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Des Moines County, Iowa severe weather history spans 492 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #902 nationally and #33 in Iowa.
492
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
31
Direct injuries
$30.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Des Moines County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Des Moines County, Iowa severe weather history averages 6.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 161 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 53 events fall before 1990 and 439 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is hail, with $14.5M 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 Des Moines County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 238 | 0 | $980K | 78 | 1969–2026 |
| Hail | 122 | 0 | $14.5M | 4 | 1965–2024 |
| Flood | 51 | 0 | $6.2M | 0 | 2001–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 33 | 0 | $4.2M | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Tornado | 24 | 0 | $4.8M | F3 | 1954–2024 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $177K | 0 | 1996–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $10K | 2.5 | 2003–2009 |
Decade by decade
Des Moines County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-08-25 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 41.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-04-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 32.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-01-24 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1966-05-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Des Moines County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 27 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 19, 2010 | Lightning | BURLINGTON | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Jun 18, 2010 | Lightning | LENOX PARK | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 5, 2001 | Lightning | WEST BURLINGTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 26, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rains resulted in the flash flooding of parts of Des Moines County during the early morning hours of May 12. The Burlington area and locations north were some of the hardest hit areas. The flood waters were 10 to 12 inches deep south of Agency Road. In addition, the intersection of Highway 61 and Roosevelt Avenue was flooded with some vehicles stalled out in the flood waters. Several homes and businesses had water in basements with some flooded with over 7 feet of water. Parts of Tama Road and Plank Road were washed out. In other areas, landslides spilled onto some streets. Several businesses along Jefferson Street also sustained flood damage and loss of property.
The Skunk River near Augusta, IA experienced major flooding from the evening of September 13 to the late afternoon of September 15. It crested near 21.4 feet during the evening of September 14. The major flood stage level is 20.0 feet.
An EF1 tornado touched down briefly on the northwest side of the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant and tracked southeast for about 3 miles. Trees, roofs, outbuildings, power poles, and vehicles were damaged along the path. The maximum wind was estimated at 95 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
38,487
Population (ACS)
$137K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Flood | FLOODING | 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 |
| Oct 31, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Burlington 124
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Des Moines County, Iowa?
492 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $30.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Des Moines County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 238 recorded events — 48.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Des Moines County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Des Moines County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Des Moines County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Des Moines County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Des Moines County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 56 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Des Moines 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
- Delaware County 465
- Dickinson County 487
- Decatur County 311
- Dubuque County 700
- Davis County 276
- Emmet County 374
Cite this page
“Des Moines County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/des-moines-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.