From NWS
2007: Severe thunderstorms tracked across northern Iowa producing 60 to 80 mph winds near Armstrong which tore the gutters off houses and blocked roads with debris. Further east the storms pounded areas around Cedar Falls with baseball to softball sized hail.

1996: Torrential rains fell across portions of west central Iowa on the night of July 16-17. At the Castana Experiment Farm in Monona County 12.02 inches of rain was recorded which was the highest official 24-hour rainfall amount in Iowa since 1968. Mapleton reported 9.77 inches overnight and Onawa came in with 9.12 inches.

This Day in National/World Weather History …

16 July 1914 → The U.S.’s 30 minute rainfall record was set at Cambridge, OH with exactly seven inches. 16 July 1969 → A “wrong way” tornado touched down in Iowa near Churdan and moved slowly west. Three farms were damaged. 16 July 1979 → Wyoming’s costliest tornado on record struck the north side of Cheyenne as an F4. The airport was heavily damaged along with over 450 nearby buildings to the tune of $22 million in damage. The only fatality occurred in a trailer, where a baby was killed. 16 July 1999 → A plane piloted by John F. Kennedy, Jr. crashed into Long Island Sound as haze or a dark night sky caused him to lose control of the aircraft.

Posted under Weather History