Merrill, IA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Merrill is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Merrill is lower than Iowa average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #30
Merrill, IA | 0.02 |
Iowa | 0.00 |
U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
Merrill, IA | 0.0000 |
Iowa | 0.0000 |
U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #787
Merrill, IA | 205.15 |
Iowa | 236.74 |
U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 3,505 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Merrill, IA were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 36 | Cold: | 41 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 9 |
Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 272 | Hail: | 1,616 | Heat: | 9 | Heavy Snow: | 28 |
High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 9 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 48 |
Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,242 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 61 | Winter Weather: | 53 |
Other: | 81 |
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Merrill, IA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Merrill, IA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Merrill, IA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 75 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Merrill, IA.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
1.4 | 1964-09-07 | 2 | 42°42'N / 96°15'W | 2.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Plymouth | |
6.1 | 1963-03-16 | 2 | 42°48'N / 96°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth | |
6.1 | 1991-08-07 | 2 | 42°47'N / 96°10'W | 1.50 Miles | 63 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Plymouth | |
8.4 | 1965-06-07 | 3 | 42°52'N / 96°18'W | 42°48'N / 96°05'W | 11.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth |
9.9 | 1978-07-05 | 2 | 42°54'N / 96°33'W | 42°47'N / 96°10'W | 20.80 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Plymouth |
10.5 | 1964-05-08 | 3 | 42°47'N / 96°10'W | 42°49'N / 95°59'W | 9.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth |
12.1 | 1967-06-14 | 2 | 42°53'N / 96°10'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth | |
12.5 | 1954-05-27 | 2 | 42°49'N / 96°05'W | 42°51'N / 96°02'W | 2.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth |
14.0 | 1964-05-05 | 3 | 42°31'N / 96°25'W | 42°34'N / 96°21'W | 4.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Woodbury |
14.7 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 42°45'N / 96°36'W | 42°52'N / 96°26'W | 11.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Plymouth |
15.3 | 1970-07-14 | 2 | 42°36'N / 96°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth | |
16.2 | 1967-06-14 | 3 | 42°48'N / 96°35'W | 42°52'N / 96°29'W | 6.20 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Plymouth |
18.5 | 1975-05-22 | 2 | 42°28'N / 96°22'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Woodbury | |||
18.7 | 1963-06-09 | 2 | 42°46'N / 96°37'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth | |
18.9 | 1978-07-05 | 2 | 43°02'N / 96°15'W | 42°56'N / 96°03'W | 11.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sioux |
18.9 | 1973-06-18 | 2 | 42°29'N / 96°04'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 2 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Woodbury | |
19.1 | 1968-06-13 | 2 | 42°27'N / 96°20'W | 0.10 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Woodbury | |
19.2 | 1979-05-08 | 3 | 42°27'N / 96°10'W | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Woodbury | |||
19.2 | 1964-09-07 | 2 | 42°47'N / 95°58'W | 42°47'N / 95°48'W | 7.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Plymouth |
20.3 | 1973-06-18 | 2 | 42°28'N / 96°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Woodbury | |
21.1 | 1991-08-07 | 2 | 42°49'N / 95°54'W | 42°49'N / 95°49'W | 3.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Plymouth |
21.2 | 1964-05-05 | 3 | 42°34'N / 96°21'W | 43°11'N / 95°26'W | 62.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Plymouth |
22.6 | 1987-07-07 | 2 | 43°01'N / 96°29'W | 43°00'N / 96°27'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sioux |
22.7 | 1986-07-28 | 4 | 42°32'N / 96°41'W | 42°25'N / 96°25'W | 20.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25.0M | 0 | Dakota |
23.3 | 1991-08-07 | 2 | 42°49'N / 95°49'W | 42°45'N / 95°47'W | 5.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cherokee |
