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Benton County, Iowa severe weather history spans 752 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #342 nationally and #10 in Iowa.
752
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
25
Direct injuries
$22.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Benton County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Benton County, Iowa severe weather history averages 11.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 305 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 66 events fall before 1990 and 686 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Benton County, Iowa record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $10.1M 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 Benton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 361 | 1 | $5.0M | 126 | 1961–2025 |
| Hail | 275 | 0 | $2.9M | 4 | 1963–2026 |
| Tornado | 46 | 1 | $4.0M | F4 | 1965–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 25 | 0 | $560K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 16 | 0 | $10.1M | 0 | 1998–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 15 | 0 | $0 | 2.95 | 2000–2011 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2020 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $500 | 0 | 2006–2006 |
Decade by decade
Benton County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
52 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-08-26 | EF4 | 1 | 17 | 4.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-04-23 | EF3 | 1 | 12 | 87.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-18 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-31 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-18 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 27.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-17 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-17 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Benton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 1965 | Tornado | 1 | 17 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 16, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | WALFORD | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2016 | Tornado | VINTON | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 14, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | VAN HORNE | 0 | 1 | $150K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Wind gusts estimated to be 120 mph caused significant damage throughout the town of Vinton, IA at 500 am CDT July 11. Hundreds of trees and power lines were blown down throughout the area and several cars and buildings were damaged. The Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School was heavily damaged. The Old Main building on campus will need a new roof. A smokestack at the hospital was blown off punching a gaping hole in the side of the rehabilitation center. Several buildings in Vinton sustained massive damage, including the A.S.A.C. building, Kruger's Barber Shop, the Pioneer Seed building, Mickey's Bar, Phillips funeral home and the Hummel Apartments.
Wind gusts estimated to be 120 mph caused significant damage in Garrison, IA around 455 am CDT July 11. The fire station was destroyed. The roof of the library blew off. About 80 percent of the structures in town were damaged with significant damage to about 20 percent of them.
Wind gusts estimated to be 80 mph ripped the roof off of the Urbana Elementary School in Urbana, IA around 510 am CDT July 11. Several other businesses were also damaged in the Becca Industrial Park, including Buresh Arch Millwork, Borlaug Systems, and PalTech Enterprises.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,724
Population (ACS)
$208K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | DR |
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 31, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 31, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 2, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Vinton 122
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Benton County, Iowa?
752 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $22.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Benton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 361 recorded events — 48.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Benton County?
52 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 45 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Benton County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Benton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Benton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benton County as very low risk, placing it in the 29 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Benton 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
- Audubon County 269
- Black Hawk County 861
- Appanoose County 408
- Boone County 593
- Allamakee County 308
- Bremer County 393
Cite this page
“Benton County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/benton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.