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Monroe County, Iowa severe weather history spans 228 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 32.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,264 nationally and #99 in Iowa.
228
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$32.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Monroe County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Monroe County, Iowa severe weather history averages 3.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 87 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 24 events fall before 1990 and 204 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $26.6M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Monroe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 73 | 0 | $795K | 75 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $467K | 3.25 | 1979–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 33 | 0 | $2.2M | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 31 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Tornado | 14 | 0 | $26.6M | F4 | 1964–2016 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $1.8M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2017 |
Decade by decade
Monroe County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-06-07 | EF4 | 3 | 64 | 134.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-06-22 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-11-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-11-15 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-11-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-09 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-10-14 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Monroe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1988 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| May 10, 1996 | Tornado | AVERY | 0 | 2 | $380K |
| Oct 14, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Monroe County law enforcement reports that downtown Melrose and most of the streets in town were under water with water flowing into some buildings, including the community center with water surrounding several trailer homes. Most streets were impassible.
This powerful tornado entered from Lucas County. The tornado reached its peak intensity of EF-3 in NW Monroe County, where a house was completely swept off its foundation. Extensive tree damage was also noted in this area.
This short-lived tornado was spotted from NE of Melrose before it became rain-wrapped. Narrow damage path reported on the north side of town by law enforcement. Spotter reported tree damage along the path after the event.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
7,513
Population (ACS)
$156K
Median home value
16
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 31, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 2, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 31, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Albia 100
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Monroe County, Iowa?
228 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $32.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Monroe County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 73 recorded events — 32.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Monroe County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Monroe County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Monroe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Monroe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County as very low risk, placing it in the 10 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Monroe County, Iowa severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Monona County 337
- Montgomery County 278
- Mitchell County 290
- Muscatine County 492
- Mills County 329
- O'Brien County 481
Cite this page
“Monroe County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/monroe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.