Tornadoes · United States · Iowa · 2026
Unrated tornado, Fielding to Meriden, Iowa, May 17, 2026
From Fielding to Meriden, this Unrated tornado ran 0.9 miles across Cherokee County on May 17, 2026, touching down at 8:11 PM CDT. It killed nobody.
Preliminary. This is NWS FSD's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit. The rating, the path and the casualties are the survey's and can change while it is revised. The Storm Prediction Center compiles the official record of 2026 from these surveys and publishes it in the spring of 2027; this page moves to that tornado's permanent address when it does.
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.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
Unratedthis tornado
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 survey
- Rating, as surveyed
- Unrated, preliminary
- Date
- May 17, 2026
- Touchdown
- 8:11 PM CDT (01:11 UTC)
- Lifted
- 8:13 PM CDT (01:13 UTC)
- On the ground
- 2 minutes
- Path length
- 0.9 miles (1.5 km)
- Path width
- 0 yards (0 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Cherokee County
- Touchdown point
- 42.739, -95.828
- Lift-off point
- 42.745, -95.812
- Surveyed by
- NWS FSD
- Survey last edited
- July 31, 2026
- Record number
- None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.
What the survey found
Brief tornado in an open field reported by spotter. No known damage. Location is an approximation based on video evidence.
Written by NWS FSD in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.
What the Weather Service recorded
An approaching mid-level disturbance broke a weak cap and allowed storms to erupt during the afternoon along a slow moving frontal boundary. These storms rapidly organized into short bowing segments and then became highly linear across northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota during the evening. Initial supercell storms produced large hail with as much as 2000-3000 J/kg MLCAPE, but DCAPE of around 750-1000 J/kg allowed for the development of organized cold pools and an increasing wind threat. Several brief and highly visible tornadic spin-ups developed along the line of storms by late afternoon and evening across far eastern South Dakota, northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota.||In addition, repeated thunderstorms brought as much as 2-4 inches of rain in a short period of time to portions of Plymouth and southern Sioux County in northwest Iowa. This same area had also received locally heavy rainfall during the previous days, resulting in spotty flooding of already saturated locations.
A very brief tornado was observed in an open field around 8 miles south of Cleghorn. The tornado was estimated to touch down just east of G Avenue one-half mile south of 570th Street. The tornado tracked northeast over open fields for less than one minute before it lifted. There were no damage indicators present to derive a rating. The average path width was estimated at 20 yards based on video evidence.
A trained spotter observed a brief tornado in an open field around 7 miles south of Marcus. The tornado was estimated to touch down around one-half mile northwest of the intersection of 540th Street and C Avenue. The tornado tracked northeast for less than two minutes across open fields before lifting south of 530th Street. There were no damage indicators present to derive a rating. The average path width was estimated at 20 yards based on video evidence.
Several social media videos documeted a very brief tornado around 5 miles west of Cherokee. The tornado was estimated to touch down near the intersection of 530th Street and K Avenue. The tornado tracked northeast across open fields for less than one minute before it lifted near Rock Creek south of 520th Street. There were no damage indicators present to derive a rating. The average path width was estimated at 20 yards based on video evidence.
A brief tornado was observed in an open field by a storm chaser around 3 miles northeast of Meriden. The tornado was estimated to touch down just southeast of the intersection of N Avenue and 480th Street. The tornado tracked northeast for around two minutes before it lifted east of Mill Creek. There were no damage indicators present to derive a rating. The average path width was estimated at 20 yards based on video evidence.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 01:07 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.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at May 17, 6:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- There is high confidence that severe thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and evening, producing large hail, destructive straight-line winds, and a few tornadoes. An Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) of severe storms is in place.
- A transitioning storm mode will shift hazards from large hail and tornadoes initially, to widespread wind damage as an intense line of storms tracks east of Interstate 29 this evening.
