44
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
27
Direct injuries
$7.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Howard County, Iowa: 44 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #513 nationally and #25 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Howard County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Howard County is the 1960s, when 8 of the county's 44 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 Howard County archive, tornado makes up 14.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #513 for this hazard and #25 within Iowa, putting it in the 82.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Howard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-05-15 | EF5 | 62.1 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-10 | EF4 | 162.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-12 | EF4 | 10.9 mi | 1,320 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-05 | EF4 | 41.6 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-20 | EF3 | 116.1 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-06-11 | EF3 | 12.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-19 | EF3 | 23.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-22 | EF2 | 28.7 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-19 | EF2 | 8.5 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1968-05-15 | EF2 | 4.7 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F5 | 0 | 12 | $3K | |
| May 6, 1965 | F4 | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| Jul 12, 1971 | F4 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 22, 2011 | RICEVILLE | EF2 | 0 | 3 | $525K |
| May 10, 1953 | F4 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 17, 2026 | SARATOGA | EF0 | 0 | 1 | $55K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | SARATOGA | EF0 | $55K |
| Apr 13, 2022 | SARATOGA | EF0 | $340K |
| Apr 13, 2022 | RICEVILLE | EF1 | $25K |
| Dec 16, 2021 | SCHLEY | EF0 | $250K |
| Dec 16, 2021 | SCHLEY | EF0 | $600K |
| Dec 16, 2021 | ELMA | EF0 | $90K |
| Dec 16, 2021 | ELMA | EF0 | $90K |
| May 15, 2021 | SARATOGA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 27, 2019 | LIME SPGS | EF0 | $2K |
| May 27, 2019 | MAPLE LEAF | EF1 | $1.3M |
Other hazards here
More from Howard County
- Thunderstorm Wind 111
- Hail 97
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado formed over rural Howard County south of Saratoga and then traveled north-northeast before dissipating just before entering Lime Springs. The tornado struck and destroyed a wind turbine north of State Highway 9 and also destroyed a large farm building along Lilac Avenue.
This was the third tornado of the night in Howard County. This EF0 tornado formed west of Schley and move northeast before dissipating east of Davis Corners. This tornado removed the roof from a hog farm building, drove lumber through the side of a metal building and also damaged other outbuildings and trees. One house had broken windows and some damage from tree branches downed on it.
This tornado first caused some damage about 3 miles north of State Highway 9 north of Riceville. The tornado almost immediately strengthen to EF1 as it moved northeast. Several farms had outbuildings destroyed, widespread tree damage occurred and several homes had partial or complete roof damage. As the tornado passed south of Chester, it increased to its maximum width and strength. The tornado remained at EF2 strength as it crossed the state line into Fillmore County Minnesota. The tornado passed through rural portions of the county affecting around a dozen farms with only three minor injuries occurring. Around 850 customers were loss power as a result of the storms. Damages were estimated to be around $500 thousand.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Howard County, Iowa?
44 tornado events are recorded in Howard County between 1953 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Howard County?
The strongest tornado on record in Howard County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Howard 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 Howard County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/howard-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.