150
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$117K
Property damage
Hail in Buena Vista County, Iowa: 150 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 3. That places the county #924 nationally and #39 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Hail in Buena Vista County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for hail in Buena Vista County is the 2000s, when 60 of the county's 150 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Buena Vista County archive, hail makes up 39.7% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #924 for this hazard and #39 within Iowa, putting it in the 70.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for hail in Buena Vista County with 50 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | ALTA | 1 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | NEWELL | 1.25 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2023 | ALBERT CITY | 0.75 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2023 | ALBERT CITY | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2023 | REMBRANDT | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2023 | ALTA | 1.75 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2023 | TRUESDALE | 1.25 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2023 | ALTA | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2023 | TRUESDALE | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2021 | STORM LAKE ARPT | 1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Buena Vista County
- Thunderstorm Wind 129
- Flood 48
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Small hail accumulated up to six inches. Damage was mainly to tomato and other garden plants. Although corn was exposed to the hail, little damage occurred as the growing point of the corn plants had not yet emerged to the surface.
Considerable dime- to nickel-sized hail fell during a five-minute period accompanied by 40 to 50 mph winds. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Small hail accumulated up to six inches. Damage was mainly to tomato and other garden plants. Although corn was exposed to the hail, little damage occurred as the growing point of the corn plants had not yet emerged to the surface.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many hail events are on record in Buena Vista County, Iowa?
150 hail events are recorded in Buena Vista County between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest hail recorded in Buena Vista County?
The strongest hail on record in Buena Vista County measured 3.
Where does the hail data for Buena Vista County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Hail in Buena Vista County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/buena-vista-county/hail/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.