57
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
38
Direct injuries
$258.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Woodbury County, Iowa: 57 recorded events between 1953 and 2022. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #279 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Woodbury County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Woodbury County is the 2000s, when 16 of the county's 57 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 Woodbury County archive, tornado makes up 6.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #279 for this hazard and #7 within Iowa, putting it in the 90.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Woodbury County with 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-10-04 | EF4 | 24.7 mi | 2,600 yd | Touched down here |
| 1986-07-28 | EF4 | 52.5 mi | 73 yd | Crossed in |
| 1994-07-05 | EF3 | 1.8 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1979-05-08 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-05 | EF3 | 67.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-06-18 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 8.4 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-10-04 | EF2 | 26.6 mi | 264 yd | Crossed in |
| 1983-09-05 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 127 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-22 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 1973 | F2 | 2 | 10 | $250K | |
| May 6, 1964 | F3 | 0 | 7 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 18, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| May 8, 1979 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| May 8, 1979 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Jun 7, 1971 | F0 | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Jun 16, 1977 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Mar 21, 1953 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $3K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2022 | SERGEANT BLUFF | EFU | $0 |
| Dec 15, 2021 | MOVILLE | EF1 | $200K |
| Dec 15, 2021 | BRONSON | EF2 | $500K |
| Dec 15, 2021 | SALIX | EF1 | $250K |
| Dec 15, 2021 | SALIX | EFU | $0 |
| Oct 4, 2013 | CLIMBING HILL | EF4 | $2.0M |
| Oct 4, 2013 | SLOAN | EF1 | $20K |
| Oct 4, 2013 | SLOAN | EF2 | $400K |
| Jul 6, 2008 | LEEDS | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 2008 | PIERSON | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Woodbury County
- Hail 369
- Thunderstorm Wind 339
- Flood 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado severely damaged or destroyed about 10 houses, collapsing most walls on a few of the houses, tearing most of the roofs off other houses, and shifting what was left of some houses off their foundations. The tornado caused significant damage to roofs, windows, and siding of additional houses. Numerous farm outbuildings, storage buildings, and a few silos were destroyed or severely damaged. The tornado also destroyed or damaged several pieces of farm equipment, caused significant tree damage, including numerous trunks snapped or uprooted and other trees stripped, and blew down power poles and lines. The tornado then crossed into Cherokee County.
A tornado, crossing into Woodbury County from Monona County Iowa, severely damaged at least two houses, collapsing two walls and blowing the roof off one of the houses. The tornado also destroyed or damaged numerous farm outbuildings and storage buildings, including several structures at a hog farm, and a large metal storage building. The tornado also destroyed open air buildings at a dairy farm. The tornado blew down power lines and poles, and caused considerable tree damage, including trees snapped off at their trunks. Corn crops were flattened in a few areas.
The tornado touched down near Buchanan Avenue between 230th and 240th streets and moved north northeast, impacting four farmsteads. One machine shed was completely destroyed with debris deposited about 1 mile downstream in an open field. Several other outbuildings were damaged along the track along with a few trees. The tornado lifted just east of the intersection of Old Highway 141 and County Home Road. The average path width was 50 yards and the maximum estimated wind speed was 105 mph. Property damage costs are a rough estimate.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Woodbury County, Iowa?
57 tornado events are recorded in Woodbury County between 1953 and 2022, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Woodbury County?
The strongest tornado on record in Woodbury County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Woodbury 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 Woodbury County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/woodbury-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.