Weather Alerts Map

Tornadoes in Iowa

Iowa has recorded 3,079 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 55.7 per year over the last 30 years. They killed 98 people and injured 2,285. June is the most active month.

Live Iowa tornado warnings · All Iowa weather alerts

Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Tornadoes per year

96: 22962297: 25972598: 72987299: 58995800: 45004501: 1040110402: 31023103: 28032804: 1200412005: 44054406: 38063807: 44074408: 1050810509: 25092510: 33103311: 51115112: 16121613: 25132514: 89148915: 58155816: 45164517: 52175218: 69186919: 56195620: 28202821: 1192111922: 42224223: 72237224: 1242412425: 322532
Iowa tornadoes per year, 1996–2025
50s: 12550s12560s: 31160s31170s: 30270s30280s: 37480s37490s: 47290s47200s: 58400s58410s: 49410s49420s: 41720s417
Tornadoes per decade (the 2020s are partial)

When tornadoes happen in Iowa

Jan: 14Jan14Feb: 2Feb2Mar: 165Mar165Apr: 397Apr397May: 739May739Jun: 779Jun779Jul: 386Jul386Aug: 268Aug268Sep: 126Sep126Oct: 69Oct69Nov: 62Nov62Dec: 72Dec72
Tornadoes by month, 1950–2025
EF0: 1,310EF01,310EF1: 960EF1960EF2: 495EF2495EF3: 119EF3119EF4: 43EF443EF5: 6EF56
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale; later tornadoes use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. How the EF scale works.

Deadliest tornadoes in Iowa

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
May 15, 1968F5Franklin County62.1 mi600 yd13462
May 25, 2008EF5Grundy County41 mi2,100 yd970
October 14, 1966F5Wright County9.7 mi1,000 yd6172
March 5, 2022EF4Madison County70.6 mi900 yd65
September 16, 1978F3Marshall County31.8 mi200 yd645
May 15, 1968F5Fayette County13.1 mi500 yd5156
May 21, 2024EF4Taylor County40.7 mi1,600 yd535
June 11, 2008EF3Harrison County13 mi440 yd448
June 28, 1979F4Pocahontas County14.9 mi33 yd326
May 10, 1953F4—162 mi100 yd224

Strongest tornadoes in Iowa

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
May 15, 1968F5Franklin County62.1 mi600 yd13462
May 25, 2008EF5Grundy County41 mi2,100 yd970
October 14, 1966F5Wright County9.7 mi1,000 yd6172
May 15, 1968F5Fayette County13.1 mi500 yd5156
June 27, 1953F5Adair County0.1 mi100 yd12
June 13, 1976F5Boone County21.3 mi880 yd09
March 5, 2022EF4Madison County70.6 mi900 yd65
May 21, 2024EF4Taylor County40.7 mi1,600 yd535
June 28, 1979F4Pocahontas County14.9 mi33 yd326
May 10, 1953F4—162 mi100 yd224

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
August 18, 2025?Grundy County4.5 mi50 yd00
August 18, 2025?Grundy County0.6 mi35 yd00
August 18, 2025?Grundy County1.4 mi50 yd00
August 17, 2025?Winnebago County0.4 mi35 yd00
August 11, 2025?Van Buren County2.2 mi10 yd00
August 10, 2025?Lee County0.1 mi10 yd00
August 10, 2025?Lee County0 mi10 yd00
July 28, 2025EF0Cerro Gordo County1.6 mi15 yd00
July 28, 2025?Hancock County1.2 mi20 yd00
July 28, 2025?Lyon County0.2 mi50 yd00

Counties with the most tornadoes

CountyTornadoes since 1950Per 1,000 sq mi
Polk County70316404886.6
Linn County66238410041.8
Story County66298324607.3
Scott County64361921397.4
Webster County63227891061.5
Dallas County60264285714.3
Boone County58263543859.6
Hamilton County56251369150.8
Pottawattamie County56152513144.1
Woodbury County55163172966.8
Clinton County52193784172.7
Plymouth County51153059096.2
Warren County50227192982.5
Buchanan County49222259194.4
Pocahontas County49219948006.9
Sioux County49165247395.8
Benton County48173631284.9
Hardin County47213936731.1
Marion County47219729241.9
Jasper County47166753424.7

About this data

Tornado records come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database of confirmed tornadoes, 1950–2025. Tornadoes that crossed state lines are counted in the state where they began. Counts in the early decades are lower partly because many weak tornadoes went unreported before Doppler radar and storm spotter networks.