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Tornado outbreak of June 27, 1953

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Tornado outbreak of June 27, 1953
Meteorological history
DurationJune 27, 1953
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes>5?
Maximum ratingF5 tornado
Duration5 hours and 30 minutes
Overall effects
Fatalities1 fatalities (+1 non-tornadic)[1][2]
Injuries5 injuries (+7 non-tornadic)[1][2]
Damage$305,000 (1953 USD)
$3.47 million (2024 USD)
Areas affectedNorth Dakota, Iowa
Part of the Tornadoes of 1953

A series of destructive tornadoes struck North Dakota and Iowa as part of a much larger severe weather event that took place on June 27, 1953. The worst tornado was a violent F5 tornado that obliterated farmlands east of Anita, Iowa. In all, five tornadoes touched down, killing one, injuring five, and causing $305,000 (1953 USD) in damage. Several other casualties also occurred from non-tornadic events that day as well.

Meteorological synopsis

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A large area of severe thunderstorms formed over an area stretching from Colorado to Iowa, producing wind, hail, flooding, and lightning. The tornado activity was mostly confined to a small zone in central Iowa, where an outflow boundary branched off a low-pressure system in the western part of state along the southern portion of the state coupled with a tight pressure gradient at 500 mb level. Temperatures in the area were in the upper 70s to upper 90s with dewpoint values in the lower 70s. Iowa had four tornadoes over a four-hour and 15 minute period. An additional tornado also touched down in eastern North Dakota. The severe activity spread eastward over the next two days, bringing additional severe weather impacts all the way to the East Coast of the United States.[2][3]

Confirmed tornadoes

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Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 0 2 2 0 0 1 5
List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, June 27, 1953[nb 1][nb 2]
F# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max width
F2 S of Cummings Traill ND 47°30′N 97°05′W / 47.50°N 97.08°W / 47.50; -97.08 (Cummings (June 27, F2)) 20:30–? 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 10 yards (9.1 m)
Four tornado funnels were observed near Cummings with only one of them touching down and causing minor damage. A corn crib was upset and trees were damaged on one farm with another farm seeing no damage at all when the tornado went through the yard. Damages were estimated at $2,500.[nb 3] Tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis did not list this tornado as an F2 or stronger.[2][5][6]
F5 E of Anita to SW of Adair Cass, Adair IA 41°27′N 94°42′W / 41.45°N 94.70°W / 41.45; -94.70 (Anita (June 27, F5)) 21:45–? 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 100 yards (91 m)
1 death – See section on this tornado[2][7][8][9][10]
F1 NNE of Stanton Montgomery IA 41°01′N 95°05′W / 41.02°N 95.08°W / 41.02; -95.08 (Stanton (June 27, F1)) 22:45–? 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 100 yards (91 m)
Seven farms reported at least some damage, including the destruction of a barn on one of them. Damage was estimated at $25,000. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2.[2][11][6]
F1 Northwestern Indianola Warren IA 41°23′N 93°35′W / 41.38°N 93.58°W / 41.38; -93.58 (Northwestern Indianola (June 27, F1)) 23:15–? 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 100 yards (91 m)
A barn and several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed on a few farms. There were two injuries and $25,000 in damage. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2.[2][12][6]
F2 N of Oskaloosa Mahaska IA 41°24′N 92°36′W / 41.40°N 92.60°W / 41.40; -92.60 (Oskaloosa (June 27, F2)) 02:00–? 7.8 miles (12.6 km) 100 yards (91 m)
A strong tornado damaged or destroyed two structures, including a barn, injuring one person and causing $2,500 in damage. The NCDC incorrectly labels the path as northeast to southwest.[2][13][6]

Cass-Adair Counties, Iowa

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Cass-Adair Counties, Iowa
Meteorological history
FormedJune 27, 1953
F5 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds>261 mph (420 km/h)
Overall effects
Casualties3
Fatalities1
Injuries2
Areas affectedRural farms just east of Anita

This violent, but short-tracked tornado, later rated as an F5 on the Fujita Scale, moved east-northeast for only about 0.1 miles. Despite the tornado’s short path, it managed to hit 4 farms at peak intensity, east of Anita. According to Thomas P. Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, “virtually nothing was left on the site of one of a farm near the county line.” Heavy farming machinery was thrown up to 100 yards away, and 2 by 4 planks were driven into trees.

Non-tornadic events

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A severe squall line pushed through the southern part of Iowa, causing a 30 mi (48 km) long swath of widespread wind damage and power outages. Two people were injured in Indianola while another was injured in Ottumwa. Seven hereford cows were also killed by lightning in Mt. Vernon as well. Another severe squall line moved through Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with high winds damaging buildings and vehicles. One person drowned after their sailboat was overturned and three others were injured elsewhere throughout the city. In Missouri, a boy was injured in Linneus and seven Holstein cows were killed in Savannah due to lightning. Several farms and towns in Kansas also suffered damage due to lightning, strong winds, and hail the size of golf balls.[2]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
  2. ^ Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.[4]
  3. ^ All losses are in 1953 USD unless otherwise noted.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tornado Summaries". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Climatological Data: National summary". United States Weather Bureau. 1953. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. ^ "North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959". bangladeshtornadoes.org. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  4. ^ Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting. 19 (2). Boston: American Meteorological Society: 310. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2.
  5. ^ North Dakota Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. p. 975. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
  7. ^ Iowa Event Report: F5 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  8. ^ Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). F5-F6 Tornadoes. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project.
  9. ^ "All F5/EF5 Tornadoes". Tornado History Project. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  10. ^ "First F5/EF5 Tornado in Iowa Since June 1976 (F5/EF5 Tornadoes that have occurred in Iowa Since 1871)". National Weather Service, La Crosse, WI. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Iowa Event Report: F1 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  12. ^ Iowa Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  13. ^ Iowa Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
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