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Taylor County, Iowa severe weather history spans 442 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 37.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,091 nationally and #43 in Iowa.
442
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$28.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Taylor County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Taylor County, Iowa severe weather history averages 6.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 184 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 49 events fall before 1990 and 393 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $24.5M 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 Taylor County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 166 | 0 | $784K | 4 | 1957–2024 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 133 | 0 | $2.1M | 81 | 1956–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 67 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Tornado | 39 | 0 | $24.5M | F3 | 1954–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $285K | 0 | 2000–2019 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $280K | 0 | 1996–2011 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2021 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $187K | 0 | 1997–2007 |
Decade by decade
Taylor County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
37 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-21 | EF4 | 5 | 35 | 40.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF4 | 0 | 3 | 49.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-24 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 49.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-06-07 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 25.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-03-29 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 29.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-05 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-19 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 10.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1958-07-14 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 14.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-06-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Taylor County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $250K | |
| Apr 12, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 17, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | NEW MARKET | 0 | 1 | $40K |
| Jul 4, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bedford | 0 | 1 | $9K |
| Mar 30, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| May 6, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This was the second tornado to move through Lenox on this day. This tornado formed on the southwest edge of town and moved due north into town along State Highway 49. It removed a roof from an old house and produced tree damage along its path. Shortly after removing the roof, the tornado began moving to the northwest and continued on this path prior to dissipating northwest of town. Maximum winds around 95 mph.
This was the first of two tornadoes that moved through Lenox on this day. The tornado formed on south side of Lenox then proceeded to move through town. Worst damage was on the south side of town where a roof was partially removed from a house. Additional shingle damage and tree damage occurred as the tornado moved north northeast through the town. Max wind speeds were around 105 MPH.
Tree limbs up to 12 inches in diameter and power lines were down along a line from Bedford to Gravity. Extensive tree damage along Highway 2 around Bedford and a roof was blown off of a business in Bedford. Siding was stripped off of the north and west side of a house there.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,868
Population (ACS)
$117K
Median home value
14
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 14, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 29, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| May 27, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 4, 2008 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Bedford 126
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Taylor County, Iowa?
442 events are on record between 1954 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $28.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Taylor County?
Hail, with 166 recorded events — 37.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Taylor County?
37 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 31 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Taylor County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Taylor County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Taylor County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Taylor County as very low risk, placing it in the 38 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Taylor 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
- Tama County 431
- Union County 406
- Story County 1,100
- Van Buren County 327
- Sioux County 690
- Wapello County 594
Cite this page
“Taylor County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/taylor-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.