Iowa tornado outbreak of November 2005
A large and exceptionally rare late autumn season tornado outbreak occurred during the afternoon and evening hours of November 12, 2005 with the majority of them concentrated in central Iowa. One person was killed and there was extensive damage in several communities.
 Photograph from NWS damage survey in Woodward, Iowa | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | November 12–13 2005 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 14 |
| Max. rating1 | F3 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 6 hours, 22 minutes |
| Damage | $18.607 million (2005 USD)[1] |
| Casualties | 1 fatality, 7 injuries |
| Areas affected | Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri |
Part of tornado outbreaks of 2005 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
There were preliminary reports of as many as twenty tornadoes in Iowa, and 14 were later confirmed, including 12 in Iowa alone. It is the largest ever tornado outbreak in Iowa in November; and among the largest outbreaks that far north and west in the United States that late in the year. Only 23 confirmed tornadoes have been recorded in Iowa in November from 1950–2004. There were also many reports of very large hail and strong straight-line winds, starting in southeast South Dakota.
In addition, the tornado sirens sounded just before an Iowa State University Cyclones football game incurring an evacuation of the stadium. The tornado was visible from the stadium. The Iowa State Cyclones, named partly for a violent tornado in the early 20th century returned to the field and were victorious. Another tornado struck the actual ISU campus a couple months prior on September 8 with minor damage.
Confirmed tornadoes
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Confirmed tornadoes
| F# | Location | County | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | S of Scranton | Greene | IA | 2150 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief tornado caused little damage as it moved through fields. | |
| F3 | S of Boxholm to NE of Stratford | Boone, Webster, Hamilton | IA | 2227 | 17.6 miles (28.3 km) | 1 death – In Boone County, the tornado struck a farm at F1 intensity, damaging the home and some outbuildings. It also flipped over one pickup truck and killed two horses at this location. The tornado reached F2 intensity in Webster County, where a home was heavily damaged and a large outbuilding was destroyed. A machine shed was also destroyed, along with most of its contents. In Hamilton County, the tornado reached F3 intensity as it struck Stratford, where many homes were heavily damaged or destroyed and one person was killed. Vehicles were flipped and trees were snapped as well. A gas leak forced an evacuation of the town. Three farms were damaged outside of town before the tornado dissipated. Three people were injured. | |
| F2 | W of Minburn to E of Woodward | Dallas, Boone | IA | 2228 | 12 miles (19 km) | Dozens of homes in Woodward were damaged or destroyed, including several homes shifted off their foundations. A double wide mobile home was flipped upside down into the middle of a street. One farm was also destroyed outside of town. Two people were injured. | |
| F1 | Hospers | Sioux | IA | 2230 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado destroyed the wall and part of the roof of a business in Hospers, and caused minor damage to contents in the building. | |
| F1 | NW of Madrid | Boone | IA | 2248 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Heavy damage to one farm site and moderate damage to one home. | |
| F0 | Ames | Story | IA | 2256 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | Anticyclonic tornado lifted lawn chairs and caused shingle damage to homes in Ames. | |
| F2 | W of Ames to NE of Gilbert | Boone, Story | IA | 2258 | 12 miles (19 km) | Tornado caused considerable damage to homes on the northwestern fringes of Ames. Tornado was visible from Iowa State University and forced the evacuation of the stadium during a football game. A farm was also heavily damaged near Gilbert. One person was injured. | |
| F0 | SW of Story City | Story | IA | 2315 | 1.6 miles (2.6 km) | Aerial surveys showed minor damage. | |
| F1 | W of Roland to N of Radcliffe | Story, Hamilton, Hardin | IA | 2320 | 8 miles (13 km) | Several farm sites were damaged along the path. | |
| F0 | S of Williams | Hamilton | IA | 2327 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Brief touchdown. No damage was reported. | |
| F0 | N of Steamboat Rock | Hardin | IA | 2350 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) | Brief tornado with little damage. | |
| F1 | Blakesburg area | Monroe | IA | 0040 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Destroyed a barn along its short track. | |
| F1 | NE of Hoburg | Lawrence | MO | 0140 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | Several homes suffered moderate to significant damage. Most damage was predominantly to roofs while several trees were uprooted. One woman was injured in her home. | |
| F0 | W of Mena | Polk | AR | 0427 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | A couple of older chicken houses sustained structural damage. A number of trees were also snapped off along the path of the tornado. | |
| Sources: NCDC database Des Moines office Tornado History Project Storm Data - November 12, 2005 | |||||||
References
- "Tornado Summaries". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
External links
- Iowans sort through tornado rubble (CNN)
- Football fans flee tornado (CNN)
- Preliminary storm reports summary (SPC)