223
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$3.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa: 223 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 81. That places the county #854 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Cerro Gordo County is the 2010s, when 68 of the county's 223 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 Cerro Gordo County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 36.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #854 for this hazard and #20 within Iowa, putting it in the 72.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Cerro Gordo County with 61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 1991 | 50 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jun 15, 1997 | CLEAR LAKE | 55 | 0 | 4 | $40K |
| Aug 15, 2007 | SWALEDALE | 61 | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Aug 28, 2018 | THORNTON | 56 | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Jul 4, 2003 | CLEAR LAKE | 52 | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Aug 4, 1996 | MASON CITY | 50 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Aug 4, 1996 | MASON CITY | 50 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Jun 7, 1995 | Mason City Airport | 50 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2025 | VENTURA | 61 | $50K |
| Jul 29, 2025 | VENTURA | 56 | $10K |
| Jul 28, 2025 | ROCK FALLS | 58 | $10K |
| Jul 28, 2025 | MASON CITY | 62 | $20K |
| Jul 28, 2025 | (MCW)MASON CITY MUNI | 62 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2025 | (MCW)MASON CITY MUNI | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2024 | CLEAR LAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2024 | VENTURA | 50 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | (MCW)MASON CITY MUNI | 63 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | ROCKWELL | 61 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cerro Gordo County
- Hail 184
- Heavy Rain 76
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency manager reported multiple tree limbs down throughout the town of Mason City. Some have fallen on power lines or are blocking roads. A few power poles snapped as well. Power out in multiple locations. Time estimated by radar.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa?
223 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Cerro Gordo County between 1956 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Cerro Gordo County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Cerro Gordo County measured 81.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/cerro-gordo-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.