2024 Minden–Harlan tornado

On the early evening of April 26, 2024, a large and intense multiple-vortex tornado caused major damage to the small town of Minden and impacted several farmsteads in rural Shelby County, Iowa. The tornado resulted in one fatality and three injuries and tracked 40.91 miles (65.84 km), reaching a peak width of 1,900 yd (1,700 m). The tornado was the longest tracked tornado of a larger outbreak that occurred in late April and tied for the largest tornado of the outbreak, tying with the Elkhorn–Blair tornado. The tornado was the second costliest of the outbreak, inflicting $112 million in damage.

The tornado touched down east of McClelland, staying at EF0 strength for the first few miles before abruptly intensifying to mid-range EF2 intensity south of Minden, while a tornado emergency for the community and surrounding area before the tornado struck the town at high-end EF3 strength. Several residential homes received major to complete destruction from the tornado. Many businesses in town were severely damaged or flattened with estimated wind speeds of 160 mph (260 km/h). Northeast of town, the tornado inflicted more severe damage to farmsteads and a church was destroyed. The tornado reached its peak width south of I-80, tracking through Harrison and Shelby County while missing Shelby and Tennant, and passing west of Harlan, where it was observed by Doppler on Wheels. The tornado became then rain-wrapped as it missed Defiance before dissipating north of the town after being on the ground for 1 hour and 4 minutes.