174
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$5.7M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Fayette County, Iowa: 174 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #1,279 nationally and #40 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Fayette County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Fayette County is the 2010s, when 43 of the county's 174 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 Fayette County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 39.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,279 for this hazard and #40 within Iowa, putting it in the 59.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Fayette County with 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2011 | WADENA | 50 | 0 | 6 | $3K |
| Aug 24, 2021 | OELWEIN | 52 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Aug 7, 1996 | ELGIN | 52 | 0 | 1 | $30K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2025 | OELWEIN | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | OELWEIN MUNI ARPT | 51 | $0 |
| Jun 12, 2025 | OELWEIN | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 12, 2024 | WAUCOMA | 50 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | WEST UNION | 65 | $175K |
| May 21, 2024 | OELWEIN | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2023 | OELWEIN | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2021 | OELWEIN | 52 | $50K |
| Aug 24, 2021 | OELWEIN MUNI ARPT | 50 | $10K |
| Aug 10, 2021 | WEST UNION | 40 | $15K |
Other hazards here
More from Fayette County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A path of wind damage occurred across southern Fayette County. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, several roofs were blown off farm buildings, metal corn bins were caved in and pieces of siding and roofing were strewn throughout farm fields. One home was destroyed, 17 farms received major damage and 10 cows were killed.
Barns were blown down near Westgate with tin strewn across a road. Another barn was blown down with cattle trapped inside the debris, two of which died. Part of a roof was blown off a building used for milking, exposing an office, with the rain soaking office supplies and computers. On the same farm, part of free stall barn was ripped off and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in town and a church roof sustained damage from the high winds. Some of the trees were 2 to 4 feet in diameter and were either uprooted or snapped off about 20 feet above the ground. Two grain bins were blown over and landed on a building and a truck.
A two mile long path of destruction occurred from approximately 150th Street and S and U Avenues. Numerous barns, bins and outbuildings were demolished. One farm north of Sumner was hit particularly hard. The residence sustained damage and its attached garage was ripped away, with two vehicles in the garage a total loss. Also, a mobile home was severely damaged. Approximately 600 acres of corn and soybeans were shredded by the hail and wind, with crop damage totals nearly a half of a million dollars.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Fayette County, Iowa?
174 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Fayette County between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Fayette County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Fayette County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Fayette 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 Fayette County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/fayette-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.