361
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$5.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Benton County, Iowa: 361 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 126. That places the county #279 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Benton County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Benton County is the 2000s, when 145 of the county's 361 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Benton County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 48.0% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #279 for this hazard and #5 within Iowa, putting it in the 91.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Benton County with 119 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16, 2021 | WALFORD | 70 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 14, 2006 | VAN HORNE | 61 | 0 | 1 | $150K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2025 | SHELLSBURG | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | VINTON | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | NEWHALL | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | VINTON | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | GARRISON | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | VAN HORNE | 53 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | URBANA | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | NEWHALL | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | VINTON | 62 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | SHELLSBURG | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Benton County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Wind gusts estimated to be 120 mph caused significant damage throughout the town of Vinton, IA at 500 am CDT July 11. Hundreds of trees and power lines were blown down throughout the area and several cars and buildings were damaged. The Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School was heavily damaged. The Old Main building on campus will need a new roof. A smokestack at the hospital was blown off punching a gaping hole in the side of the rehabilitation center. Several buildings in Vinton sustained massive damage, including the A.S.A.C. building, Kruger's Barber Shop, the Pioneer Seed building, Mickey's Bar, Phillips funeral home and the Hummel Apartments.
Wind gusts estimated to be 120 mph caused significant damage in Garrison, IA around 455 am CDT July 11. The fire station was destroyed. The roof of the library blew off. About 80 percent of the structures in town were damaged with significant damage to about 20 percent of them.
Wind gusts estimated to be 80 mph ripped the roof off of the Urbana Elementary School in Urbana, IA around 510 am CDT July 11. Several other businesses were also damaged in the Becca Industrial Park, including Buresh Arch Millwork, Borlaug Systems, and PalTech Enterprises.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Benton County, Iowa?
361 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Benton County between 1961 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Benton County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Benton County measured 126.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Benton County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Benton County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/benton-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.