15,859
Recorded events
99
Counties affected
4
Direct deaths
$270.2M
Property damage
Iowa hail history: 15,859 recorded events across 99 counties between 1955 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Iowa hail history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 6,012 reported hail events across Iowa. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most hail events in Iowa
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Polk County | 670 | 0 | $15.2M | 1956–2025 |
| #2 | Linn County | 389 | 0 | $6.3M | 1956–2026 |
| #3 | Woodbury County | 369 | 0 | $3.0M | 1962–2026 |
| #4 | Warren County | 338 | 0 | $1.5M | 1962–2025 |
| #5 | Story County | 325 | 0 | $2.7M | 1968–2025 |
| #6 | Plymouth County | 277 | 0 | $468K | 1955–2026 |
| #7 | Benton County | 275 | 0 | $2.9M | 1963–2026 |
| #8 | Scott County | 270 | 0 | $290K | 1959–2026 |
| #9 | Pottawattamie County | 259 | 0 | $65K | 1962–2026 |
| #10 | Sioux County | 256 | 0 | $320K | 1961–2025 |
| #11 | Black Hawk County | 253 | 0 | $4.1M | 1960–2025 |
| #12 | Clay County | 250 | 0 | $1.7M | 1957–2026 |
| #13 | Dallas County | 249 | 0 | $823K | 1970–2025 |
| #14 | Johnson County | 229 | 0 | $40.5M | 1968–2026 |
| #15 | Webster County | 226 | 0 | $2.1M | 1961–2025 |
| #16 | Guthrie County | 223 | 0 | $1.4M | 1963–2025 |
| #17 | Jasper County | 220 | 0 | $2.4M | 1972–2025 |
| #18 | Harrison County | 217 | 0 | $0 | 1964–2026 |
| #19 | O'Brien County | 203 | 0 | $2.1M | 1965–2026 |
| #20 | Dubuque County | 200 | 0 | $6.7M | 1955–2026 |
| #21 | Kossuth County | 197 | 0 | $728K | 1961–2025 |
| #22 | Marion County | 196 | 0 | $770K | 1957–2025 |
| #23 | Boone County | 193 | 0 | $1.2M | 1960–2025 |
| #24 | Cerro Gordo County | 184 | 0 | $836K | 1959–2025 |
| #25 | Adair County | 175 | 0 | $11.4M | 1961–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest hail events in Iowa
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 1991 | Greene County | — | 4 | 0 |