- A lower risk of severe weather exists late Monday afternoon and evening, mainly over northwest IA, before quieter weather moves in for the mid-week period.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 6:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD Issued by National Weather Service Rapid City SD 653 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - There is high confidence that severe thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and evening, producing large hail, destructive straight-line winds, and a few tornadoes. An Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) of severe storms is in place. - A transitioning storm mode will shift hazards from large hail and tornadoes initially, to widespread wind damage as an intense line of storms tracks east of Interstate 29 this evening. - A lower risk of severe weather exists late Monday afternoon and evening, mainly over northwest IA, before quieter weather moves in for the mid-week period. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 120 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 The short-term convective outlook presents a highly volatile spring severe weather setup. Latest surface analysis shows a complex pattern, anchored by a strong 994 mb low over northwest KS. An inverted trough extended north of the low through central SD, while a well-defined warm front stretched northeast of the low into east central NE. A weaker low was also noted in north central NE. Visible satellite imagery revealed stable wave clouds advancing northeast over far northeast NE and extreme SE SD, ahead of the advancing warm front. Regional radar imagery showed a complex of strong to severe storms over north central NE. This storm complex is forecast by short range guidance to continue tracking east this afternoon, intensifying as interacts with the richer low- level moisture pool near and south of the warm front. Moderate to strong instability will be in place over the southern to eastern CWA by late afternoon with MLCAPE nearing 3000 J/kg. In addition, deep layer shear will increase to around 50 kt, coincident with a mid level speed max ejecting from the deep upper trough to our west. As the system evolves over the next several hours, it appears the ingredients for a significant severe weather event will be most favored over the southern to eastern CWA. Ahead of the main convective line, some CAMs show supercell development along the northward advancing warm front. These storms would present a risk of very large hail (2"+) and tornadoes. Given the amount of low level SRH/curved hodographs present, a couple strong tornadoes are possible. The convective cluster currently entering our far southwest CWA should strengthen as it shifts east, with an initial hail and tornado threat transitioning to a damaging straight line wind threat (70+ MPH) as it grows upscale into a squall line/QLCS. Some line-embedded QLCS tornadoes are possible, especially for any line segments that become oriented north/south or northwest/southeast, given southwesterly 0-3 km shear vectors. Timing from latest high-res guidance suggests this activity exits to the east of our CWA late this evening. Precipitation amounts will vary significantly based on convective tracks, though NBM guidance and HREF probability match mean fields project a widespread 0.50 to 1.50 inches of rainfall, particularly across northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. On Monday, the cold front finally pushes into the area. Instability and shear are forecast to be much lower than today, however, there will be a conditional risk of severe storms over the eastern CWA during the late afternoon to evening, if the airmass can destabilize sufficiently ahead of the front. SPC's Day 2 outlook indicates as Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5), for our MN and IA counties. Behind the departing upper wave, quasi-zonal flow sets up for Tuesday and Wednesday, yielding quiet conditions and seasonally cool high temperatures moderating from the upper 50s Tuesday to mid-upper 60s Wednesday. The next upper wave moves in for the Thursday to Friday period, however Gulf moisture remains cutoff ahead of this system. Evaluating the ECMWF Extreme Forecast Index (EFI) reveals no significant climatological anomalies for precipitation or wind across the upper Midwest during this period, reinforcing the the idea of a low-impact system for our area. The current forecast sticks closely to the NBM consensus, maintaining broad 20-30 percent probabilities for light rain for late Thursday into Saturday. By late this week and especially this weekend, temperatures will embark on a steady upward trajectory, as the mid level flow backs west, then southwest. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) 6-10 day outlook favors above-normal temperatures across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, which supports blended guidance high temperatures reaching well into the 80s on Sunday. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 650 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 Showers and storms will continue to move eastward into MN through the evening hours, the forecast area should be largely clear of shower/storm activity after ~05z. Intermittent MVFR/IFR conditions in heavy rainfall as well as hail and strong winds will accompany the strongest storms. Widespread MVFR/IFR cigs will set in overnight and persist through much of Monday. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None. && DISCUSSION...ILX/25 AVIATION...Wong
Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 1:29 PM CDT, 6 hours 42 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD Issued by National Weather Service Lincoln IL 129 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-181830- Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee- Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson- Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory- Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-McCook- Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton- Union- 129 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. A significant severe weather event is possible this afternoon and evening. Very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes are all possible. If you have outdoor plans know where your nearest shelter is located. Please ensure you have multiple ways to receive warnings. Have a plan to take shelter and act immediately if your area comes under a severe weather warning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Strong to severe storms are possible again Monday afternoon and evening, particularly over northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed this afternoon and evening.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 17, 7:39 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
739 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0729 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 WSW Salix 42.30N 96.32W
05/17/2026 M69 MPH Woodbury IA Public
Via personal weather station. Exact time
estimated via radar.
&&
akLocal storm report, May 17, 7:45 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
745 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0643 PM Hail 3 SW Craig 42.87N 96.35W
05/17/2026 M1.75 Inch Plymouth IA Public
Photo via social media. Time estimated via
radar.
&&
akLocal storm report, May 17, 7:47 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
747 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0736 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 NNE Sergeant Bluff 42.46N 96.31W
05/17/2026 M66 MPH Woodbury IA Public
Via personal weather station. Exact time
estimated via radar.
&&
akLocal storm report, May 17, 7:55 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
755 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0748 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Lawton 42.48N 96.19W
05/17/2026 M67 MPH Woodbury IA Public
Via personal weather station.
&&
akLocal storm report, May 17, 7:56 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
756 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0749 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Moville 42.49N 96.06W
05/17/2026 M63 MPH Woodbury IA Public
Via personal weather station.
&&
akLocal storm report, May 17, 8:08 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
808 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0757 PM Tornado 5 NW Kingsley 42.63N 96.04W
05/17/2026 Plymouth IA Fire Dept/Rescue
Kingsley Fire reported brief tornado near
C60 and Pioneer Ave.
&&
PRThe 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.
