On This Date: Plains, Midwest Tornado Outbreak Turns Tragic At Iowa Boy Scout Camp
A tornado outbreak in the Plains and Midwest turned tragic in Iowa 17 years ago when an EF3 twister ripped through a Boy Scout camp.
The deadly tornado struck Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa near the Nebraska border on June 11, 2008. Upon entering the park, the tornado first destroyed a ranger's house around 6:30 p.m. CDT. From there, the tornado knocked down trees and hit a bunk house where scouts were taking refuge.
Sadly, four Boy Scouts lost their lives in the tornado and nearly 50 others were injured.
This tornado was one of dozens others that caused damage from Kansas to southern Minnesota.
The most powerful tornado in the outbreak was an EF4 that hit Manhattan, Kansas. A total of 45 homes were destroyed in the city and the campus of Kansas State University also suffered significant damage, but nobody was killed.
Another hard-hit community was Chapman, Kansas, where an EF3 twister destroyed 70 homes and killed one person.
Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with weather.com for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
US Open Golf Tournament Weather Forecast: Rain, Storm Chances Increase At Oakmont Country Club This Weekend
The 125th U.S. Open outside of Pittsburgh at Oakmont Country Club will see a more unsettled weather pattern as we head into the weekend that will bring an increased risk of showers and thunderstorms. Oakmont Country Club is hosting the tournament for a record 10th time this year, with the last one in 2016 when Dustin Johnson won. 156 players will take part in the four-day event from Thursday through Sunday, with a cut that reduces the field after Friday. The challenging course is known for its iconic "church pews" bunker, as seen in the bottom-middle of the photo above between holes 3 and 4. Saturday: The threat of rain increases as surging moisture out of the west-southwest combines with a front lingering nearby. This could be from a combination of rain showers ongoing in the morning followed by possible scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Localized heavy rain and lightning are both possibilities, which means there could be interruptions to play. Attendees will want to take a poncho and/or umbrella just in case. Sunday: The final round will have a lingering threat of showers and thunderstorms. The morning is likely to be dry, but the afternoon could have some hit-or-miss scattered showers and storms. You can use this link to see the Oakmont local forecast. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
On This Date: One Of America's Deadliest Tornadoes Strikes Wisconsin Town Hosting A Circus
One of America's deadliest tornadoes tore through a Wisconsin town hosting a circus more than 125 years ago. Gollmar Brothers Circus was in New Richmond, Wisconsin, on June 12, 1899, bringing a larger number of people to the town than usual. Before hitting New Richmond, three people were killed by the tornado on farms near Burkhardt and Boardman. The twister then carved a path through the middle of New Richmond just after the circus ended, according to the National Weather Service in Milwaukee. About 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed along a path 3,000 feet long and 1,000 feet wide through New Richmond. Incredibly, a 3,000 pound safe was said to have been carried a full block away. A total of 117 lives were lost in the tornado, making it the 9th deadliest on record in the U.S., according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center Flying debris from the tornado killed many of the 117 people, and 26 separate families had multiple deaths. The NWS says the tornado was easy to spot and that this may have kept the death toll from being even higher. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
US Open Golf Tournament Weather Forecast: Hot Start, Then Storm Chances Increase At Oakmont Country Club
The 125th U.S. Open is taking place this week outside of Pittsburgh at Oakmont Country Club, and after a dry, hot start, shower and storm chances could increase for the weekend. Oakmont Country Club is hosting the tournament for a record 10th time this year, with the last one in 2016 when Dustin Johnson won. 156 players will take part in the four-day event from Thursday through Sunday, with a cut that reduces the field after Friday. The challenging course is known for its iconic "church pews" bunker, as seen in the bottom-middle of the photo above between holes 3 and 4. Thursday: This will be the hottest day of the tournament with afternoon players seeing a high in the mid-to-upper 80s. That's several degrees above Pittsburgh's average high of 79 degrees. No rain is expected. Friday: The high temperature will tick down closer to average. We are also watching a cold front coming into Pennsylvania that will eventually stall, but forecast models are at odds over how much moisture it will contain on Friday. For now, there is a low chance of a hit-or-miss afternoon shower or thunderstorm. Saturday: Surging moisture out of the west-southwest combined with a front lingering nearby will increase the risk of showers and storms, particularly in the afternoon hours. Localized heavy rain and lightning are both possibilities, which means there could be interruptions to play. Attendees will want to take a poncho and/or umbrella just in case. Sunday: The final round has a similar forecast to Saturday and hinges on where the stalled front sets up. Right now, the chance of showers and storms is 50% or greater, but that could trend higher or lower since forecast model guidance is not in good agreement, so check back for updates. You can also use this link to see the Oakmont local forecast. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
