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On this day in Iowa weather history...

1873: Severe weather struck southeastern Iowa as a tornado tore a path through Keokuk, Washington, and Louisa counties before crossing into Illinois. Very large hail fell along its track with hail stones 4.5 inches in diameter found at Sigourney and stones as large as hen eggs picked up in Washington four hours after the storm. The storm killed 8 people and injured at dozens of others in Iowa. The worst destruction occurred north of Washington when the tornado was a half mile wide and produced F4 damage at times, including at a school six miles north of town where a student and teacher were killed and eight other students seriously injured. The U.S. Army Signal Corps, ancestor of the modern day National Weather Service, conducted the first ever detailed tornado damage survey following this storm.