Tornadoes · United States · Iowa
Tornadoes in Fayette County, Iowa
32 tornadoes have crossed Fayette County since 1950, 59th of the 99 counties in Iowa with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.4 years. They have killed 6 people and injured 167. 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
- 32
- Deaths
- 6
- Injuries
- 167
- F4 and above
- 2
- Worst on record
- F5, May 15, 1968
The deadliest in Fayette County
The strongest
- F5 Oelwein tornado, IowaMay 15, 1968
- F4, Howard, Chickasaw and Fayette counties, IowaJuly 12, 1971
- F3, Fayette County, IowaJune 24, 1971
- F2, Fayette and Winneshiek counties, IowaMarch 24, 1988
- F2, Fayette County, IowaJuly 12, 1971
- F2, Bremer and Fayette counties, IowaApril 19, 1966
- F2, Fayette County, IowaMay 7, 1964
Every year with a tornado
The 20 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Fayette County. Each year links to every tornado in Iowa that year.
Every tornado that crossed Fayette County
32 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2021 | 6:43 PM CDT | EF0 | Buchanan | 3.2 | 30 | $275,000 | ||
| March 28, 2020 | 6:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Fayette | 3.6 | 50 | $75,000 | ||
| March 28, 2020 | 6:30 PM CDT | EF1 | Fayette | 3.9 | 140 | $165,000 | ||
| June 22, 2015 | 8:21 AM CDT | EF1 | Fayette | 1.5 | 50 | 2 | $100,000 | |
| May 24, 2012 | 4:56 PM CDT | EF1 | Fayette | 3.0 | 30 | $30,000 | ||
| May 22, 2011 | 4:01 PM CDT | EF0 | Fayette | 1.4 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| May 22, 2011 | 3:37 PM CDT | EF1 | Fayette | 7.9 | 70 | $175,000 | ||
| August 19, 2009 | 3:50 PM CDT | EF0 | Fayette | 3.5 | 40 | $22,000 | ||
| March 31, 2007 | 4:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Fayette | 0.3 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| July 5, 2004 | 6:35 PM CDT | F0 | Fayette | 0.2 | 20 | |||
| September 6, 2001 | 6:21 PM CDT | F1 | Fayette | 6.0 | 100 | $30,000 | ||
| April 11, 2001 | 5:50 PM CDT | F1 | Fayette | 2.0 | 75 | 1 | $40,000 | |
| June 16, 1996 | 6:21 PM CDT | F0 | Fayette | 6.0 | 20 | |||
| July 7, 1994 | 8:00 PM CDT | F0 | Fayette | 0.3 | 23 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 6, 1994 | 4:43 PM CDT | F0 | Fayette | 0.2 | 20 | $50 to $500 | ||
| June 23, 1992 | 3:50 PM CDT | F0 | Fayette | 0.2 | 20 | $50 to $500 | ||
| June 12, 1990 | 10:09 PM CDT | F0 | Fayette | 0.2 | 20 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 12, 1990 | 6:15 PM CDT | F1 | Fayette | 2.0 | 27 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| March 24, 1988 | 5:15 PM CST | F2 | Fayette | 9.0 | 100 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| July 3, 1983 | 6:25 PM CDT | F1 | Fayette | 0.1 | 20 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| July 12, 1971 | 7:30 PM CDT | F2 | Fayette | 6.4 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| July 12, 1971 | 6:15 PM CDT | F4 | Howard | 10.9 | 1,320 | 8 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| June 24, 1971 | 7:00 PM CDT | F3 | Fayette | 0.1 | 200 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 15, 1968 | 4:58 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Fayette | 0.3 | 300 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 15, 1968 | 4:57 PM GMT-5 | F5 | Oelwein tornado | 13.1 | 500 | 5 | 156 | $5 million to $50 million |
| October 14, 1966 | 7:25 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Fayette | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 27, 1966 | 8:15 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Fayette | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 27, 1966 | 8:10 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Fayette | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 19, 1966 | 7:20 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Bremer | 4.6 | 250 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 7, 1965 | 1:55 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Fayette | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 11, 1965 | 1:15 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Chickasaw | 49.9 | 300 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 7, 1964 | 6:28 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Fayette | 2.0 | 250 | $500,000 to $5 million |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Fayette CountyThe forecast for Fayette CountyThe live radar over Fayette 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.