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Dallas County, Iowa severe weather history spans 964 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 36.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #160 nationally and #5 in Iowa.
964
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$24.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Dallas County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dallas County, Iowa severe weather history averages 13.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 438 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 71 events fall before 1990 and 893 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $9.2M 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 Dallas County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 350 | 0 | $9.2M | 90 | 1962–2025 |
| Hail | 249 | 0 | $823K | 3 | 1970–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 140 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Flood | 83 | 0 | $6.6M | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Tornado | 58 | 0 | $4.5M | F3 | 1955–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 53 | 0 | $2.0M | 0 | 1998–2022 |
| Funnel Cloud | 19 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2024 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 2007–2022 |
Decade by decade
Dallas County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
59 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 52 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-04-08 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 56.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-27 | EF4 | 0 | 2 | 57.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1959-05-10 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 41.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-06-13 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 17.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-11-12 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 14.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-29 | EF2 | 0 | 85 | 34.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-04-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-10-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dallas County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 2018 | Lightning | HADDEN HILL | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Tornado | GRANGER | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| May 23, 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | DAWSON | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency management and river gauges reported 8 to 10 foot rises on the Middle Raccoon and South Raccoon Rivers due to ice jams. Several county roads were impacts with road closures. Flooding was also reported along Highway 44 between Panora and Dallas Center from heavy rain and snowmelt. Portions of Walnut Creek were also just above bankfull from the rain and snowmelt.
Emergency manager reported numerous trees and power lines down throughout Dallas County. Cities affected include Adel, Dallas Center, Redfield, and Dexter. Tree limb also reported on the EM's roof. Time estimated from when storm hit Adel.
A tornado developed on the north edge of downtown Waukee and moved northwest, causing minor damage at a church and car dealership. The tornado also removed some shingles and roofing to a new house that was still under construction.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
107,968
Population (ACS)
$356K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 17, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | DR |
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 20, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Hadden Hill 190
- Adel 120
- Dallas Center 111
- Perry 100
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dallas County, Iowa?
964 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $24.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dallas County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 350 recorded events — 36.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dallas County?
59 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 52 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dallas County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dallas County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dallas County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dallas County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 61 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dallas 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
- Crawford County 443
- Davis County 276
- Clinton County 578
- Decatur County 311
- Clayton County 535
- Delaware County 465
Cite this page
“Dallas County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/dallas-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.