221:
before crossing 200th Street northeast of the woods. It also crossed
Franklin Avenue before entering the limits of Aredale. The tornado hit the Bailey Farm southwest of Aredale, heavily damaging a farm but causing no fatalities. The tornado then tracked through the McKinney Farm, destroying almost every building on the property. At around this time, another tornado was briefly reported on the ground, but disappeared shortly after.
32:
225:
to 110th Street for a brief period of time. The tornado began to turn to the north, hitting Floyd Line Street and crossing multiple other streets, downing power lines and damaging structures. The tornado began to rapidly intensify as it hit
Kirkwood Road, and crossed 280th Street before beginning to run almost diagonally to
269:
vehicles were destroyed. About 60 percent of the city was damaged by the tornado. Cars were thrown, trees were uprooted, and homes were completely swept away at F5 intensity. The damage costs totaled an estimated $ 30 million, most of which was centered in
Charles City but also spread out across its entire path.
482:
405:
506:
277:
The tornado killed 13 people and injured 462 others. All 13 deaths from the tornado occurred in
Charles City. Of those injured, 76 people required hospitalization. An estimated 200-300 people were treated at hospitals in the surrounding area. A total of 12 people were injured in Elma, while all other
236:
The tornado began to turn northward in the center of
Charles City at ~4:47 PM. The tornado caused extreme damage on 2nd Street, and directly impacted the Charles City City Hall. It obliterated a row of housed located on the southern end of Kelly Street, before crossing Blunt Street. Heavy damage was
268:
The tornado caused extreme damage in
Charles City and Elma, where a total of 256 businesses and 1,250 homes ere either damaged beyond repair or destroyed. Eight churches, three schools were damaged or destroyed, the police station located in north-central Charles City was heavily damaged, and 1,250
232:
As the tornado tracked passed areas west of Marble Rock, a funnel cloud as briefly seen before lifting. Another tornado then touched down east of Marble Rock, and would stay on the ground until around 4 miles southwest of
Charles City. The tornado crossed the intersection of Miner Avenue and 260th
224:
The tornado then left the limits of southern
Aredale, and hit the Landers Farm, located 5 miles northeast of Aredale. Debris from the farm was found over half a mile away. The tornado then began to track through relatively unpopulated areas, crossing multiple unknown streets before tracking parallel
220:
at around ~4:10, and it immediately began to track northeastward, heading towards
Aredale. The tornado crossed the intersection that connects Timber Avenue and 175th Street. It then crossed Vine Avenue, damaging structures at an unknown intensity. It entered the Thorn Apple Woods, damaging trees
244:. The tornado passed west of Doubleday, causing damage to farms and other structures. The tornado then passed Victory Avenue and crossed an unnamed river before moving south of Nilesville. The tornado also tracked directly east of Colwell, causing an unknown amount of damage to structures.
233:
Street, again intensifying. The tornado would pass just south of
Oakwood, crossing multiple roads before tracking directly across Avenue of the Saints and entering the city limits of Charles City. The tornado then crossed 215th Street at F5 intensity, entering downtown Charles City.
237:
documented and observed in northern Charles City, and intense ground scouring occurred, suggesting wind speeds of 200–300 mph (320–480 km/h). As the tornado began to track out of Charles City, it hit 13th Avenue, damaging structures and other buildings.
251:
before hitting eastern Elma, heaving damaging many buildings in its path. The tornado also moved in-between Saratoga and Davis Corners, crossing State Highway 9, before turning slightly northward directly west of Lime Springs. The tornado lifted at ~5:40 PM.
208:. It killed 13, injured 462, and was one of the largest tornadoes ever recorded in the state. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed, primarily in the town of Charles City. Damage estimates were of more than $ 20 million.
255:
In all, the tornado tracked a total of 62.1 miles, killing 13 and injuring 462. The tornado had a maximum width of 0.34 of a mile, and reached F5 intensity at least twice along its path.
662:
247:
The tornado then started to track through sparsely populated areas of rural northern Iowa, damaging farms but killing nobody. The tornado tracked west of
988:
655:
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1034:
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842:
807:
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928:
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240:
The tornado crossed Triumph Avenue and Underwood Avenue northeast of Charles City, and narrowly avoided the
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100:
31:
458:
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153:
640:
376:
301:
621:
589:
321:
556:"F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States - 1950-present (SPC)"
205:
644:
290:, another related F5 tornado that would occur on the same day
434:"Iowa Time Machine: Charles City Tornado - May 15, 1968"
216:
The tornado was first sighted by a farmer northeast of
47:
The tornado as it was 2 miles southwest of Charles City
459:"Photos of the May 15, 1968 Northeast Iowa Tornadoes"
53:
The aftermath of the tornado in northern Charles City
180:On May 15, 1968, an extremely powerful and violent
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128:
120:
115:
107:
92:
84:
76:
68:
61:
622:"Charles City - The May 15, 1968 Tornado Outbreak"
590:"Charles City - The May 15, 1968 Tornado Outbreak"
532:"Charles City - The May 15, 1968 Tornado Outbreak"
322:"Charles City - The May 15, 1968 Tornado Outbreak"
507:"Tornado Archive Data Explorer - Tornado Archive"
483:"Tornado Archive Data Explorer - Tornado Archive"
406:"Tornado Archive Data Explorer - Tornado Archive"
278:injuries occurred in Ardeale and Charles City.
