Henry County
Population 19,349 (2025) 434 sq mi
Henry County has recorded 20 tornadoes since 1950, 89th most of 99 counties in Iowa; the most recent was on April 16, 2024.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195020
At a glance
The record for Henry County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes since 1950
20
89th of 99 in Iowa
Fewer than the typical Iowa county, which has had 35
DetailsStrongest tornado
F3
May 9, 1959, 17.8 mile path
Snowiest season
68.2in
Winter of 1911-12
Tornadoes
About one every 3.8 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 9, 1959
F3, 17.8 mile path
250 yards wide.
Most recent
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
EF2, 41.7 mile path
2 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Apr 16, 2024 | EF2 | 41.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 25, 2018 | EF1 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 25, 2018 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2017 | EF0 | 2.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 16, 2015 | EF0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2015 | EF1 | 3.5 | 2 | 0 |
| May 3, 2012 | EF2 | 6.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 25, 2008 | EF1 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2003 | F1 | 27.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1999 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 29, 1983 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 5, 1980 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 4, 1977 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 4, 1977 | F2 | 0.1 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1973 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 24, 1967 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 16, 1960 | F1 | 15.8 | 0 | 0 |
| May 9, 1959 | F3 | 17.8 | 1 | 0 |
| May 13, 1957 | F1 | 6.8 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Henry County: 0.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 67 days
Heavy smoke on 20 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
24.5 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
19 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 41 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
1 federal flood insurance claims since 2013, with $0 paid.
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood17
- Flood10
- Heavy Rain2
1 death recorded in flood events since 1996.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 150 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 22 months.
150
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
72
Months in extreme drought
9%
Share of all months, severe or worse
17
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
March 1902
−7.09, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
22 months
December 1955 to September 1957.
Latest month
September 2026
+2.83, moderately wet
Last severe month: February 2024.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes
1 earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.0 in 1905.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
0
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
1
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
April 13, 1905
Magnitude 4.0
Near Keokuk, Iowa; 28.5 miles away.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
April 13, 1905
Magnitude 4.0
Near Keokuk, Iowa; 28.5 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Apr 13, 1905 | 4.0 | 28.5 |
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
502 events in the National Weather Service record, 445 of them since 1996.
60
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
7
Hail, 2 inches or larger
131
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
136
Winter weather events since 1996
5
Heat events since 1996
18
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 21, 1973
4.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
October 29, 2004
90 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 3 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 10 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- May 10, 2003Tornado$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Tornado developed 3.3 miles west northwest of Mt Pleasant and moved east northeast passing 2.6 miles north of Mt Pleasant, to 3.5 miles west and 2.2 miles north of Mt Union. The tornado exited into Louisa County 3.1 miles north northeast of Mt Union at 1905 CST. Length was 16.4 miles in Henry County Iowa and rated F1 based on damage to farm houses to the west and north of Mt Union.
- Jun 1, 2008Flood$535,000
National Weather Service narrative
Major to record flooding occurred during the month of June 2008 with most forecast points above flood stage for the majority of the month. The flooding during this month was more prolific and severe than the flooding in April 2008, and the flooding in April had been the most prolific flood event since 1997.||While some locations were still experiencing flooding as June began, many of the tributary rivers to the Mississippi in Iowa rose above flood stage during the first few days of the month. At locations that were already above flood stage, the rivers stopped their fall and began climbing again.||Persistent heavy rain from late May into early June resulted in record crests on the…
- May 10, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
A strong spring storm system moved through the Mississippi valley during the late afternoon and evening hours producing widespread severe weather. In an unprecedented move, WFO Quad Cities held a press conference the day before to warn of a high probability of significant tornadoes in the afternoon and evening hours of Saturday May 10th, with the area most at risk south of a Keosauqua, Iowa to Princeton, Illinois line. Supercell thunderstorms developed and continued into the evening hours spawning several long track tornadoes and produced copious amounts of large hail. Luckily, most of the tornado tracks were in open country and therefore damage was minimized.
- Aug 13, 2010Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Skunk River at Augusta going above the moderate flood stage level of 17 feet on August 13 around 2 pm CDT. It crested above the major flood stage level around 23.3 feet around 1 pm CDT August 16. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 920 am CDT August 24.
