142
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Iowa: 142 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 91. That places the county #1,633 nationally and #52 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Franklin County is the 2000s, when 47 of the county's 142 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 Franklin County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 38.8% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,633 for this hazard and #52 within Iowa, putting it in the 48.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Franklin County with 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2025 | HAMPTON | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 2025 | HANSELL | 53 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 2025 | CHAPIN | 55 | $15K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | HAMPTON MUNI ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | HAMPTON | 56 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | HAMPTON MUNI ARPT | 56 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | BEEDS LAKE ARPT | 61 | $75K |
| Jun 5, 2022 | HAMPTON MUNI ARPT | 51 | $0 |
| May 31, 2022 | BRADFORD | 54 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 2022 | ACKLEY | 55 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Franklin County
- Hail 124
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Swath of wind damage that began in far NE Wright County broadened and strengthened as it entered NW Franklin County. An EF1 tornado was embedded within this wind damage. Wind gusts of 70-80 mph were found in a 1 to 2 mile wide and 4 to 5 mile long corridor, with locally higher gusts over 100 mph. One house lost half of its roof and multiple outbuildings were destroyed. One hog confinement building disintegrated–its remnants scattered for over 2 miles to the south. Damage point is at the house that lost its roof. Hog building was 1.5 miles SE of this point.
Emergency manager reported a large machine shed partially destroyed, partial roof damage, a hog building with door damage and tin ripped up, and grain storage bins with damage to 2 doors. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar.
The Franklin County Emergency Manager reported 18 to 24 inch diameter trees snapped off at the base in and near the town of Chapin. Power lines were also down in the town of Chapin. Some outbuildings and grain bins were also damaged outside of town. Two large trees were on a house at 230th street.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Franklin County, Iowa?
142 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Franklin County between 1961 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Franklin County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Franklin County measured 91.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Franklin 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 Franklin County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/franklin-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.