The Parkersburg Tornado

Your humble blogmaster was in Fort Dodge on May 25 when word came that Parkersburg, 80 miles to the east, was hit by a tornado. Hearing the news brought back memories of the tornado that struck Fort Dodge in 1977, our junior year.

But the twister that hit Parkersburg and continued on to New Hartford and Dunkerton was unlike any other. This was a monster storm, rated an F5 — the largest on the Fujita Scale — by the National Weather Service. The twister at times was more than a mile wide and packed winds of 205 miles per hour. It stayed on the ground for 43 miles. Sadly, seven people lost their lives in what was the second-deadliest tornado in Iowa history.

The devastation was unlike anything I've witnessed. Half of Parkersburg (population 2,000) was gone. This little jewel of a city on the Iowa prairie looked like a war zone. Words and pictures don't begin to capture the destruction.

There are so many stories to tell, but the spirit of Iowans in times like this remains unmatched. Every town seemingly had sent help — from rescue and clean-up crews to fire personal. There was Cedar Falls and Charles City (site of Iowa's deadliest tornado in 1968). There was Waverly and Williamsburg. And yes, there was Fort Dodge.

If you're interested in helping in some way, click on this link maintained by radio station KLMJ/KQCR in Hampton. The station's general manager happens to be former Fort Dodger Craig Donnelly and the station has been doing a terrific job updating the recovery efforts in Parkersburg.