Carroll County, Iowa severe weather history spans 461 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 43.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,014 nationally and #40 in Iowa.
461
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
89
Direct injuries
$11.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Carroll County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Carroll County, Iowa severe weather history averages 6.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 153 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 48 events fall before 1990 and 413 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $4.8M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Carroll County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 201 | 0 | $3.5M | 83 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 143 | 0 | $414K | 2.75 | 1960–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 42 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2008–2023 |
| Tornado | 34 | 0 | $4.8M | F4 | 1957–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 1996–2016 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $690K | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $372K | 0 | 1996–2010 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2024 |
Decade by decade
Carroll County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
35 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 35 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-27 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 36.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-08-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-05-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 23.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Carroll County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2003 | Hail | BREDA | 0 | 88 | $2K |
| May 30, 2008 | Lightning | CARROLL | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado damaged 3 farmsteads in southern Carroll County as it moved east from near Templeton toward Dedham. A machine shed was completely destroyed and numerous outbuildings sustained damage. Widespread tree damage was also reported.
An EF1 tornado was on the ground for a brief time with a path length of 2.5 miles due east. Width was up to 100 yards with peak wind estimated at around 95 mph. A roof was blown off a hog confinement building and Morton building with other damage in between.
This tornado formed on the leading edge of a QLCS and damaged mostly trees and crops along its path. One small open farm structure was destroyed. A distinct path was noted through corn fields. Track also found and extended into Greene county using high resolution satellite imagery.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
20,594
Population (ACS)
$176K
Median home value
17
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 2, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Feb 25, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| May 27, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Carroll County, Iowa?
461 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $11.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Carroll County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 201 recorded events — 43.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Carroll County?
35 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 35 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Carroll County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Carroll County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Carroll County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Carroll County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 58 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Carroll County, Iowa severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Calhoun County 370
- Cass County 550
- Butler County 509
- Cedar County 498
- Buena Vista County 378
- Cerro Gordo County 605
Cite this page
“Carroll County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/carroll-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.