Omaha, NE (KOAX), 00:00Z
1.2 hours before the tornado, 165 km from the path. May 18, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2478 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 3721 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1258 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 34 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 178 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 298 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.0
- Supercell composite
- 17.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.0 K/km
Omaha, NE (KOAX), 12:00Z
10.8 hours after it, 165 km from the path. May 18, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -93793 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 871 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 49 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 271 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 220 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 2.6 K/km
The surface observations
Cherokee (CKP), 22 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:09 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.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2026 tornado in IowaEvery tornado in Iowa since 1950Warnings in force in Iowa nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 17, 2026
47 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17 | 3:17 PM EDT | EF0 | Lee, FL | 0.1 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 3:25 PM EDT | EF0 | Lee, FL | 2.1 | 150 | |||
| May 17 | 3:35 PM EDT | EF0 | Lee, FL | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| May 17 | 4:05 PM CDT | Unrated | Turner, SD | 0.7 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 5:04 PM CDT | EF3 | Howard, NE | 6.1 | 350 | |||
| May 17 | 5:23 PM CDT | EF0 | Merrick, NE | 1.3 | 30 | |||
| May 17 | 5:58 PM CDT | Unrated | Nobles, MN | 1.3 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 6:15 PM CDT | Unrated | Nobles, MN | 0.6 | 20 | |||
| May 17 | 6:42 PM CDT | EF1 | Thayer, NE | 4.3 | 200 | $10 | ||
| May 17 | 7:11 PM CDT | EF0 | Ida, IA | 0.5 | 60 | |||
| May 17 | 7:12 PM CDT | Unrated | Martin, MN | 0.3 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 7:19 PM CDT | EF1 | Thurston, NE | 1.9 | 300 | |||
| May 17 | 7:31 PM CDT | EF0 | Woodbury, IA | 2.5 | 75 | |||
| May 17 | 7:37 PM CDT | EF1 | Woodbury, IA | 3.9 | 100 | |||
| May 17 | 7:55 PM CDT | EF1 | Saunders, NE | 0.8 | 40 | |||
| May 17 | 8:07 PM CDT | Unrated | Plymouth, IA | 0.7 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 8:10 PM CDT | Unrated | Cherokee, IA | 0.4 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 8:15 PM CDT | Unrated | Cherokee, IA | 0.8 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 8:25 PM CDT | Unrated | Cherokee, IA | 0.9 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 8:31 PM CDT | Unrated | Clay, IA | 1.2 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 8:42 PM CDT | Unrated | Buena Vista, IA | 2.2 | 75 | |||
| May 17 | 8:45 PM CDT | EF1 | Cass, NE | 0.8 | 100 | |||
| May 17 | 8:48 PM CDT | Unrated | Clay, IA | 0.9 | 20 | |||
| May 17 | 8:53 PM CDT | Unrated | Clay, IA | 4.0 | 75 | |||
| May 17 | 9:01 PM CDT | EF1 | Calhoun, IA | 4.2 | 50 | |||
| May 17 | 9:03 PM CDT | EF1 | Palo Alto, IA | 3.5 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 9:05 PM CDT | EF1 | Pocahontas, IA | 1.1 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 9:06 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay, IA | 1.2 | 30 | |||
| May 17 | 9:08 PM CDT | Unrated | Dickinson, IA | 0.6 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 9:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Palo Alto, IA | 3.7 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 9:10 PM CDT | Unrated | Dickinson, IA | 1.5 | 45 | |||
| May 17 | 9:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Calhoun, IA | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| May 17 | 9:12 PM CDT | Unrated | Emmet, IA | 1.3 | 30 | |||
| May 17 | 9:17 PM CDT | EF0 | Palo Alto, IA | 0.8 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 9:19 PM CDT | EF0 | Palo Alto, IA | 2.7 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 9:20 PM CDT | EF0 | Palo Alto, IA | 1.1 | 20 | |||
| May 17 | 9:24 PM CDT | EF0 | Webster, IA | 4.7 | 50 | |||
| May 17 | 9:29 PM CDT | EF1 | Kossuth, IA | 0.7 | 30 | |||
| May 17 | 9:29 PM CDT | EF1 | Emmet, IA | 1.1 | 25 | |||
| May 17 | 9:41 PM CDT | EF1 | Kossuth, IA | 10.2 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 10:07 PM CDT | EF1 | Cerro Gordo, IA | 0.2 | 40 | |||
| May 17 | 10:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Worth, IA | 9.1 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 10:13 PM CDT | EF1 | Cerro Gordo, IA | 7.0 | 40 | |||
| May 17 | 10:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Freeborn, MN | 1.2 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 10:15 PM CDT | Unrated | Cerro Gordo, IA | 2.4 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 10:18 PM CDT | Unrated | Cerro Gordo, IA | 2.6 | 0 | |||
| May 17 | 10:27 PM CDT | EF1 | Freeborn, MN | 0.4 | 0 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. A survey can be revised, so the rating, the path and the casualties can all still change.
Sources
NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit, the record the survey teams file from the damage, and NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Neither is the official database for 2026, which SPC publishes in the spring of 2027.