Thunderstorm Wind in Iowa
Every thunderstorm wind event the National Weather Service has filed in Iowa, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
The most significant on the map
The most significant thunderstorm wind 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
- 17,986
- Deaths
- 21
- Injuries
- 549
- Damage
- $563 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 15, 1968
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, October 14, 1966
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 25, 2008A very intense upper low was located over the southwest U.S. and lifted northeast during the weekend of the 24th into the morning of the 26th.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 7, 1984
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 28, 1979
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, August 10, 2020A powerful line of severe thunderstorms produced a derecho which tracked across eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois on the afternoon of Monday, August 10th, resulting in widespread straight line wind damage.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, September 16, 1978
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Iowa, June 29, 1998A complex weather situation was set up over the central U.S. as a mesoscale convective system passed to the south of Iowa during the overnight hours and early morning of the 29th. Initially, the surface warm front was located to the south of this system.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 18, 1974
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 11 to 13, 2008A very strong and unseasonably cold upper level low pressure system that was tracking across the northern plains brought a strong low level jet to the region during the early morning hours of June 11th.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Iowa, July 15, 1988
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 30, 1985
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 13, 1976
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 17, 1991
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, April 16, 1967
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, August 28, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, April 11, 2001A very powerful storm system moved through the southern Rockies during the night of the 10th and early morning of the 11th. Intense surface low pressure formed over western Kansas with a central pressure by sunrise on the 11th of 977 Mb.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, July 19, 2018A setup for some rotating storms was in place over much of central and southern Iowa. A low pressure system situated northwest of the state slid to the northeast throughout the day, eventually moving into western and central Minnesota.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Iowa, May 15, 1998A tornado developed two miles Southwest of Washington Iowa and produced a 30 mile long continuous path of damage and debris as it moved to the Northeast at nearly 30 mph. The tornado weakened and lifted before reaching I-80 near West Branch Iowa shortly before 6pm.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, March 13, 1990
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, June 20, 1974
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Iowa, May 13, 2003A strong surge of moisture, albeit narrow, pushed into Iowa during the afternoon hours of the 13th. A weak frontal system advanced across the plains into the state.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Iowa, April 11, 1965
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, April 8, 1999As mentioned in the narrative above, an intense low pressure formed to the southwest of Iowa. The low tracked northeast and lifted into eastern Nebraska. Ahead of the low, a strong low level jet of around 60 knots continued through the day.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, March 29, 1979
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.