Iowa History Daily: On November 12, 2005, an exceptionally rare late-season tornado outbreak occurred across the state. With over 12 confirmed tornadoes in Iowa alone, the storm saw tornadoes touch down in Boone, Dallas, Sioux, Story, Hamilton, Hardin, and Monroe counties while claiming a life and injuring at least seven people.
As the highly volatile system headed toward Iowa during the early part of November 12, eager Iowa State fans filed into Jack Trice Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff against Colorado. Although fans planned to see the Cyclones, they likely didn’t bargain to see an actual tornado appear in the area an hour prior to game time. Moving rapidly along near the west end of Ames, the stadium skirted northwest while visible from inside the stadium.
Stratford and Woodward proved the hardest hit communities, as a highly-volatile thunderstorm spawned multiple tornadoes including an F3 (Stratford) and F2 (Woodward). The F3 stayed on the ground for nearly 18 miles while striking farms to cause extensive damage. One person in Stratford lost their life during the storm. The F2 tornado hit Woodward and destroyed and damaged dozens of homes.
Iowa only saw 23 confirmed tornadoes in the state from November from 1950 to 2004, making the devastating storm all the more unique. Bringing large hail and straight-line winds, along with the multiple tornadoes, the storm inflicted nearly $20 million in damages. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
