Beginning today, we will be publishing “On this Day in Weather History” which includes generally significant weather events. On this Day in 2008, Record Flooding continued in Iowa with all-time record crests at multiple rivers. On this day in 1913, winter-like temperatures were being recorded throughout Iowa. On this day in 1880, several tornadoes struck southwestern Iowa, with one of the tornadoes produced F4 damage, killing 20 people.

On This Day in Iowa Weather History – More Information

June 9

2008: Record flooding continued across Iowa with all-time record crests occurring on the South Skunk River at Ames, the Upper Iowa River at Decorah and Dorchester, the Cedar River at Charles City, the Iowa River at Rowan, the Des Moines River at Stratford, and the Wapsipinicon River at Ionia where the flow rate was nearly double the previous record set in the historic floods of 1993. The Charles City Suspension Bridge, built in 1906 and included on the National Register of Historic Sites, was destroyed by the flood on June 8th.

1913: A strong cold front moved across Iowa on June 7th and ushered in several days and nights of unseasonably cool weather, with the coldest temperatures generally occurring on the morning of the 9th when low temperatures included 36 F at Baxter, Independence, and Toledo, 35 F at Decorah, 34 F at Humboldt and Mason City, and 33 F at Elkader. Frost was reported at several locations around the state but was light enough and of short enough duration that damage to crops and vegetation was minimal.

1880: Several tornadoes struck southwestern Iowa. One of the tornadoes produced F4 damage, killing 20 people and injuring 35 others mostly in and around Macedonia in Pottawattamie County. Several more were killed by another tornado in Cass County.