188
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$5.1M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Clay County, Iowa: 188 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 91. That places the county #1,142 nationally and #33 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Clay County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Clay County is the 2010s, when 52 of the county's 188 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 Clay County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 28.4% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,142 for this hazard and #33 within Iowa, putting it in the 63.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Clay County with 60 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 6, 2008 | ROSSIE | 69 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2026 | WEBB | 63 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | (3SE)SPENCER MUNI AR | 80 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | SPENCER | 74 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2025 | SPENCER | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 2025 | WEBB | 51 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | WEBB | 59 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 2025 | FOSTORIA | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | SPENCER | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | SPENCER | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2024 | (3SE)SPENCER MUNI AR | 65 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Clay County
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, power pole, and power line damage along a path around 20 miles long and roughly 5 miles wide. Numerous trees were blown down, some blocking roads, forcing law enforcement to close all roads leading to Everly. Damage to structures was also reported, including shingles blown off roofs, siding damaged, and several small outbuildings and other rural structures destroyed or heavily damaged. Power outages resulted in Everly and in several rural areas. Besides Everly and Webb, the communities of Greenville and Rossie were also affected. The winds also contributed to damage caused by accompanying large hail, and blew the hail into drifts. The amount of crop damage was not known.
Thunderstorms moved across northeast Iowa throughout the night. In what appeared to be a downburst situation, high winds struck a farm near Edgewood. A narrow path could be seen in the fields surrounding the farm. The farmstead that sustained damage reported one barn blown down by the winds. Sixty head of cattle were within the barn, 12 of them were killed in the collapse. The garage was pulled away from the farm house and toys were strewn across the fields downwind. A chopper box was also overturned.
Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage, with several streets blocked by fallen trees. Some vehicles were damaged by tree debris. The winds tore a wall and part of the roof from a racquet club building. Power lines and poles were blown down, resulting in a one hour power outage which affected almost all of the city of Spencer.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Clay County, Iowa?
188 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Clay County between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Clay County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Clay County measured 91.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/clay-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.