117
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$923K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Cherokee County, Iowa: 117 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,976 nationally and #74 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Cherokee County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Cherokee County is the 2000s, when 27 of the county's 117 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 Cherokee County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 30.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,976 for this hazard and #74 within Iowa, putting it in the 37.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Cherokee County with 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2025 | MERIDEN | 70 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | CLEGHORN | 70 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | CLEGHORN | 65 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | MARCUS | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | CHEROKEE MUNI ARPT | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | CHEROKEE MUNI ARPT | 51 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | CHEROKEE | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | MERIDEN | 57 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | MARY HILL | 57 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | CLEGHORN | 55 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cherokee County
- Hail 162
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage, including several large trees blown down. Several homes and businesses were damaged by falling trees, and other had shingle and other roof damage. Several vehicles were also damaged by falling trees and tree debris. A storage shed full of sports equipment at the high school was destroyed, with the equipment damaged. Signs and power lines were blown down, and a power outage resulted. A semi was blown over near town.
Thunderstorm winds destroyed the Maryhill Catholic Church, a structure which had stood since being rebuilt in 1905 after a lightning strike and fire. The winds also blew a hog shed 200 yards off its foundation, blew down or uprooted several large trees, and blew down power lines.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Cherokee County, Iowa?
117 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Cherokee County between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Cherokee County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Cherokee County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/cherokee-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.