Persia Iowa Microburst July 30 2021

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
647 PM CDT TUE AUG 3 2021

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 07/30/21 THUNDERSTORM WIND EVENT 
NEAR PERSIA IOWA...

.THUNDERSTORM WIND #1...

PEAK WIND /ESTIMATED/:  100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  1.12 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   1.37 MILES
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             JUL 30 2021
START TIME:             759 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         3.3 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF PERSIA, IA
START LAT/LON:          41.5189 / -95.5870

END DATE:               JUL 30 2021
END TIME:               805 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           4.4 MILES SOUTH OF PERSIA, IA
END LAT/LON: 41.5040 / -95.5670

SURVEY SUMMARY: 

A SEVERE DOWNBURST BEGAN JUST BEFORE 800 PM CDT ON JULY 30TH, 
APPROXIMATELY 3.3 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF PERSIA, IOWA. THIS WAS 
THE FIRST OF SEVERAL DOWNBURST EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE FROM THE 
SAME STORM SYSTEM. OTHER AREAS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED STORM DAMAGE 
FROM THIS SYSTEM WERE NEAR MINDEN, OAKLAND AND HANCOCK.

THE DAMAGE SOUTH OF PERSIA WAS PARTICULARLY DEVASTATING, WITH THE
WORST DAMAGE NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE DOWNBURST. SEVERAL METAL
GRAIN BINS WERE DESTROYED BY THE INTENSE WINDS. A 200-FOOT-LONG
SHED LOST PART OF ITS ROOF, AND THE REMAINDER OF IT COLLAPSED ON
FARM VEHICLES INSIDE. THERE WAS ALSO SEVERE TREE DAMAGE TO THIS
FARMSTEAD.

ABOUT A HALF MILE TO THE EAST OF THIS FARMSTEAD, ANOTHER ONE LOST
THE FRONT PART OF ITS MACHINE SHED. AND ON URBANA AVENUE, ABOUT A
HALF MILE WEST OF THE INITIAL DAMAGE, ANOTHER FARMSTEAD LOST 
SEVERAL METAL GRAIN BINS, HAD AN OLD BARN DESTROYED, AND HAD THE
ROOF TORN OFF ANOTHER BARN. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS SEVERE TREE 
DAMAGE WITH LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN.

ABOUT A HALF MILE SOUTH, ALSO ON URBANA AVENUE, ANOTHER FARMSTEAD
WAS HIT HARD WITH A BARN GETTING DESTROYED BY THE INTENSE WINDS.
AND A MILE TO THE EAST ALONG VINTON AVENUE, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO
SHEDS AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN.

THE WIND DAMAGE DIVERGED AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVED SOUTH. MOST OF
THE DEBRIS FANNED OUT IN A SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST DIRECTION, TYPICAL
OF A MICROBURST (SMALL-SCALE DOWNBURST). THE AREA OF MOST SEVERE
DAMAGE COVERED ONLY A 1.15 SQUARE MILE AREA. PEAK WIND SPEEDS 
WERE ESTIMATED AROUND 100 MPH BASED ON DAMAGE INDICATORS.

THANKS GOES OUT TO THE HARRISON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR 
HELP WITH THIS STORM SURVEY, AND THE 223 DETAILED PHOTOS TAKEN IN 
THE AREA.

&&

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

$$