It is the only F5/EF5 on record during the month of October: The October 14, 1966 Belmond, IA Tornado. Just minutes after the high school’s homecoming parade, this devastating twister demolished a large section of town. The total path was approximately 12 miles. It began just north of Clarion and moved NNE through Belmond.
Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes has a rating of F4 for this twister. Here is a response from Grazulis on a tweet we posted in 2018: “No F5 damage anywhere. As shown in green sigtor, one unattached house was picked up, dropped <100 feet away and collapsed. F1 to every house around it. Minimal F4 elsewhere. Lots of Pre-1975 issues.”
Per Storm Data, 109 homes were destroyed, 160 had major data and 308 had minor damage. 75 businesses were destroyed, 112 were badly damaged. 27 farmsteads were struck and many of these were demolished. There was great loss of cattle, hogs and chickens and acres of corn flattened. Six people were killed and over 150 were injured. Here is a a clip from the Des Moines Register from October 15, 1966 about the fatalities:
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