135
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.3M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Butler County, Iowa: 135 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 75. That places the county #1,731 nationally and #58 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Butler County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Butler County is the 2010s, when 52 of the county's 135 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 Butler County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 26.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,731 for this hazard and #58 within Iowa, putting it in the 44.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Butler County with 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2017 | PARKERSBURG | 65 | 1 | 0 | $60K |
| May 17, 2017 | APLINGTON | 65 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2025 | SHELL ROCK | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | CLARKSVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | DUMONT | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2025 | AREDALE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | ALLISON MUNI ARPT | 52 | $10K |
| Jul 29, 2025 | WILMAR | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2025 | ALLISON | 52 | $3K |
| May 24, 2024 | SHELL ROCK | 50 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | GREENE | 61 | $50K |
| May 21, 2024 | GREENE | 61 | $15K |
Other hazards here
More from Butler County
- Hail 172
- Flood 67
- Heavy Rain 66
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Coop observer reported very high winds estimated at over 70 mph. Power reported out in Parkersburg, semi overturned on Highway 57 resulting in one fatality, and numerous tree limbs down on roads. A 3 foot diameter tree also downed in Parkersburg.
Numerous trees and power lines down throughout town. Worst trees damage was on the southern and western side of town. Most trees in this region sustained limb damage or were snapped. Winds lasted six minutes based on spotter account. The falling trees damaged several houses, buildings, and power lines.
A machine shed was blown down on top of a person, who was extricated and taken to the hospital. A building in Greene collapsed and caused a gas leak. Widespread tree damage and numerous trees down, power lines down and building damage throughout the western half of the county.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Butler County, Iowa?
135 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Butler County between 1958 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Butler County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Butler County measured 75.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Butler 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 Butler County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/butler-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.