238
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$980K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Des Moines County, Iowa: 238 recorded events between 1969 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #755 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Des Moines County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Des Moines County is the 2000s, when 65 of the county's 238 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 Des Moines County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 48.4% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #755 for this hazard and #17 within Iowa, putting it in the 75.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Des Moines County with 77 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | (BRL)BURLINGTON MUNI | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2025 | BURLINGTON ARPT | 70 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | BEAVERDALE | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | (BRL)BURLINGTON MUNI | 53 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | BEAVERDALE | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | BEAVERDALE | 78 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | BEAVERDALE | 70 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | KINGSTON | 67 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | (BRL)BURLINGTON MUNI | 54 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | BURLINGTON | 65 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Des Moines County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down a four foot diameter tree across Dumbell Lake Rd about 3 miles north of Burlington, IA around 340 am June 18. Several dozen additional large tree limbs were also blown down in the same area. In addition, a 100 foot tall tree fell onto a mobile home on Dumbell Lake Road. A garage on Tama Road was also damaged by a fallen tree limb.
The southern part of the bow echo or perhaps a new bow echo moved across Des Moines County from Henry County. A large number of trees were downed along with power poles with some trees as big as 2 to 4 feet in diameter with the main damage in West Burlington and Burlington. Radar data does indicate the stronger winds were along and north of the apex of the main bow in Louisa County. Tornado like damage was reported in Beaverdale with a funnel cloud reported 1S of Beaverdale. The following times have been established based on radar data (all CST); Pleasant Grove 1129-1139, Mediapolis 1136-1146, Danville 1138-1148, Beaverdale 1143-1153, West Burlington 1148-1158, Burlington 1155-1205.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph damaged a farmstead near Middletown, IA around 150 pm August 19. A truck top lofted by the winds partially punctured a wall. Also, the residence sustained roof damage and some of the crops were flattened. This report was relayed by the Burlington Hawkeye.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Des Moines County, Iowa?
238 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Des Moines County between 1969 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Des Moines County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Des Moines County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Des Moines 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 Des Moines County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/des-moines-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.