On the map: every storm report logged this day.
On the map
Storm reports for August 5, 1979
On August 5, 1979, 16 hail, 9 damaging-wind and 5 tornado reports were logged across 7 states.
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· As you type, the text is sent to Google to suggest addresses.IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology
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On August 5, 1979, 16 hail, 9 damaging-wind and 5 tornado reports were logged across 7 states. The largest hail reported was 1.75″ (golf ball size) in Clinton County, IA.
Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Radar hail estimates start October 2019.
Storm reports by state
| State | Hail | Wind | Tornado | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1.50″ |
| IN | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1.75″ |
| IA | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1.75″ |
| WI | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.00″ |
| OH | 0 | 3 | 0 | – |
| FL | 0 | 1 | 1 | – |
| LA | 0 | 1 | 0 | – |
Cities with hail reported within 5 miles
| City | Population | Largest report |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton, IN | 4,802 | 1.75″ |
| Moline, IL | 42,442 | 1.50″ |
| Bettendorf, IA | 40,281 | 1.50″ |
| East Moline, IL | 20,995 | 1.50″ |
| Silvis, IL | 8,003 | 1.50″ |
| Madison, WI | 285,300 | 1.00″ |
| Round Lake Beach, IL | 27,091 | 1.00″ |
| Clinton, IA | 24,118 | 1.00″ |
| La Porte, IN | 22,444 | 1.00″ |
| Whitewater, WI | 16,076 | 1.00″ |
| Antioch, IL | 15,108 | 1.00″ |
| Lindenhurst, IL | 14,564 | 1.00″ |
| Lake Villa, IL | 8,737 | 1.00″ |
| Monona, WI | 8,616 | 1.00″ |
| Twin Lakes, WI | 6,328 | 1.00″ |
| Camanche, IA | 4,536 | 1.00″ |
| Genoa City, WI | 2,903 | 1.00″ |
| Round Lake Heights, IL | 2,599 | 1.00″ |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 273,203 | 0.75″ |
| Mendota, IL | 6,922 | 0.75″ |
| Le Claire, IA | 4,776 | 0.75″ |
Hail reports (16)
| Time (UTC) | Size | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 00:55 | 1.75″ | Clinton County, IA |
| 11:00 | 1.75″ | Vermillion County, IN |
| 01:53 | 1.50″ | Rock Island County, IL |
| 14:47 | 1.00″ | LaPorte County, IN |
| 14:50 | 1.00″ | St. Joseph County, IN |
| 16:30 | 1.00″ | Dane County, WI |
| 17:00 | 1.00″ | Jefferson County, WI |
| 21:25 | 1.00″ | Lake County, IL |
| 22:38 | 1.00″ | Kenosha County, WI |
| 00:15 | 1.00″ | Clinton County, IA |
| 16:30 | 0.75″ | Allen County, IN |
| 16:42 | 0.75″ | Allen County, IN |
| 19:55 | 0.75″ | LaSalle County, IL |
| 19:55 | 0.75″ | LaSalle County, IL |
| 01:05 | 0.75″ | Clinton County, IA |
| 01:50 | 0.75″ | Rock Island County, IL |
Damage, injuries and deaths
National Weather Service offices recorded about $3 million in property damage and 1 injury from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (30 events in 7 states). Before 1996 the database holds only tornado, hail and wind events, and damage was often entered as a range, so treat these figures as rough. Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.
| County | Events | Injuries | Deaths | Property damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County, IA | 1 | 1 | 0 | $250,000 |
| Ogle County, IL | 1 | 0 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| Scott County, IA | 1 | 0 | 0 | $250,000 |
| Marion County, FL | 1 | 0 | 0 | $25,000 |
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.
NWS Tornado Damage Surveys for August 5, 1979
National Weather Service survey teams mapped 1 tornado path from this storm day (1 EF3), 7 miles in all. The map above draws each surveyed path as the NWS mapped it, colored by the EF rating of each stretch, in place of the straight start-to-end line.
| Rating | Peak wind | Path length | Max width | Deaths / injuries | On the ground | Surveyed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF3 | – | 6.6 mi | 200 yd | 0 / 0 | 21:45–22:00 UTC | NWS Chicago |
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT): the tornado paths and EF-rating zones NWS survey teams mapped after each storm. Survey data are preliminary and can be revised; NOAA's official record is Storm Data (NCEI). Paths are simplified to about 30 m. Times are when the tornado was on the ground, in UTC.
Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final
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