Aug 21, 2020

This Day in Weather History: Storms wallop Wilson Dam in 1989

Posted Aug 21, 2020 2:48 PM

Weather History for Friday, August 21, 2020, from the National Weather Service in Wichita:

In 1989, afternoon and evening severe thunderstorms struck the Northern and Central Plains from North Dakota to Kansas. The severe thunderstorms that tore through north-central Kansas walloped Wilson Dam with gusts around 105 mph between 9 and 10 p.m. Details regarding damage are unknown.

. . .

In 1883, a violent F5 tornado struck Rochester, Minn. The vicious vortex had a track 25 miles long and nearly reached one mile wide. The twister killed 37, injured around 200, and caused around $700,000 damage. The tremendous roar gave many people sufficient warning to seek shelter. Of the 40 farms in Dodge County, around 10 were leveled or vanished altogether. Many injuries were very serious and it is likely others perished in the disaster. The Rochester Tornado was the impetus for the creation of the Mayo Clinic.

. . .

In 2007, the atmospheric sauna ran full throttle across the southeast United States as Raleigh/Durham, N.C., set an all time record high of 105 degrees.