Linn County Iowa F4 Tornado

April 30, 1954

On the evening of April 30, a F4 tornado struck the northwest part of the modern CWA. The tornado caused the most damage in northern Linn County. The tornado hit several spots including Lafayette, IA and the area near Covington, IA.

The worst hit area was Lafayette, IA just north of Cedar Rapids, where a family of five was injured when the tornado struck their house. The family was watching television at the time the storm struck. The parents were the worst injured and the three children suffered cuts and bruises. A few days after the tornado destroyed the Bahr house, the family had been reported in good condition.

The John Dixon farmhouse northeast of Marion, IA burned down after it was struck by lightning. Another farmhouse north of Cedar Rapids in Robins, IA was also damaged by fire due to lightning. A mother and daughter were home at the time and both were uninjured in the incident.

The storm that produced the tornado also hit parts of Eastern Iowa causing heavy rain along with numerous power outages. Within Cedar Rapids, an estimated 1.15 inches of rain fell and left much of the city without power. Eight miles southeast of Manchester, IA the storm damage was officially estimated at more than $100,000 in a one-mile area.

National Climate Data Center April 30, 1954 event record
Pictures from Cedar Rapids Public Library Digital Newspaper Archive (Cedar Rapids Gazette May 1, 1954)