47
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
24
Direct injuries
$122.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Marion County, Iowa: 47 recorded events between 1962 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #432 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Marion County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Marion County is the 2000s, when 11 of the county's 47 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 Marion County archive, tornado makes up 6.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #432 for this hazard and #17 within Iowa, putting it in the 85.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Marion County with 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-19 | EF3 | 9.2 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-22 | EF3 | 11.1 mi | 575 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF3 | 39.0 mi | 0 yd | Crossed in |
| 1966-10-14 | EF3 | 29.5 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-30 | EF2 | 19.2 mi | 900 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-09-30 | EF2 | 21.9 mi | 1,250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-05 | EF2 | 1.9 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-22 | EF2 | 6.4 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-28 | EF2 | 11.7 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-04-04 | EF1 | 15.3 mi | 130 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2018 | PELLA | EF3 | 0 | 13 | $120.0M |
| May 30, 2008 | COLUMBIA | EF2 | 0 | 10 | $750K |
| Nov 11, 2015 | KNOXVILLE ARPT | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $350K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2024 | PERSHING | EF0 | $8K |
| May 13, 2023 | DONNELLY | EF0 | $2K |
| May 13, 2023 | NEPAS | EFU | $0 |
| May 13, 2023 | DURHAM | EF0 | $1K |
| May 13, 2023 | FLAGLER | EF0 | $10K |
| May 13, 2023 | FLAGLER | EFU | $0 |
| May 13, 2023 | PLEASANTVILLE | EF0 | $1K |
| Apr 4, 2023 | NEPAS | EF1 | $40K |
| Jun 20, 2021 | PELLA MUNI ARPT | EF1 | $10K |
| Aug 20, 2019 | TRACY | EF1 | $15K |
Other hazards here
More from Marion County
- Thunderstorm Wind 236
- Hail 196
- Heavy Rain 107
- Flood 63
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado developed about 3 miles north of Pella and moved southeast for its entire length. The tornado initially remained in rural areas just north and northeast of the town producing crop, tree and minor structural damage to houses. The tornado began to intensify just northeast of town and shifted a house off of its foundation. The tornado then encountered the Vermeer facility on the east side of town producing EF3 damage to one of the large buildings along with tossing numerous cars about the facility. 13 injuries occurred at the Vermeer facility with 6 requiring transport to the hospital. The tornado then turned slightly eastward before passing into Mahaska county.
Several homes were damaged or destroyed, two mobile homes were destroyed. Considerable tree damage was reported. The EF2 damage occurred in the Attica area, along with 10 injuries. The tornado moved out of Marion County into Mahaska County.
Tornado moved into Marion County from Warren County. The tornado remained in rural portions of the county south and east of Pleasantville with the tornado lifting just southwest of Otley. Several rural residences received light damage with much tree damage along the path.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Marion County, Iowa?
47 tornado events are recorded in Marion County between 1962 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Marion County?
The strongest tornado on record in Marion County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Marion 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 Marion County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/marion-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.