171
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in O'Brien County, Iowa: 171 recorded events between 1963 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 83. That places the county #1,300 nationally and #41 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in O'Brien County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in O'Brien County is the 2000s, when 37 of the county's 171 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 O'Brien County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 35.6% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,300 for this hazard and #41 within Iowa, putting it in the 58.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in O'Brien County with 42 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2025 | PRIMGHAR | 78 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | SANBORN | 74 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | SHELDON MUNI ARPT | 78 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | GERMANTOWN | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | SHELDON | 70 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2024 | HARTLEY | 65 | $0 |
| May 7, 2024 | SUTHERLAND | 65 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | PAULLINA MUNI ARPT | 70 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2023 | RITTER | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2022 | GAZA | 74 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from O'Brien County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds destroyed an airport hangar, and destroyed or damaged 5 planes in the hangar. The winds caused widespread tree damage, including numerous trees blown down or completely uprooted. The tree damage included many trees at a local golf course. The winds damaged homes and buildings in and near Sheldon, including one home that was damaged by a large falling tree. A large silo was damaged and several small farm buildings were destroyed. The farm damage included a large shed destroyed and machinery inside the shed damaged. A commercial building under construction was destroyed.
Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree and power line damage in Sanborn. Large trees were blown down or uprooted, and numerous large branches were blown down. Tree debris block several roads. Some homes were damaged by falling trees and tree debris. Power lines and poles were blown down, including two large transmission line towers. A power outage resulted from the damage. The winds also caused an unknown amount of damage to area crops, especially corn.
A thunderstorm wind gust of 79 mph was measured by personal weather station KIAHARTL8 5 miles west of Hartley. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in O'Brien County, Iowa?
171 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in O'Brien County between 1963 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in O'Brien County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in O'Brien County measured 83.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for O'Brien 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 O’Brien County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/obrien-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.