Elma Tornado: Iowa Time Machine July 12, 1971

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 12, 1971, five tornadoes touched down across Iowa. The largest, an F4, traveled nearly 30 miles on the ground through parts of Howard, Chickasaw, and Fayette counties, severely impacting farmsteads and the towns of Elma, Lawler, and Waucoma.

Although the storm caused no casualties, eight people were injured. As the storm raged across northeastern Iowa on a southeastern storm path skirting just north of Chickasaw and ending near Fayette, over 50 farms sustained significant damage.

The Des Moines Register quoted a local man assessing the damage: “In that area between Elma and Alta Vista, they have those farms pounded right down into the ground about now.” A massive June hailstorm in the area and the tornado’s destruction threatened the livelihoods of area farmers.

Another tornado touched down near Grafton in Worth County and wound toward Stacyville in Mitchell County. Reports detailed the destruction of over 5,000 acres of crops and major damage to at least eight farmsteads. #Iowa #OTD #History #Weather #Tornado