262
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$2.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Wapello County, Iowa: 262 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 100. That places the county #621 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Wapello County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Wapello County is the 2010s, when 89 of the county's 262 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 Wapello County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 44.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #621 for this hazard and #14 within Iowa, putting it in the 80.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Wapello County with 101 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 | OTTUMWA | 79 | 0 | 10 | $100K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | ELDON | 56 | 0 | 1 | $15K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2025 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 54 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | ELDON | 56 | $15K |
| Mar 14, 2025 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 62 | $0 |
| Jul 31, 2024 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 55 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 58 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 64 | $0 |
| May 7, 2024 | (OTM)OTTUMWA INDSTRL | 55 | $0 |
| Apr 16, 2024 | ELDON | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2023 | OTTUMWA | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Wapello County
- Hail 125
- Heavy Rain 76
- Flood 60
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency manager reported several trees down across the city of Eddyville, a utility pole snapped, and two houses that had trees that fell on top of them. Degree of damage to the homes was unknown at the time. This is a delayed report and time estimated form radar.
Media report of narrow swath of wind damage going from NW to SE from Monroe-Wapello Road to 140th street. Multiple farm silos and outbuildings damaged or destroyed. Large wooden power lines leaning or snapped. Time radar estimated.
Wapello County EM and City of Eldon reported tree damage and power outages due to thunderstorm winds in the town of Eldon. Downed trees were reported to be blocking roadways and the City of Eldon spent the next few days cleaning up tree damage. One tree fell on and injured a motorcyclist driving through town.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Wapello County, Iowa?
262 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Wapello County between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Wapello County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Wapello County measured 100.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Wapello 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 Wapello County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/wapello-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.