Dust Devil in Iowa
Every dust devil event the National Weather Service has filed in Iowa, year by year, with the most significant episodes. A small rotating column of dust from surface heating that caused damage or injury.
The most significant on the map
The most significant dust devil episodes in Iowa.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 5
- Damage
- $10,000
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornado and Dust Devil in Iowa, May 1, 2004Very cold air aloft moved in over Iowa under a closed low pressure system aloft. With strong heating and steep lapse rates, the atmosphere became very unstable. A strong dust devil formed in Des Moines at a softball field and injured 5 small girls there.
- Dust Devil in Iowa, May 16, 2014A dust devil touched down producing roof damage at a local greenhouse. Overall conditions in the area were benign with mostly cloudy skies, temperatures in the mid 50s and NNW winds at around 10 to 15 mph throughout the afternoon hours.
More
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.