A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Iowa In 1968… And No One Saw It Coming

We are lucky enough to live in a time when weather prediction methods are advanced enough to let us see tornadoes before they form. The advanced warnings let us prepare and brace ourselves for the coming storms. This technology is relatively new, however. On May 15, 1968, a pair of F-5 tornadoes swept through Floyd and Fayette Counties, killing 18, injuring more than 600, and leveling hundreds of homes and other buildings.

By L.L. Lane - http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/events/ccy_tor68.php, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3793837

Farmers reported seeing the first tornado touch down at around 4:10 pm. It made its way along the edge of Aredale, where it was reported that two tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously. The storm destroyed farms and uprooted trees. The tornado miraculously lifted temporarily as it passed over Marble Rock, only to strike with renewed ferocity in Charles City.

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Most people were able to retreat to shelter, but some were not. Others were killed by debris and falling objects. All told, the tornado killed 13 people in Charles City, injured 450, and destroyed 372 home and 58 businesses. The damage was estimated at $30 million.

The powerful storm then continued on its path northeast. The tornado struck Elma at 5:25 pm and destroyed nearly everything in the town. By the time it lifted, the tornado had ripped through 65 miles.

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flickr/Ken Lund

The tornado sirens only sounded very briefly in Oelwein; the town's power was knocked out, killing the sirens after just 15 seconds. The storm caused major damage in Oelwein before moving on to demolish everything in its path all through Maynard. The tornado lifted just north of Maynard; it had killed a total of five people. Twenty-five homes and many businesses were destroyed. The damage was estimated at approximately $21 million.

This footage of the aftermath in Charles City shows just how devastating these tornadoes were.

The same storm system went on to produce several more tornadoes in Iowa that evening, but no other fatalities occurred and none were nearly as powerful as those in Floyd and Fayette Counties.

Iowa experienced many tornadoes before these and many after – and, given our location, we will see even more in the future. However, the 1968 storms were some of the most destructive on record. True to Iowa’s hardworking spirit, people began picking up the pieces the very next day and the towns were rebuilt. But the people who lived through those storms will never forget that day and the damage they witnessed.