Tornado archive information - HELP

[Kurt Silvey]

Hi all,

I am looking for archived information on 3 tornadoes that occurred May 26th, 1987, in Pottawatomie County IA. I believe one of these three to be my first, and only, confirmed tornado sighting. In particular I would like to find graphical maps showing touchdowns and paths. At the time I was in a boat on the Missouri River just east of the shelters near the boat ramp in Wilson’s Island State Park. My view would have looking NNW as we watched the funnel cross the river and then lower somewhere on the east side of a tree line. I guess I cannot say for sure if the funnel descended all the way to the ground, but I did witness a full condensation funnel extend down below the tree line. I have found records of these tornadoes on Tornadoproject.com and on the archives maintained by John Hart in conjunction with the SPC. If you know of any place that may have information on these tornadoes, I would appreciate the help.

Also I am looking for information on a tornado, which occurred in 1969 (?) in Midway, WA, a southern suburb of Seattle. Thanks.

Kurt

 

[Angie Norris]

Hi Kurt and welcome!!
Try NCDC for data (but is probably pretty much what you got from SPC), also check with the local NWS office...a lot of them keep archives of significant weather events. If you have access to the public libraries in the areas of interest, they will usually have old newspapers...you could probably check with them on line.
Good luck with your data hunt!!
(One of the room's historical nader nerds 8) )

Angie

 

[Walker Ashley]

I have snapped a couple screen captures from Storm Data for this day for Iowa. Looks like there are a couple tornadoes ... click here for the captures.

Severeplot will give you plots. Otherwise, try some of Angie's ideas (i.e., contact the WCM at the NWS office responsible for that county).

Good luck ...

Walker

 

[Kurt Silvey]

Thanks Angie and Walker,

I searched the archives of NCDC and read the captures you provided Walker, but I could not find any reports of tornadoes, hail, or sever storms in the area I’m seeking. I was able to get Lat. Lon. Information of past storms, ect., from the NCDC pages and find the locations with Mapquest. But could not locate anything in the correct area. I searched several years in each direction, but nada. There was a sever storm, with hail, that moved NW through Ft. Calhoun, NE, and into IA, which produced the funnel / tornado I’m seeking. Perhaps it went unreported, as this is a rural area. It may just have to live as a memory in my mind. Anyway thanks again.

Kurt

 

[mikegeukes]

July 15, 1988 is the date , I remember for the tornadoes in the
Council Bluffs area, one was a F3.

Dec 12, 1969 was a F3 in King County in Washington.

Mike

 

[Bridget Beddow]

Tornadoes in Washington

Kurt, looking up old newspaper reports from that area would probably help out alot for Seattle, Washington. I was up there from 92-96 and I remember a tornado touched down in Tacoma. The locals were up in arms at the local newspaper for calling it a "Little Tornado" since they rarely ever see tornadoes. They are shocking events to them, so a tornado up there may have made headlines.

 

[Chris Sokol]

http://tornadoproject.com/

 

[mrobinson]

Kurt are you talking about the one that went down Broadway and did a bit of damage?

 

[Kurt Silvey]

No the funnel I witnessed was further north near Wilson Island State Park. I’m not sure of the date, but the three tornados recoded on the 26th were not near this area. Nor were there any other tornadoes recorded in this area during the mid to late 80â€￾s. That is why I’m thinking it may not have been reported.

Thanks,