Iowa
99 counties176 tornadoes rated F3/EF3+71 county disaster declarations
Iowa has recorded 3,103 tornadoes since 1950, 7th among the states; 10,935 acres burned by large wildfires since 1984.
2025
- Tornadoes rated F2/EF2+ since 1950
Statewide totals
Unique events: a tornado that crossed three counties counts once.
- Tornadoes since 1950
- 3,103
- 7th of 51
- Rated F3/EF3 or stronger
- 176
- 7th of 51
- Tropical cyclones within 50 mi
- 0
- None since 1851
- At hurricane strength
- 0
- —
- Acres burned since 1984
- 11K
- 9 large fires
- Flood insurance claims
- 14,688
- $357 million paid
County leaders
Where in Iowa each hazard has struck most.
Most tornadoes
- 1Polk County70
- 2Scott County68
- 3Linn County66
- 4Story County66
- 5Webster County63
Most acres burned
- 1Louisa County4,375
- 2Pottawattamie County4,194
- 3Iowa County1,099
- 4Benton County624
- 5Clay County617
Most flood claims
- 1Scott County2,267
- 2Polk County1,550
- 3Black Hawk County1,472
- 4Linn County1,351
- 5Pottawattamie County867
Notable events
The strongest tornadoes, hurricanes and fires in Iowa’s record. Each opens its own page.
Tornadoes
- F5 1968, Howard13 killed
- EF5 2008, Grundy9 killed
- F5 1966, Wright6 killed
- F5 1968, Fayette5 killed
- F5 1953, Adair1 killed
- F5 1976, Boone21.3 mi
- EF4 2022, Madison6 killed
- EF4 2024, Taylor5 killed
- F4 1984, Mahaska3 killed
- F4 1979, Pocahontas3 killed
Every county
Sort by any column. Each county opens its full record.
Cities
Places of 10,000 people or more with their own records.
- Des Moines
- Cedar Rapids
- Davenport
- Sioux City
- Ankeny
- Iowa City
- West Des Moines
- Ames
- Waterloo
- Council Bluffs
- Dubuque
- Urbandale
- Marion
- Cedar Falls
- Bettendorf
- Waukee
- Marshalltown
- Mason City
- Ottumwa
- Johnston
- Fort Dodge
- Clinton
- Coralville
- Burlington
- Muscatine
- Altoona
- North Liberty
- Clive
- Grimes
- Indianola
- Newton
- Norwalk
- Boone
- Storm Lake
- Oskaloosa
- Pleasant Hill
- Spencer
- Pella
- Le Mars
- Waverly
- Carroll