41
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$7.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Grundy County, Iowa: 41 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #598 nationally and #29 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Grundy County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Grundy County is the 2000s, when 15 of the county's 41 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 Grundy County archive, tornado makes up 11.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #598 for this hazard and #29 within Iowa, putting it in the 79.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Grundy County with 12 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-05-25 | EF5 | 41.0 mi | 2,100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-24 | EF4 | 66.0 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1989-05-30 | EF4 | 11.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1960-04-16 | EF3 | 29.8 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-28 | EF3 | 9.0 mi | 90 yd | Crossed in |
| 2001-05-10 | EF2 | 1.7 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-05-10 | EF2 | 8.0 mi | 875 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-07-02 | EF2 | 8.5 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-22 | EF2 | 20.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-31 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1952 | F2 | 1 | 2 | $200K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2025 | FERN | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2025 | HOLLAND | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2025 | WELLSBURG | EFU | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | WELLSBURG | EF1 | $50K |
| Mar 31, 2023 | WELLSBURG | EF1 | $50K |
| Nov 28, 2016 | GRUNDY CENTER ARPT | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 28, 2016 | FERN | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 1, 2014 | WELLSBURG | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2014 | REINBECK | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2014 | REINBECK | EF1 | $200K |
Other hazards here
More from Grundy County
- Thunderstorm Wind 120
- Hail 91
- Heavy Rain 50
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado touched down in open fields. Dust debris blown across highway 14 as it crossed. The track was intermittent and the tornado was reported to be multiple vortex at times with two tornadoes on the ground at one point northeast of Grundy Center.
A tornado developed in far northern Grundy County in rural areas southwest of Parkersburg. The tornado was documented by video as it traveled northeast. The funnel was diffuse and intermittent for much of it's track. The tornado crossed into Butler County.
Tornado evident in photographs from the public as well as flyover satellite data. This brief segment started shortly after the Reinbeck tornado ended. The tornado moved from Grundy into Tama county. This is the first segment.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Grundy County, Iowa?
41 tornado events are recorded in Grundy County between 1952 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Grundy County?
The strongest tornado on record in Grundy County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Grundy 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
“Tornado in Grundy County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/grundy-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.