On this day in 1976, one of the largest and most violent tornadoes in Iowa’s history tore across the countryside between Boone and Ames, forever etching June 13 into the memories of central Iowans. The massive F5 twister touched down near Luther and roared north-northeast, carving a nearly mile-wide path of destruction.
The tornado reached peak strength as it neared the small community of Jordan, spawning four satellite tornadoes—including a rare anticyclonic F3 that tracked just two miles to the east. Riding powerful straight-line winds, the parent storm swept through farmland west of Ames, leveling everything in its way.
One of the hardest-hit properties belonged to the Roland Schoof family. As the sky darkened and the funnel approached, they had only minutes to escape. When they returned, their home was gone, a tractor they didn’t recognize was nose-deep in the dirt, and their car had vanished—tossed who-knows-where by the storm.
By the time the tornado lifted near Gilbert around 4:15 p.m., more than 60 homes and 300 farm buildings lay in ruins. It remains the most destructive tornado to ever hit the Boone-Story County region.
