129
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$939K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Buena Vista County, Iowa: 129 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 82. That places the county #1,806 nationally and #64 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Buena Vista County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Buena Vista County is the 2000s, when 45 of the county's 129 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, thunderstorm wind makes up 34.1% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,806 for this hazard and #64 within Iowa, putting it in the 42.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Buena Vista County with 32 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2018 | LINN GROVE | 45 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 1994 | Lakeside | 50 | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Aug 9, 2010 | STORM LAKE ARPT | 61 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2025 | STORM LAKE ARPT | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 2025 | TRUESDALE | 53 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 2025 | STORM LAKE | 70 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 2025 | STORM LAKE | 61 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 2025 | ALTA | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | TRUESDALE | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | TRUESDALE | 53 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | JUNIATA | 50 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | LINN GROVE | 74 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | TRUESDALE | 74 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Buena Vista County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a manufacturing plant, damaged docks and boats along the lake, caused widespread tree damage including numerous large trees blown down, blew down power lines and poles, resulting in power outages, damaged or destroyed several small sheds, blew down several awnings on businesses, snapped a 4 inch by 4 inch street sign pole, and blew shingles off roofs. Numerous vehicles, homes, and businesses sustained minor damage directly from the wind, while other vehicles and homes were damaged by falling trees and tree debris, some heavily.
Tree, power line, and roof damage occurred along business Highway 71. Most roof damage was to metal roofing and building soffits, with one building suffering the collapse of an unsupported cinder block wall. Several semi-trucks were tipped over. A large hardwood tree trunk was snapped off above the ground.
Saturated ground along with sub-severe thunderstorm winds caused a large tree to fall on a vehicle. Two persons were injured, with one person requiring extrication from the vehicle, followed by transport by flight for medical treatment of severe injuries.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Buena Vista County, Iowa?
129 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Buena Vista County between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Buena Vista County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Buena Vista County measured 82.
Where does the thunderstorm wind 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Buena Vista County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/buena-vista-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.