DES MOINES, IOWA — December 15, 2021 was an unprecedented “winter” severe weather day in Iowa. It featured the first derecho in December anywhere in the United States, and it set the new record for most tornadoes in Iowa in a single day in Iowa since 1950.
A powerful area of low pressure moved into Iowa and produced a line of severe thunderstorms, which produced numerous tornadoes and thunderstorm wind gusts across the state. From the National Weather Service office in Des Moines:
“There were 63 confirmed tornadoes that occurred in Iowa, with 21 of those tornadoes being rated EF-2. Sixty three is officially the most tornadoes in Iowa in a single day, with the previous record being 35 tornadoes on August 31, 2014. Further, 21 EF-2 tornadoes is officially the most EF-2/F-2 or stronger tornadoes in a single day with the previous being 16 tornadoes on June 7, 1984. Prior to this event, a total of 5 tornadoes had occurred in Iowa in December since 1950 with all of them in southeastern Iowa. To have over 10 times that many tornadoes in a single day is unprecedented in any month, let alone the month of December!”
-
-
-
-
A tornado approaches Interstate 80 near Atlantic, Iowa, as a semi truck rolls eastward on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. A band of strong storms swept across much of the plains states on Wednesday, producing powerful wind gusts and tornadoes. (Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register via AP) -
December 15th wind damage image
-
default -
Straight line wind gusts were also prevalent, some in excess of 80 mph. Audubon reported the highest gust in Iowa at 88 mph. This storm also met the criteria for a derecho, which makes it the first derecho on record in the month of December anywhere in the United States.
Drone video from the damage in Cass County showed the power of these gusts. And a semi-truck driver was killed when his rig was flipped by a powerful gust. This event cost over 1 billion dollars in damages across the Midwest.
Leave a Reply