Tornadoes · United States · Iowa
Tornadoes in Black Hawk County, Iowa
40 tornadoes have crossed Black Hawk County since 1950, 42nd of the 99 counties in Iowa with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.9 years. They have killed 12 people and injured 146. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 at the top of the scale.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
Now
- Tornadoes
- 40
- Deaths
- 12
- Injuries
- 146
- F4 and above
- 2
- Worst on record
- EF5, May 25, 2008
The deadliest in Black Hawk County
The strongest
- EF5 Parkersburg–New Hartford tornado, IowaMay 25, 2008
- F4, Black Hawk and Benton counties, IowaAugust 26, 1965
- F3, Tama, Black Hawk and Bremer counties, IowaNovember 9, 1975
- F3, Grundy, Black Hawk and Buchanan counties, IowaApril 16, 1960
- F3, Black Hawk and Buchanan counties, IowaMay 11, 2000
- F2, Black Hawk County, IowaJune 13, 1976
- F2, Black Hawk County, IowaMay 7, 1964
- F2, Black Hawk County, IowaJune 12, 1976
- F2, Black Hawk County, IowaMay 11, 2000
- F2, Black Hawk County, IowaMay 11, 2000
Every year with a tornado
The 23 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Black Hawk County. Each year links to every tornado in Iowa that year.
Every tornado that crossed Black Hawk County
40 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2020 | 5:55 PM CDT | Unrated | Black Hawk | 0.3 | 20 | |||
| March 28, 2020 | 5:49 PM CDT | EF0 | Black Hawk | 2.1 | 115 | $75,000 | ||
| March 28, 2020 | 5:39 PM CDT | Unrated | Black Hawk | 2.3 | 40 | |||
| October 9, 2018 | 5:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Black Hawk | 1.9 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| August 31, 2014 | 10:12 PM CDT | EF0 | Black Hawk | 3.2 | 80 | |||
| August 31, 2014 | 10:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Black Hawk | 2.1 | 130 | $1,000 | ||
| May 25, 2008 | 4:48 PM CDT | EF5 | Parkersburg–New Hartford tornado | 41.0 | 2,100 | 9 | 70 | $100 million |
| June 21, 2007 | 5:22 PM CDT | EF0 | Black Hawk | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| May 21, 2004 | 3:21 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.3 | 30 | |||
| April 18, 2002 | 7:08 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.3 | 30 | $1,000 | ||
| June 1, 2001 | 4:52 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.6 | 35 | $10,000 | ||
| June 1, 2001 | 4:30 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.1 | 25 | |||
| June 1, 2001 | 4:30 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.2 | 30 | $3,000 | ||
| June 1, 2001 | 4:25 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| June 1, 2001 | 3:35 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| April 23, 2001 | 8:15 AM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.3 | 30 | $40,000 | ||
| April 11, 2001 | 5:07 PM CDT | F1 | Black Hawk | 10.0 | 50 | $120,000 | ||
| May 11, 2000 | 8:20 PM CDT | F2 | Black Hawk | 5.0 | 150 | $300,000 | ||
| May 11, 2000 | 7:55 PM CDT | F2 | Black Hawk | 3.6 | 120 | $350,000 | ||
| May 11, 2000 | 7:03 PM CDT | F3 | Black Hawk | 18.6 | 210 | 1 | 25 | $1.8 million |
| June 16, 1992 | 3:03 PM CDT | F1 | Black Hawk | 4.7 | 23 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 27, 1990 | 4:45 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.2 | 27 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 19, 1990 | 3:15 PM CDT | F1 | Black Hawk | 0.3 | 40 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 8, 1988 | 2:06 PM CDT | F1 | Black Hawk | 2.0 | 20 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| July 18, 1987 | 12:35 AM CDT | F1 | Black Hawk | 0.5 | 20 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| July 14, 1987 | 9:00 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.5 | 20 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 21, 1985 | 7:44 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 19, 1984 | 4:25 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 3.0 | 30 | |||
| June 13, 1976 | 5:00 PM CDT | F2 | Black Hawk | 14.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 12, 1976 | 8:30 PM CDT | F2 | Black Hawk | 6.9 | 100 | 2 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| November 9, 1975 | 4:30 PM CST | F3 | Tama | 39.4 | 10 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| June 16, 1973 | 8:45 PM CDT | F1 | Black Hawk | 0.5 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 7, 1973 | 7:50 PM CDT | F0 | Black Hawk | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| May 31, 1971 | 7:30 PM CDT | F2 | Black Hawk | 1.0 | 200 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 27, 1966 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Black Hawk | 0.5 | 50 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| August 26, 1965 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F4 | Black Hawk | 4.7 | 200 | 1 | 17 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| July 18, 1965 | 5:15 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Black Hawk | 0.5 | 50 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 7, 1964 | 7:35 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Black Hawk | 1.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 7, 1964 | 6:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Black Hawk | 7.1 | 200 | 27 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| April 16, 1960 | 2:30 PM GMT-6 | F3 | Grundy | 29.8 | 800 | 1 | 5 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Black Hawk CountyThe forecast for Black Hawk CountyThe live radar over Black Hawk CountyEvery county in Iowa
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.