Ringgold County and the State of Iowa recently observed National Severe Weather Awareness Week.
As residents know, Ringgold County is no stranger to severe weather, but the occurrence of tornadoes here is relatively rare. Far more damage is caused annually by thunderstorms, hail, and extreme winter weather than that caused by the dreaded twisters.
April is the earliest month tornadoes have visited the county, while November is the latest month. April and May are by far the months with the most tornado activity.
Below is a list of the most recent county tornadoes compiled from a variety of sources, some of which go into great detail:
May 23, 1966, 6:30 a.m. Ringgold County: F1 tornado measuring 50 yards in width.
October 14, 1966, 3:15 p.m. Ringgold County: Tornado causing $2.5K of property damage.
May 5, 1971, 5:15 p.m. Ringgold County: F2 tornado measuring 1 mile by 200 yards, resulting in $25.0K of property damage.
July 14, 1972, 6:27 p.m. Ringgold County: F1 tornado measuring 1 mile by 100 yards resulting in $25.K of property damage.
April 19, 1973, 6:15 p.m. Ringgold County: F1 tornado measuring 3 miles by 300 yards resulting in $25.K of property damage.
May 23, 1981, 5:00 p.m. Ringgold County: F2 tornado measuring 16 miles by 130 yards resulting in $250.0K of property damage.
June 7, 1984, 5:30 p.m. Ringgold County: Thunderstorm with strong winds and a F2 tornado occurring at 7:34 p.m., measuring 14 miles by 150 yards, resulting in
