Storm Lake

Sister cities

• Taitung City

History

Storm Lake's first European settler, Abner Bell, arrived in 1856, and the city was officially incorporated in 1873. Though early settlers found no natives permanently occupying the land, the area around the lake was likely used for fishing and hunting by tribes traveling from the north. Centuries prior to European colonization, the area was home to the Mill Creek indigenous culture. Railroad magnate John Insley Blair platted out land in Storm Lake in the 1870s. During the same decade, the Illinois Central Railroad was constructed through the town. The city of Storm Lake is named for the lake where it is said a trapper experienced a severe storm. An alternate story claims the lake took its name after two star-crossed lovers from opposed Native American bands paddled out for a secret rendezvous, only to be drowned as a sudden storm blew in. During the 1940s, a prisoner-of-war camp was temporarily established in Storm Lake. In 1956, the main building of the Buena Vista University campus burned down. The central brick archway was salvaged and remains standing. Storm Lake was a landing place of Hmong and Tai Dam refugees following the Vietnam War. Meat packing jobs have drawn thousands of migrant workers, predominantly from Latin America. Work vouchers and other factors have also drawn immigration from Micronesia. Storm Lake is currently one of ten cities in the mainland United States to host a polling location for Micronesian elections. A 2017 New York Times profile analyzed the positive effects of immigration on the Storm Lake community. Also that year, journalist Katie Couric interviewed Storm Lake residents for a National Geographic story on the town's diversity. A 2020 article in Fox News highlighted Storm Lake as an example of the positive economic impacts of…

Geography

Storm Lake is located in the northwestern part of the state, along the north shore of its namesake Storm Lake, a glacial lake. It directly borders Lakeside, a smaller community located on the east shore of the lake. It is the principal city of the Storm Lake micropolitan area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Due to its location, Storm Lake is a popular campaign trail stop during presidential elections, having drawn visits from George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders.

Race & ethnicity