- May 3, 2012Tornado$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
The tornado began near 120th street near Wayland in Henry County and moved northeast to near Crawfordsville in Washington County. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 10 minutes in Henry County. Damage along the path of the tornado included: several farm outbuildings destroyed, roof damage to homes, trees snapped, and power poles damaged. The most severe damage occurred near and to the northeast of Noble (Washington County) where several turkey farms sustained extensive damage and two large wooden truss power poles were snapped off. Two homes between Noble and Crawfordsville had the roof removed as well as the exterior walls on the upper floor. One of the homes had a…
- Oct 29, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$450,000
National Weather Service narrative
Main axis of damage is a less than a mile wide path running from 1.3 miles NNW of Rome (near the intersection of White Oak Rd and 208th Street) to 3.2 miles E of Winfield on 120th Street. Between 4 miles Northwest of Mount Pleasant to 2 miles NNE of Mount Pleasant, the damage path widened to 4 miles. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed with severe damage to an ANR pipeline pumping station located northwest of Mount Pleasant. Three homes suffered significant damage...including one which was blown off its foundation while another lost its roof. Numerous outbuildings and sheds were destroyed with grain wagons overturned. The Winfield cemetary (located southeast of town) had its…
- Sep 13, 2008Flash Flood$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rains caused flash flooding in Oakland Mills, IA, Mount Pleasant, IA, Mount Union, IA and New London, IA during the morning of September 13.||Near Oakland Mills, a campground along the Skunk River had to be evacuated due to the rapidly rising river level.||In Mount Pleasant, sewers were backed up, several streets were flooded, cars were stranded in flood waters, and several basements flooded.||South of Mount Pleasant, Big Creek near Highway 218 and 295th St flooded out of its banks and several area ditches were full with flood waters.||In the Mount Union area, several roads were under water.||In New London, where 24-hour rainfall totals ranged between 5.5 and 8.5 inches,…
- Feb 24, 2007Ice Storm, Henry$129,000
National Weather Service narrative
According to the Mt. Pleasant News, a direct injury from hypothermia occurred in the city of Winfield. An unidentified young woman was found semi-unconscious on February 25, with a low body temperature and transported to a hospital. She was treated and eventually recovered. With the power out due to the ice storm, the temperature in the house dropped into the mid 40s.
- May 10, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
A strong spring storm system moved through the Mississippi valley during the late afternoon and evening hours producing widespread severe weather. In an unprecedented move, WFO Quad Cities held a press conference the day before to warn of a high probability of significant tornadoes in the afternoon and evening hours of Saturday May 10th, with the area most at risk south of a Keosauqua, Iowa to Princeton, Illinois line. Supercell thunderstorms developed and continued into the evening hours spawning several long track tornadoes and produced copious amounts of large hail. Luckily, most of the tornado tracks were in open country and therefore damage was minimized.
- Apr 30, 2003Hail$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Supercell thunderstorms developed in the afternoon and evening north of a warm front that ran from Southern Iowa into Central Illinois. Three distinct supercells produced a majority of the wind, hail, and heavy rain reports from Jefferson County Iowa into Henry County Illinois. Mercer County Illinois was under tornado warnings on a continuous basis for 2 hours. Officials at a high school track meet in Aledo, Illinois ushered all students into the safety of the school resulting in no injuries. The training of the supercells from Louisa County Iowa to Henry County Illinois dumped heavy rain over the Edwards River and Pope Creek basins in Illinois with radar estimating 9 inches of…
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Burlington Municipal Airport, 25.7 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1897.
- All-time high
- 111°F2 times, most recently Jul 15, 1936
- All-time low
- −27°FFeb 13, 1905
- Warmest night
- 84°FJul 27, 1936
- Coldest day
- −10°FFeb 3, 1996
- Wettest day
- 6.28 inJun 29, 1933
- Snowiest day
- 13.5 inJan 26, 1967
- Hottest year
- 1998mean 57.3°F
- Coldest year
- 1917mean 48.1°F
- Wettest year
- 201054.13 in
- Driest year
- 195622.87 in
- Snowiest season
- 68.2 in1911-12
Median first snow
November 25
Earliest: September 25, 1942
Median last snow
March 24
Latest: May 5, 1944
0 of 88 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Burlington Municipal Airport (USW00014931), 683 ft elevation, 25.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1897 to October 26, 2026; 99.6% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
16 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, March 23, 2020.
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | DR-4483-IA |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3480-IA |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Flood | DR-4421-IA |
| Jul 2, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4126-IA |
| Jul 29, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1930-IA |
| May 27, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1763-IA |
| Mar 14, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1688-IA |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3239-IA |
| May 25, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1518-IA |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Flood | DR-1420-IA |
| May 2, 2001 | Severe Storm | DR-1367-IA |
| Jul 2, 1998 | Flood | DR-1230-IA |
| Jun 24, 1996 | Severe Storm | DR-1121-IA |
| Jul 9, 1993 | Flood | DR-996-IA |
| May 23, 1973 | Flood | DR-386-IA |
| Aug 14, 1969 | Flood | DR-269-IA |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
How this compares
Where Henry County stands among 99 counties in Iowa and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 20 | 89 / 99 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 1 | 82 / 99 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 1 | 88 / 99 |
| Flood insurance paid | $0 | — |
| Disaster declarations | 16 | 76 / 99 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 29 | 93 / 99 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 218 | 77 / 99 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 136 | 27 / 99 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $5.0 million | 94 / 99 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 0 | — |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 150 | 60 / 99 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 24.5 | 96 / 99 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 1 | 6 / 99 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Des Moines County | 24 | 0 |
| Jefferson County | 13 | 0 |
| Lee County | 39 | 0 |
| Louisa County | 18 | 0 |
| Van Buren County | 28 | 0 |
| Washington County | 25 | 0 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00014931.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.