17,807
Recorded events
99
Counties affected
20
Direct deaths
$398.7M
Property damage
Iowa thunderstorm wind history: 17,807 recorded events across 99 counties between 1955 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Iowa thunderstorm wind history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 4,989 reported thunderstorm wind 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 thunderstorm wind events in Iowa
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Polk County | 729 | 1 | $75.3M | 1955–2025 |
| #2 | Linn County | 574 | 3 | $11.4M | 1955–2026 |
| #3 | Scott County | 492 | 1 | $4.4M | 1959–2026 |
| #4 | Story County | 390 | 0 | $5.9M | 1968–2025 |
| #5 | Benton County | 361 | 1 | $5.0M | 1961–2025 |
| #6 | Dallas County | 350 | 0 | $9.2M | 1962–2025 |
| #7 | Dubuque County | 340 | 0 | $4.2M | 1957–2026 |
| #8 | Woodbury County | 339 | 0 | $14.2M | 1955–2025 |
| #9 | Clinton County | 288 | 0 | $2.5M | 1957–2026 |
| #10 | Buchanan County | 275 | 0 | $3.7M | 1960–2026 |
| #11 | Johnson County | 274 | 1 | $31.8M | 1958–2026 |
| #12 | Black Hawk County | 271 | 0 | $4.8M | 1956–2025 |
| #13 | Cedar County | 268 | 0 | $2.0M | 1956–2026 |
| #14 | Wapello County | 262 | 0 | $2.2M | 1956–2025 |
| #15 | Jones County | 250 | 0 | $5.4M | 1958–2026 |
| #16 | Lee County | 239 | 0 | $2.8M | 1958–2026 |
| #17 | Des Moines County | 238 | 0 | $980K | 1969–2026 |
| #18 | Marion County | 236 | 0 | $3.6M | 1971–2025 |
| #19 | Warren County | 233 | 0 | $3.3M | 1962–2025 |
| #20 | Plymouth County | 223 | 0 | $2.6M | 1960–2025 |
| #21 | Sioux County | 223 | 1 | $2.8M | 1956–2025 |
| #22 | Cerro Gordo County | 223 | 1 | $3.0M | 1956–2025 |
| #23 | Delaware County | 219 | 0 | $3.7M | 1955–2026 |
| #24 | Webster County | 216 | 0 | $2.7M | 1959–2025 |
| #25 | Boone County | 214 | 0 | $2.5M | 1960–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest thunderstorm wind events in Iowa
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2008 | Pottawattamie County | — | 2 | 1 |
| Aug 10, 2020 | Linn County | — | 1 | 100 |
| Jun 7, 1984 | Ringgold County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Louisa County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 8, 1984 | Ringgold County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 16, 2021 | Benton County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 10, 2025 | Page County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 20, 2014 | Ringgold County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 17, 2017 | Butler County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 17, 2014 | Polk County | — | 1 | 0 |