656:
80:May 15, 1968, ~5:40 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00)
72:May 15, 1968, ~4:10 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00)
8:
19:
663:
649:
641:
18:
111:>261–300 mph (420–483 km/h)
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615:
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328:. LaCrosse, Wisconsin. July 8, 2024
308:. LaCrosse, Wisconsin. July 8, 2024
377:"May 15 1968 Iowa Tornado Summary"
302:"May 15 1968 Iowa Tornado Summary"
140:Northern Iowa, including northern
124:13 (all occurred in Charles City)
14:
620:US Department of Commerce, NOAA.
588:US Department of Commerce, NOAA.
530:US Department of Commerce, NOAA.
457:US Department of Commerce, NOAA.
375:US Department of Commerce, NOAA.
20:1968 Hansell-Charles City tornado
30:
242:Northeast Iowa Regional Airport
204:, all located in the state of
1:
989:Hackleburg–Phil Campbell 2011
172:Tornado outbreak of May 1968
432:Mason, Kevin (2024-05-15).
1061:
672:F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes
16:Violent F5 tornado in 1968
813:Hansell-Charles City 1968
678:
163:
97:
24:
326:National Weather Service
306:National Weather Service
184:hit the communities of
63:Meteorological history
959:Lawrence County 1998
288:1968 Oelwein tornado
182:multi-vortex tornado
748:Ruskin Heights 1957
88:2 hours, 35 minutes
21:
773:Wichita Falls 1964
511:tornadoarchive.com
487:tornadoarchive.com
410:tornadoarchive.com
108:Highest winds
1045:Tornadoes of 1968
1035:Tornadoes in Iowa
1022:
1021:
984:Philadelphia 2011
964:Bridge Creek 1999
843:Valley Mills 1973
808:Wheelersburg 1968
178:
177:
168:Tornadoes of 1968
1052:
979:Parkersburg 2008
863:Sayler Park 1974
858:Brandenburg 1974
743:Hudsonville 1956
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999:Rainsville 2011
994:Smithville 2011
969:Greensburg 2007
929:Plainfield 1990
899:Birmingham 1977
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626:www.weather.gov
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212:Tornado summary
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144:, outskirts of
116:Overall effects
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838:San Justo 1973
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733:Blackwell 1955
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728:Vicksburg 1953
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713:Fort Rice 1953
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693:Montville 1845
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688:Hainichen 1800
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137:Areas affected
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944:Oakfield 1996
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939:Chandler 1992
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867:Tanner 1974 (
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778:Bradshaw 1964
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758:Sunfield 1957
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703:Montello 1930
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439:
438:Notes on Iowa
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33:
23:
1040:F5 tornadoes
1009:El Reno 2011
949:Jarrell 1997
934:Andover 1991
924:Goessel 1990
919:Hesston 1990
833:Waverly 1971
828:Lubbock 1970
818:Oelwein 1968
812:
803:Palluel 1967
798:Belmond 1966
788:Jackson 1966
783:Gregory 1965
683:Woldegk 1764
629:. Retrieved
625:
597:. Retrieved
593:
563:. Retrieved
559:
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539:. Retrieved
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514:. Retrieved
510:
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490:. Retrieved
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413:. Retrieved
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384:. Retrieved
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330:. Retrieved
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310:. Retrieved
305:
295:Bibliography
276:
267:
254:
246:
239:
235:
231:
223:
215:
194:Charles City
179:
166:
165:Part of the
150:Charles City
101:Fujita scale
98:
50:
44:
1004:Joplin 2011
904:Messer 1982
894:Jordan 1976
848:Depauw 1974
793:Topeka 1966
768:Prague 1960
763:Colfax 1958
227:Marble Rock
1029:Categories
1014:Moore 2013
914:Niles 1985
884:Spiro 1976
853:Xenia 1974
823:Tracy 1968
753:Fargo 1957
738:Udall 1955
723:Anita 1953
718:Flint 1953
698:Bowen 1876
631:2024-07-08
599:2024-07-08
565:2024-07-08
541:2024-07-08
516:2024-07-08
492:2024-07-08
468:2024-07-08
443:2024-07-08
415:2024-07-08
386:2024-07-08
342:References
273:Fatalities
249:Alta Vista
121:Fatalities
93:F5 tornado
77:Dissipated
974:Elie 2007
879:Guin 1974
708:Waco 1953
259:Aftermath
282:See also
129:Injuries
85:Duration
332:July 8,
312:July 8,
218:Hansell
202:Aredale
190:Hampton
186:Hansell
158:Aredale
146:Hampton
142:Hansell
99:on the
51:Bottom:
264:Damage
69:Formed
334:2024
314:2024
206:Iowa
200:and
198:Elma
170:and
156:and
154:Elma
45:Top:
873:2nd
869:1st
132:462
1031::
871:,
624:.
608:^
592:.
574:^
558:.
534:.
509:.
485:.
461:.
436:.
424:^
408:.
395:^
379:.
349:^
324:.
304:.
229:.
196:,
192:,
188:,
152:,
148:,
875:)
664:e
657:t
650:v
634:.
602:.
568:.
544:.
519:.
495:.
471:.
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418:.
389:.
336:.
316:.
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