Webster County, Iowa severe weather history spans 758 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 29.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #333 nationally and #9 in Iowa.
758
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
26
Direct injuries
$19.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Webster County, Iowa severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Webster County, Iowa severe weather history averages 10.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 337 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 79 events fall before 1990 and 679 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $4.9M 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 Webster County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 226 | 0 | $2.1M | 3.5 | 1961–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 216 | 0 | $2.7M | 80 | 1959–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 110 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Flood | 68 | 0 | $4.9M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Tornado | 65 | 0 | $4.7M | F4 | 1953–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 56 | 0 | $4.5M | 50 | 1998–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $108K | 0 | 1999–2018 |
Decade by decade
Webster County, Iowa severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
63 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-04 | EF4 | 0 | 14 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-06-08 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-05 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 9.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-11-12 | EF3 | 1 | 3 | 17.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-09-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 18.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Webster County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 14 | $250K | |
| Jun 9, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| May 5, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 21, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | BADGER | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| Jun 19, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency reported water had started to rise along Riverside Trail between Fort Dodge and Otho, and will impact residential areas. Webster County has begun to evacuate some residents. The emergency manager also noted ice jam action likely starting near Lehigh.|The ice jam near Lehigh on the Des Moines River ended up flooding many homes and structures in the town of Lehigh. Many roads were closed as well.
Standing water across much of the city. Water under Highway 169 underpass at railroad bridge. Three feet of water at the Crossroads Mall. Flooding along 1st Ave South and 2nd Ave North and at North 21st St. Many other reports as well.
This tornado moved into Webster County from Greene County. The tornado entered the county southwest of Lanyon and passed just west of Harcourt continuing northeast before dissipating between Lehigh and Otho. This tornado snapped several large utility poles on its path across the county along with destroying a few outbuildings.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
36,886
Population (ACS)
$154K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | 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 20, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 2, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Ft Dodge 245
- Dayton 144
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Webster County, Iowa?
758 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $19.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Webster County?
Hail, with 226 recorded events — 29.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Webster County?
63 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 54 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Webster County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Webster County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Webster County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Webster County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 60 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Webster 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
- Wayne County 332
- Winnebago County 317
- Washington County 371
- Winneshiek County 440
- Warren County 883
- Woodbury County 856
Cite this page
“Webster County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/webster-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.