CDTEF2Iowa, WI5.0200$400,000
June 2911:27 PM CDTEF1Dane, WI2.3500$50,000
June 2912:30 AM CDTEF1Carroll, IL2.2600$50,000
June 2912:45 AM CDTEF1Schuyler, MO4.7300

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.