Franklin County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Franklin County, IA right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 889 alerts that included Franklin County, roughly 89 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (166 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 20, 2026. 29 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Franklin County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Hardin County, Cerro Gordo County, Wright County, Butler County.
Franklin County alert history
Alert events that included Franklin County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 166 | 17 | August 9, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 115 | 6 | March 16, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 92 | 8 | September 17, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 88 | 3 | April 8, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 76 | 10 | August 18, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 58 | 4 | March 16, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 29 | 6 | September 30, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 28 | 1 | February 19, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 28 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 25 | 4 | July 27, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 23 | 4 | July 20, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 18 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 17 | 2 | October 17, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 16 | 3 | May 11, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 16 | 2 | March 28, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 14 | 2 | July 20, 2026 |
| Blizzard Warning | 13 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 13 | 0 | May 21, 2024 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 13 | 0 | July 15, 2024 |
| High Wind Warning | 12 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 7 | 2 | July 27, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 5 | 2 | July 26, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 5 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 4 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 3 | 0 | February 22, 2023 |
| Freeze Watch | 3 | 1 | October 17, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 2 | 2 | March 28, 2026 |
Tornado history in Franklin County
29 tornadoes have been recorded in Franklin County since 1950, killing 13 people and injuring 462. That ranks 63 of 99 counties in Iowa. The most recent was on July 28, 2023 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Franklin County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F5 | Franklin County | 62.1 mi | 600 yd | 13 | 462 |
| June 28, 1990 | F3 | Franklin County | 9 mi | 90 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF2 | Wright County | 16.7 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF2 | Franklin County | 7.5 mi | 90 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 1959 | F2 | Franklin County | 6.5 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 28, 2023 | EF1 | Franklin County | 1.8 mi | 125 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 28, 2023 | EF1 | Franklin County | 2.8 mi | 120 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF2 | Franklin County | 7.5 mi | 90 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF1 | Franklin County | 6 mi | 80 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF1 | Hardin County | 22.2 mi | 140 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Franklin County
- Population: 10,024 (2024 estimate)
- State: Iowa
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 019069 (how to use it)