46
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$4.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Benton County, Iowa: 46 recorded events between 1965 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #455 nationally and #19 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Benton County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Benton County is the 2020s, when 13 of the county's 46 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, tornado makes up 6.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #455 for this hazard and #19 within Iowa, putting it in the 84.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for tornado in Benton County with 13 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-08-26 | EF4 | 4.7 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1961-04-23 | EF3 | 87.7 mi | 800 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-31 | EF3 | 9.4 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-18 | EF3 | 4.3 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-18 | EF3 | 4.3 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1966-04-19 | EF3 | 27.1 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 4.9 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 1.7 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-17 | EF2 | 4.0 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-17 | EF2 | 1.6 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 1965 | F4 | 1 | 17 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 17, 2016 | VINTON | EF2 | 0 | 5 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2025 | SHELLSBURG | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | KEYSTONE | EF1 | $0 |
| Sep 26, 2023 | GARRISON | EFU | $0 |
| Sep 22, 2023 | BLAIRSTOWN | EFU | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | CHENEY | EFU | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | CHENEY | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | VINTON | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 6, 2022 | GARRISON | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | VINTON | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | SHELLSBURG | EFU | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Benton County
- Thunderstorm Wind 361
- Hail 275
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado developed on the leading edge of a rapidly advancing and intensifying squall line. Witnesses described seeing a funnel cloud and debris as the tornado approached. The tornado tracked through a neighborhood outside Urbana, unroofing a home, destroying 2 other garages, and causing less damage to about 9 homes.
A tornado began in Tama County and crossed into Benton County, just south of Dysart, around 6:08 pm CST. As the tornado entered Benton County, the max width was around 560 yards. This includes the main tornado and satellite vortices, which are supported by video evidence. The tornado caused damage to trees and farm outbuildings at a farmstead just over the county line. This damage was rated EF-1, with maximum winds around 100 mph. The tornado then followed an intermittent path to the east-northeast for about 4.5 miles through rural areas, before dissipating.
Emergency management confirmed that a brief tornado touchdown occurred in a field. No damage occurred. Emergency manager confirmed video taken of the tornado shows the location and full duration of just less than 30 seconds before lifting. This tornado was seen by a large area that afternoon and was reported by numerous funnel cloud reports.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Benton County, Iowa?
46 tornado events are recorded in Benton County between 1965 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Benton County?
The strongest tornado on record in Benton County measured F4.
Where does the tornado 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
“Tornado in Benton County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/benton-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.