24.0 | 1966-06-02 | 2 | 43°06'N / 96°24'W | 43°02'N / 96°11'W | 11.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sioux |
25.0 | 1968-09-22 | 3 | 43°01'N / 96°04'W | 43°04'N / 95°59'W | 4.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sioux |
25.0 | 2001-08-17 | 2 | 42°27'N / 96°34'W | 42°26'N / 96°34'W | 1.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 3 | 3.0M | 0 | Dakota |
Brief Description: A tornado completely destroyed at least ten houses and heavily damaged several others. The tornado heavily damaged the town school, including taking most of the roof off the school. The only church in town and a telephone company building were also heavily damaged. Power lines, poles, and trees were blown down, and electricity and water service were knocked out. Three empty box cars on the southeast side of Jackson were toppled. Three injuries included a woman with a broken leg and cuts rescued from the rubble of a house, and two children with minor injuries. | |||||||||||
25.1 | 1983-09-05 | 2 | 42°23'N / 96°04'W | 2.50 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Woodbury | |
26.8 | 1987-07-07 | 2 | 43°04'N / 96°37'W | 43°01'N / 96°29'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Union |
26.8 | 1994-07-05 | 3 | 42°20'N / 96°18'W | 1.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 5K | Woodbury | |
28.5 | 1986-07-28 | 4 | 42°25'N / 96°23'W | 42°12'N / 96°11'W | 11.50 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250.0M | 0 | Woodbury |
28.6 | 1968-04-03 | 2 | 42°59'N / 95°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | O'brien | |
30.1 | 1986-07-28 | 4 | 42°41'N / 96°58'W | 42°32'N / 96°41'W | 20.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Dixon |
30.1 | 1958-04-01 | 2 | 42°44'N / 95°42'W | 42°51'N / 95°38'W | 8.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cherokee |
30.2 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°39'N / 95°44'W | 42°46'N / 95°35'W | 10.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee |
30.3 | 1979-08-08 | 2 | 43°04'N / 95°53'W | 0.40 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sioux | |
30.9 | 1965-06-07 | 3 | 42°55'N / 96°48'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Union | |||
32.2 | 1952-06-23 | 4 | 42°45'N / 95°51'W | 42°54'N / 95°25'W | 24.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee |
32.3 | 1981-09-26 | 2 | 42°47'N / 96°53'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay | |||
32.8 | 2008-05-01 | 2 | 43°08'N / 96°18'W | 43°15'N / 96°22'W | 9.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0.5M | 0K | Sioux |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado damaged numerous trees, including large trees uprooted, blew windows out of a home, destroyed a metal shed, blew two windows and part of a wall out of a metal building, damaged at least three grain bins, destroyed or damaged numerous outbuildings and small sheds, blew down or snapped off at least 15 power poles, bent a metal light pole, tipped one wagon and blew the top off another, blew down a barb wire fence and pushed fence posts almost to the ground, destroyed a hog barn, and flattened corn stubble, before crossing the county line into Lyon County. Contents inside several damaged or destroyed buildings and sheds were also damaged, especially on one farm where damaged buildings housed a farm and trucking business. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms produced 5 confirmed tornadoes over extreme northwest Iowa during the early evening hours of May 1st. One large long track tornado caused considerable damage, while the other 4 tornadoes were short lived and weak. | |||||||||||
33.1 | 1970-07-01 | 2 | 43°09'N / 96°36'W | 43°08'N / 96°32'W | 2.30 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln |
33.4 | 1963-05-12 | 2 | 42°13'N / 96°12'W | 42°18'N / 95°55'W | 15.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Woodbury |
34.8 | 1967-08-16 | 2 | 42°47'N / 96°56'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay | |||
35.6 | 1980-05-29 | 2 | 42°39'N / 96°59'W | 42°41'N / 96°55'W | 3.30 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Dixon |
35.9 | 1998-06-23 | 2 | 42°12'N / 96°15'W | 42°12'N / 96°15'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Monona |
Brief Description: House destroyed. | |||||||||||
36.0 | 1981-06-13 | 2 | 43°10'N / 95°53'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Sioux | |||
37.2 | 1986-07-28 | 4 | 42°11'N / 96°14'W | 42°11'N / 96°10'W | 1.00 Mile | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250.0M | 0 | Monona |
