68
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
152
Direct injuries
$131.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Polk County, Iowa: 68 recorded events between 1958 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #179 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Polk County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Polk County is the 1980s, when 18 of the county's 68 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 Polk County archive, tornado makes up 3.2% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #179 for this hazard and #1 within Iowa, putting it in the 94.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Polk County with 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-05 | EF4 | 70.6 mi | 900 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-06-18 | EF4 | 15.3 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-28 | EF4 | 20.0 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF3 | 39.0 mi | 0 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-04-26 | EF2 | 7.6 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-21 | EF2 | 40.8 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-19 | EF2 | 3.7 mi | 130 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-19 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF2 | 32.0 mi | 0 yd | Crossed in |
| 1998-06-29 | EF2 | 34.1 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 1974 | F4 | 2 | 50 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 29, 1998 | GRIMES | F2 | 0 | 83 | $10.0M |
| Mar 14, 1990 | F2 | 0 | 15 | $2.5M | |
| May 21, 2024 | RIDER | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $5.2M |
| Apr 27, 2024 | FT DES MOINES | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $1.5M |
| Sep 6, 2001 | WEST DES MOINES | F1 | 0 | 1 | $500K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2024 | CLIVE | EF1 | $500K |
| Jun 25, 2024 | SANTIAGO | EFU | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | ENTERPRISE | EF0 | $90K |
| May 24, 2024 | JOHNSTON | EF0 | $50K |
| May 24, 2024 | GRIMES | EF0 | $50K |
| May 21, 2024 | RIDER | EF2 | $5.2M |
| Apr 27, 2024 | FT DES MOINES | EF2 | $1.5M |
| Apr 23, 2022 | CROCKER | EF0 | $1K |
| Apr 23, 2022 | CROCKER | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2022 | POLK CITY | EF1 | $25K |
Other hazards here
More from Polk County
- Thunderstorm Wind 729
- Hail 670
- Heavy Rain 348
- Flood 150
- Flash Flood 118
- Lightning 42
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado passed from Warren county into Polk county near the intersection of Highway 69 and County Line Road. The tornado crossed E Pine Avenue removing the roof of a house and then clipped the north edge of Avon producing EF2 damage to a couple of houses. The tornado then crossed the Des Moines River and impacted the Woodland Hills neighborhood damaging muliple structures. The damage continued to the northeast into less inhabited areas of eastern Polk county, however the tornado remained strong with EF2 damage at several locations along its path. The tornado crossed University Avenue near its intersection with NE 112th Street and then exited the county into Jasper county.
This tornado developed within the east side of the Des Moines Metro area just northwest of Easter Lake. Initial damage reports include damage to trees and fences and then eventually roof damage as the tornado progressed to the northeast. The tornado passed just to the southeast of James Cownie Soccer Complex and crossed the Des Moines River near the Des Moines Wastewater Treatment Plant. The tornado then passed into Pleasant Hill with numerous reports of EF2 damage to several houses on the south side of town with widespread roof and wall damage. The tornado weakened to the northeast and eventually dissipated on the far south side of Altoona. This tornado produced one non-life threatening injury.
The tornado developed near the northwest I-35/80 urban loop and proceeded southeast through Urbandale, Windsor Heights, and into Des Moines, crossing I-235. Extensive tree damage occurred along the path along with damage to homes and power lines.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Polk County, Iowa?
68 tornado events are recorded in Polk County between 1958 and 2024, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Polk County?
The strongest tornado on record in Polk County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Polk 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 Polk County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/polk-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.