137
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$856K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Keokuk County, Iowa: 137 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #1,694 nationally and #56 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Keokuk County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Keokuk County is the 2010s, when 42 of the county's 137 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 Keokuk County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 48.6% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,694 for this hazard and #56 within Iowa, putting it in the 46.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Keokuk County with 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2014 | MARTINSBURG | 78 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2025 | SIGOURNEY | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | MARTINSBURG | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | SIGOURNEY | 65 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | SIGOURNEY | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | SOUTH ENGLISH | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 2024 | NORTH ENGLISH | 70 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 2024 | KESWICK | 70 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | RICHLAND | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 28, 2024 | KEOTA | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2022 | KEOTA | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Keokuk County
- Hail 71
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 mph by spotters destroyed one building and damaged others at the county fairgrounds. The roof and walls of the commercial exhibition building were torn off, scattering debris eastward into other buildings. 2×4 boards were driven into the roof of the main fair building. Damage at the fairgrounds was estimated at $30,000 to $35,000.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew part of a roof off of the grandstand at the fairgrounds, tore part of a roof off a brick building on Main Street, downed power lines, and damaged numerous trees and branches in What Cheer, IA at 825 pm CDT June 18.
Straight-line winds that produced damage were reported throughout Keokuk County, associated with a derecho. These winds lasted around an hour in total at any one location, even though the initial line of storms moved out quickly. Damaging straight-line winds continued and were associated with the rear inflow jet. Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be 60 to 80 MPH for much of the county. These estimates were determined based off damage reports. These strong winds and duration caused damage to trees, powerlines, and crops. This also resulted in long duration power outages.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Keokuk County, Iowa?
137 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Keokuk County between 1960 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Keokuk County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Keokuk County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Keokuk 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 Keokuk County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/keokuk-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.