37.3 | 1984-06-11 | 2 | 42°47'N / 96°59'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay | |||
37.7 | 1954-06-19 | 2 | 43°17'N / 96°18'W | 43°15'N / 96°15'W | 2.30 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lyon |
39.0 | 1970-07-14 | 2 | 43°10'N / 96°48'W | 43°07'N / 96°44'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 1 | 25.0M | 0 | Lincoln |
40.1 | 1980-07-19 | 2 | 43°01'N / 95°37'W | 43°04'N / 95°34'W | 3.30 Miles | 160 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | O'brien |
41.1 | 1967-06-14 | 2 | 42°09'N / 96°29'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Thurston | |
41.8 | 1963-03-16 | 2 | 42°47'N / 95°26'W | 2.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cherokee | |
42.2 | 2008-06-11 | 2 | 42°58'N / 95°32'W | 43°03'N / 95°30'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0K | O'brien |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado destroyed several outbuildings, moved a 1.5 ton wagon, heavily damaged a machine shed containing farm equipment and also damaged a nearby house on the same farm. Also destroyed another machine shed at a different location, destroyed a pole barn, damaged a grain bin, broke or blew down several power poles and power lines, and caused tree damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms produced several tornadoes, along with large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding in northwest Iowa during the late afternoon and early evening of June 11th. | |||||||||||
42.3 | 1965-06-07 | 2 | 42°54'N / 97°03'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clay | |||
42.4 | 1992-05-16 | 2 | 42°22'N / 97°01'W | 42°21'N / 96°50'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Dixon |
42.5 | 1963-06-09 | 2 | 42°23'N / 97°20'W | 42°35'N / 96°43'W | 34.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cedar |
42.7 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°25'N / 95°35'W | 42°35'N / 95°21'W | 16.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Ida |
43.4 | 1998-05-28 | 2 | 42°33'N / 97°08'W | 42°33'N / 97°01'W | 8.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Cedar |
Brief Description: Three farms damaged. Eight to ten power poles downed 8 -10 miles east southeast of Hartington. Injury occurred about 9 miles east of Hartington southeast of the Highway 84/57 interchange. | |||||||||||
43.6 | 1965-06-07 | 2 | 43°04'N / 97°02'W | 43°07'N / 96°52'W | 8.60 Miles | 210 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clay |
45.0 | 1954-06-17 | 3 | 42°07'N / 96°42'W | 42°12'N / 96°42'W | 5.70 Miles | 163 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Thurston |
45.7 | 1992-05-16 | 2 | 42°24'N / 97°02'W | 42°22'N / 97°01'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cedar |
46.9 | 1970-06-15 | 2 | 42°02'N / 97°25'W | 42°28'N / 96°25'W | 59.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Madison |
47.2 | 1986-04-26 | 2 | 43°21'N / 96°23'W | 43°27'N / 96°19'W | 9.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lyon |
47.3 | 1955-05-26 | 2 | 42°14'N / 97°00'W | 42°19'N / 96°55'W | 6.50 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wayne |
47.6 | 1964-06-22 | 2 | 43°07'N / 96°53'W | 43°21'N / 96°53'W | 16.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lincoln |
48.5 | 1955-06-17 | 2 | 42°15'N / 97°06'W | 42°21'N / 96°56'W | 10.60 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wayne |
48.7 | 1964-08-10 | 2 | 42°25'N / 97°07'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cedar | |||
48.7 | 2003-06-24 | 2 | 43°08'N / 96°58'W | 43°11'N / 97°03'W | 7.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Turner |
Brief Description: A tornado damaged farm buildings and equipment, as well as crops, trees, and power lines. | |||||||||||
48.9 | 1986-04-26 | 2 | 43°16'N / 96°55'W | 43°15'N / 96°51'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
49.0 | 1986-04-26 | 2 | 43°18'N / 96°40'W | 43°24'N / 96°44'W | 5.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln |
49.5 | 1965-09-09 | 2 | 42°03'N / 95°54'W | 42°07'N / 95°43'W | 10.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monona |
49.9 | 1965-05-05 | 2 | 43°10'N / 95°29'W | 43°24'N / 95°47'W | 21.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | O'brien |
49.9 | 1986-04-26 | 2 | 43°14'N / 96°56'W | 43°16'N / 96°55'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Turner |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.