Belmond Tornado Anniversary

Here is some 8mm film featured on YouTube that shows the devastation in Belmond. A tornado destroyed much of the town on October 14, 1966.

Today is the 44th anniversary of the tornado that forever changed the landscape of Belmond, Iowa.

On October 14, 1966...at 2: 55 PM an F5 tornado slammed into the small north Iowa town. 600 homes were damaged or destroyed. The tornado turned down Belmond's main street. 75 businesses were ripped apart. 6 people were killed, most were older folks who were trapped in their homes.

If the tornado had hit about a half hour earlier...it would have certainly killed more people who were lining the main street watching the homecoming parade. Belmond was scheduled to play Lake Mills that night. By the time the tornado hit, the students watching the parade were back in class. Teachers were able to move the students to the basements of the school buildings as the tornado roared through town.