56
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$41.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Hamilton County, Iowa: 56 recorded events between 1963 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #292 nationally and #9 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Hamilton County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Hamilton County is the 2010s, when 14 of the county's 56 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 Hamilton County archive, tornado makes up 12.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #292 for this hazard and #9 within Iowa, putting it in the 89.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Hamilton County with 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-05-24 | EF4 | 66.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2005-11-12 | EF3 | 17.6 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-20 | EF3 | 116.1 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 12.1 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 16.3 mi | 125 yd | Crossed in |
| 1991-05-17 | EF2 | 9.0 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-03-13 | EF2 | 22.0 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 1979-06-28 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 177 yd | Touched down here |
| 1979-06-28 | EF2 | 7.2 mi | 350 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-06-22 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 2005 | STRATFORD | F3 | 1 | 3 | $11.7M |
| Jun 29, 1979 | F2 | 0 | 10 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | ELLSWORTH | EF1 | $80K |
| Apr 7, 2024 | WILLIAMS | EFU | $0 |
| Dec 16, 2021 | HOMER | EF0 | $70K |
| Dec 16, 2021 | STANHOPE | EF0 | $10K |
| Dec 15, 2021 | STRATFORD | EF2 | $180K |
| Dec 15, 2021 | STRATFORD | EF2 | $100K |
| Jul 14, 2021 | STANHOPE | EF1 | $10K |
| Jul 14, 2021 | STRATFORD | EF0 | $2K |
| Jul 19, 2018 | DUNCOMBE | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 1, 2014 | WILLIAMS | EF0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Hamilton County
- Hail 149
- Thunderstorm Wind 134
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado entered Hamilton County from Webster County just south of Stratford and passed just south and east of town. This produced tree damage and completely destroyed an outbuilding northeast of town. The tornado continued to produce damage northeast of Stratford to outbuildings and trees before entering the Boone River valley and dissipating south several miles south of Webster City.
This tornado entered Hamilton County from Webster County. The tornado produced damage to multiple large utility poles along several county roads to the south and east of Stratford. The tornado finally lifted northwest of Stanhope as it approached the Boone River valley.
Brief tornado formed about 4 miles southwest of Kamrar and moved east southeast for its entire length. The tornado destroyed 3 grain bins at a farmstead along with crop damage. Tornado was found and rated using high resolution satellite imagery.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Hamilton County, Iowa?
56 tornado events are recorded in Hamilton County between 1963 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Hamilton County?
The strongest tornado on record in Hamilton County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Hamilton 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 Hamilton County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/hamilton-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.