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Polk County, Iowa severe weather history spans 2,151 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 33.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #10 nationally and #1 in Iowa.
2,151
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
211
Direct injuries
$265.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Polk County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Polk County, Iowa severe weather history averages 30.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 917 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 189 events fall before 1990 and 1,962 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Polk County, Iowa record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $131.8M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Polk County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 729 | 1 | $75.3M | 104 | 1955–2025 |
| Hail | 670 | 0 | $15.2M | 3.25 | 1956–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 348 | 0 | $170K | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Flood | 150 | 0 | $23.4M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 118 | 3 | $17.9M | 50 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 68 | 2 | $131.8M | F4 | 1958–2024 |
| Lightning | 42 | 0 | $1.8M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 24 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Dust Devil | 2 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2004–2014 |
Decade by decade
Polk County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
78 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 62 touched down inside it and 16 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-05 | EF4 | 6 | 5 | 70.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-06-18 | EF4 | 2 | 50 | 15.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-28 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 39.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 40.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 32.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-06-29 | EF2 | 0 | 85 | 34.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Polk County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 50 | $25.0M | |
| Aug 11, 2010 | Flash Flood | SANTIAGO | 1 | 4 | $100K |
| Jul 1, 2018 | Flash Flood | ELKHART | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Jun 17, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | DES MOINES | 1 | 0 | $1K |
| Feb 19, 1997 | Flash Flood | DES MOINES | 1 | 0 | $30K |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Tornado | GRIMES | 0 | 83 | $10.0M |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | DES MOINES | 0 | 40 | $40.0M |
| Mar 14, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 15 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado passed from Warren county into Polk county near the intersection of Highway 69 and County Line Road. The tornado crossed E Pine Avenue removing the roof of a house and then clipped the north edge of Avon producing EF2 damage to a couple of houses. The tornado then crossed the Des Moines River and impacted the Woodland Hills neighborhood damaging muliple structures. The damage continued to the northeast into less inhabited areas of eastern Polk county, however the tornado remained strong with EF2 damage at several locations along its path. The tornado crossed University Avenue near its intersection with NE 112th Street and then exited the county into Jasper county.
This tornado developed within the east side of the Des Moines Metro area just northwest of Easter Lake. Initial damage reports include damage to trees and fences and then eventually roof damage as the tornado progressed to the northeast. The tornado passed just to the southeast of James Cownie Soccer Complex and crossed the Des Moines River near the Des Moines Wastewater Treatment Plant. The tornado then passed into Pleasant Hill with numerous reports of EF2 damage to several houses on the south side of town with widespread roof and wall damage. The tornado weakened to the northeast and eventually dissipated on the far south side of Altoona. This tornado produced one non-life threatening injury.
The tornado developed near the northwest I-35/80 urban loop and proceeded southeast through Urbandale, Windsor Heights, and into Des Moines, crossing I-235. Extensive tree damage occurred along the path along with damage to homes and power lines.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
503,175
Population (ACS)
$262K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 14, 2024 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Des Moines 428
- Ankeny 208
- West Des Moines 162
- Windsor Hgts 124
- Urbandale 120
- Lovington 114
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Polk County, Iowa?
2,151 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 6 direct deaths and $265.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Polk County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 729 recorded events — 33.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Polk County?
78 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 62 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Polk County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Polk County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Polk County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Polk County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Polk 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
- Pocahontas County 356
- Pottawattamie County 564
- Plymouth County 692
- Poweshiek County 371
- Palo Alto County 345
- Ringgold County 312
Cite this page
“Polk County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/polk-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.