175
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$21.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Iowa: 175 recorded events between 1964 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 107. That places the county #1,268 nationally and #39 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Washington County is the 2000s, when 51 of the county's 175 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 Washington County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 47.2% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,268 for this hazard and #39 within Iowa, putting it in the 59.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Washington County with 42 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | BRIGHTON | 70 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | KALONA | 65 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | KALONA ARPT | 70 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | RICHMOND | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | WASHINGTON ARPT | 60 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | WASHINGTON | 54 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | RUBIO | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | AINSWORTH | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | BRIGHTON | 65 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | CRAWFORDSVILLE | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Washington County
- Hail 101
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Several small trees and branches were down in the streets of Brighton. Some smaller branches were of unknown diameter were down in streets. Winds were estimated at 60 MPH. This was a delayed report with the time estimated from local radar data.
A few 20 to 25 inch diameter trees were uprooted. Roof damage to a structure was reported. Numerous tree branches up to 10 inches in diameter were down. This was a delayed report with time estimated from 720 to 740 PM.
Storm cut a swath across northern Washington County from 3.4 miles west of Riverside to 1.9 miles north of Riverside. The initial damage occurred halfway between Riverside and Kalona with 18 inch diameter limbs down and corn in the fields flattened. Radar data indicates that sporatic to near continuous damage to corn fields likely occurred from this point until the storm entered into southeast Johnson County.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Washington County, Iowa?
175 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Washington County between 1964 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Washington County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Washington County measured 107.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Washington 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 Washington County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/washington-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.