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Muscatine County, Iowa severe weather history spans 492 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #902 nationally and #33 in Iowa.
492
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
23
Direct injuries
$32.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Muscatine County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Muscatine County, Iowa severe weather history averages 6.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 148 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 59 events fall before 1990 and 433 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Muscatine County, Iowa record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $18.8M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Muscatine County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 211 | 0 | $2.8M | 78 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 160 | 0 | $609K | 2.75 | 1965–2024 |
| Tornado | 41 | 2 | $18.8M | F3 | 1952–2026 |
| Flood | 34 | 0 | $10.1M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 31 | 0 | $55K | 1.5 | 1997–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $62K | 1 | 2003–2008 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $3K | 0 | 2002–2015 |
Decade by decade
Muscatine County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
39 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 30 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-01 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 15.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-09 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-01-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Muscatine County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2015 | Lightning | MUSCATINE | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2006 | Tornado | NICHOLS | 1 | 1 | $120K |
| Jun 24, 2013 | Tornado | MUSCATINE | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 10 | $1.5M |
| Jun 1, 2007 | Tornado | FRUITLAND | 0 | 6 | $15.0M |
| Mar 7, 2017 | Tornado | MUSCATINE | 0 | 3 | $100K |
| Jun 21, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | WEST LIBERTY | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| Aug 16, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
There was a narrow damage track with trees snapped and uprooted. The most intense damage occurred in the business district along Highway 61. There was damage to a church, car dealership, hotel, and several other business. The damage continued down New Era road where several farmsteads sustained damage. The fatality occurred at the car dealership. There were 5 semi trailers overturned along Highway 61.
A tornado entered into Muscatine County from Louisa County just south of Fruitland, IA. It progressed to the northeast through the center of Fruitland destroying the post office and city hall building, numerous homes, and overturning some railroad cars. The tornado weakened as it approached the southwest portions of Muscatine. In Muscatine, the western sections of town had varying degrees of damage, which was mainly confined to roof damage. At a car dealership, some cars were displaced. The tornado eventually lifted on the northeast side of Muscatine near the junction of highways 22 and 61. Debris from Muscatine and Fruitland fell in Lowden, IA. Some personal papers were found 1 to 4 miles northwest of Lowden. Lowden is approximately 30 miles NNE of Muscatine.|
This tornado touched down 5.2 miles northeast of Nichols and tracked to the northeast before lifting 2 miles west of Moscow. The EF2 tornado was on the ground for 6.5 miles, had maximum winds to 115 mph and was 150 yards wide. There were 5 farmsteads that were hit by the tornado, but no injuries were reported. Siding and shingles of two homes were peeled off. Outbuildings were damaged, a machine shed and grain bin destroyed, and a wooden swingset toppled. Utility poles were snapped or blown down, while several trees were snapped or uprooted.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
42,559
Population (ACS)
$182K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 17, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | DR |
| Mar 23, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 5, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Muscatine 268
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Muscatine County, Iowa?
492 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $32.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Muscatine County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 211 recorded events — 42.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Muscatine County?
39 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 30 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Muscatine County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Muscatine County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Muscatine County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Muscatine County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 58 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Muscatine 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
- Montgomery County 278
- O'Brien County 481
- Monroe County 228
- Osceola County 262
- Monona County 337
- Page County 349
Cite this page
“Muscatine County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/muscatine-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.