46
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
51
Direct injuries
$30.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Johnson County, Iowa: 46 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #455 nationally and #19 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Johnson County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Johnson County is the 2020s, when 11 of the county's 46 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 Johnson County archive, tornado makes up 7.1% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #455 for this hazard and #19 within Iowa, putting it in the 84.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Johnson County with 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-31 | EF4 | 19.9 mi | 700 yd | Crossed in |
| 1998-05-15 | EF3 | 47.0 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 1962-05-22 | EF2 | 4.1 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 9.0 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 16.9 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 14.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2006-04-13 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 587 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-22 | EF2 | 14.0 mi | 80 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-09-12 | EF2 | 7.0 mi | 70 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-04-27 | EF2 | 18.0 mi | 60 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 1962 | F2 | 1 | 0 | $250K | |
| Apr 14, 2006 | IOWA CITY | F2 | 0 | 30 | $12.0M |
| May 15, 1998 | HILLS | F3 | 0 | 17 | $6.0M |
| Mar 31, 2023 | COSGROVE | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 1974 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2026 | LONE TREE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | SOLON | EF0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | LONE TREE | EF1 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | RIVER JCT | EF1 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | AMISH | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | SOLON | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | HILLS | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | COSGROVE | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | AMISH | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | AMISH | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Johnson County
- Thunderstorm Wind 274
- Hail 229
- Flash Flood 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A brief tornado spun up where two intersecting boundaries enhanced a strengthening updraft. A house incurred minor damage to the gutters and siding, and lost some shingles off the roof. The garage door was also blown in. Several trees were uprooted and a few were snapped off.
An EF-0 tornado touched down at a farmstead and moved northeast through a farm field into a wooded area, where tree damage was observed. The tornado was on the ground for less than one minute and the path length was around a quarter mile. Times estimated by radar. Winds were estimated up to 75 MPH.
A tornado developed southwest of Wellman in Washington County, and tracked quickly to the northeast along a patch through the Amish and Frytown areas in Johnson County. The tornado caused damage to homes, outbuildings, and trees. No injuries were reported. Thanks to Washington and Johnson County emergency management for assistance in completing the survey.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Johnson County, Iowa?
46 tornado events are recorded in Johnson County between 1962 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Johnson County?
The strongest tornado on record in Johnson County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Johnson 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 Johnson County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/johnson-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.