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Clinton County, Iowa severe weather history spans 578 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #642 nationally and #21 in Iowa.
578
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
30
Direct injuries
$45.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Clinton County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clinton County, Iowa severe weather history averages 8.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 199 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 82 events fall before 1990 and 496 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Clinton County, Iowa record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $38.3M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Clinton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 288 | 0 | $2.5M | 113 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 141 | 0 | $996K | 4 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 52 | 1 | $38.3M | F4 | 1965–2026 |
| Flood | 43 | 1 | $3.2M | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 36 | 0 | $741K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $24K | 0 | 1996–2006 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2011 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Clinton County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
56 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 46 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 1 | 3 | 91.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-06-20 | EF3 | 1 | 20 | 10.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-05-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 32.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 18.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 19.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 34.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-07-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-07-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-11-09 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 13.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clinton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 20 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 24, 2000 | Flood | CLINTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2016 | Tornado | CLINTON MUNI ARPT | 0 | 3 | $50K |
| Apr 11, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 10, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Tornado | GRAND MOUND | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rains during the third week of June resulted in the Wapsipinicon River at De Witt going above the moderate flood stage level of 11.5 feet on June 17 around 630 am. After briefly falling back below 11.5 feet, it crested above the major flood stage around 13.2 feet around 7 pm June 22. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 7 pm June 28.
Heavy rains of 3 to 6 inches resulted in some flash flooding across much of Clinton County on August 27. Some areas particularly hard hit were De Witt, Welton, and Charlotte. Several residences experienced flooded basements. Two large trees fell over due to erosion from running water in De Witt. Street flooding was also common across the area. Old Highway 61 had water over it in the Welton area. Some residences in Charlotte had to be evacuated due to the rising flood waters. An off-duty NWS employee also contributed to this report.
Heavy rains during the second week of May resulted in the Wapsipinicon River at De Witt going above the moderate flood stage level of 11.5 feet on May 18 around 1 pm. It crested around 11.9 feet around 1 am May 21. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 1 am May 23.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
46,268
Population (ACS)
$161K
Median home value
23
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 |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 31, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 27, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Dewitt 128
- Clinton 115
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clinton County, Iowa?
578 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $45.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clinton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 288 recorded events — 49.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clinton County?
56 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 46 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clinton County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clinton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clinton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clinton County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 65 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clinton 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
- Clayton County 535
- Crawford County 443
- Clay County 663
- Dallas County 964
- Clarke County 355
- Davis County 276
Cite this page
“Clinton County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/clinton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.