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Marion County, Iowa severe weather history spans 710 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 33.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #385 nationally and #11 in Iowa.
710
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
31
Direct injuries
$133.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Marion County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Marion County, Iowa severe weather history averages 10.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 310 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 50 events fall before 1990 and 660 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $122.8M 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 Marion County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 236 | 0 | $3.6M | 87 | 1971–2025 |
| Hail | 196 | 0 | $770K | 4 | 1957–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 107 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Flood | 63 | 0 | $3.6M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 47 | 0 | $122.8M | F2 | 1962–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 0 | $2.1M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 17 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $127K | 0 | 2004–2024 |
Decade by decade
Marion County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
46 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 35 touched down inside it and 11 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-19 | EF3 | 0 | 13 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-22 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 39.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1966-10-14 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 29.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 19.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-09-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-04-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 15.3 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Marion County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2018 | Tornado | PELLA | 0 | 13 | $120.0M |
| May 30, 2008 | Tornado | COLUMBIA | 0 | 10 | $750K |
| Jun 28, 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 6 | $0 | |
| Aug 20, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | RED ROCK | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Nov 11, 2015 | Tornado | KNOXVILLE ARPT | 0 | 1 | $350K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado developed about 3 miles north of Pella and moved southeast for its entire length. The tornado initially remained in rural areas just north and northeast of the town producing crop, tree and minor structural damage to houses. The tornado began to intensify just northeast of town and shifted a house off of its foundation. The tornado then encountered the Vermeer facility on the east side of town producing EF3 damage to one of the large buildings along with tossing numerous cars about the facility. 13 injuries occurred at the Vermeer facility with 6 requiring transport to the hospital. The tornado then turned slightly eastward before passing into Mahaska county.
Several homes were damaged or destroyed, two mobile homes were destroyed. Considerable tree damage was reported. The EF2 damage occurred in the Attica area, along with 10 injuries. The tornado moved out of Marion County into Mahaska County.
Law Enforcement reported Iowa Highway 92 remained closed due to water flowing over it, west of Pleasantville. In addition several secondary roads across the county remain closed with water flowing over them. Around 200 to 300 homes in the Pleasantville area had some degree of water damage as well.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
33,642
Population (ACS)
$233K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 12, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jul 31, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 31, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 29, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Knoxville 150
- Tracy 143
- Bussey 110
- Pella 110
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Marion County, Iowa?
710 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $133.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Marion County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 236 recorded events — 33.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Marion County?
46 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 Marion County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Marion County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Marion County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County as very low risk, placing it in the 34 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Marion 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
- Mahaska County 428
- Marshall County 528
- Madison County 402
- Mills County 329
- Lyon County 436
- Mitchell County 290
Cite this page
“Marion County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/marion-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.