Tornadoes · United States · Iowa
Tornadoes in Pottawattamie County, Iowa
56 tornadoes have crossed Pottawattamie County since 1950, 11th of the 99 counties in Iowa with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.4 years. They have killed 1 person and injured 99. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and above.
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
- 56
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 99
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- F4, June 26, 1976
The deadliest in Pottawattamie County
The strongest
- F4, Pottawattamie County, IowaJune 26, 1976
- EF3 Minden–Harlan tornado, IowaApril 26, 2024
- EF3, Douglas, Pottawattamie and Harrison counties, Iowa and NebraskaApril 26, 2024
- EF3, Pottawattamie County, IowaApril 26, 2024
- F3, Pottawattamie County, IowaJuly 15, 1988
- F2, Pottawattamie and Harrison counties, IowaMay 6, 1975
- F2, Harrison and Pottawattamie counties, IowaMay 6, 1975
- F2, Pottawattamie County, IowaMay 7, 1988
- EF2, Pottawattamie County, IowaMay 5, 2007
- EF2, Pottawattamie County, IowaDecember 15, 2021
Every year with a tornado
The 28 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Pottawattamie County. Each year links to every tornado in Iowa that year.
Every tornado that crossed Pottawattamie County
56 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | 3:00 AM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 0.3 | 60 | |||
| May 6, 2024 | 9:13 PM CDT | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 4.0 | 450 | |||
| May 6, 2024 | 9:07 PM CDT | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 1.5 | 200 | |||
| April 26, 2024 | 5:25 PM CDT | EF3 | Minden–Harlan tornado | 40.3 | 1,900 | 1 | 3 | |
| April 26, 2024 | 5:08 PM CDT | EF3 | Pottawattamie | 13.3 | 900 | |||
| April 26, 2024 | 4:54 PM CDT | EF3 | Douglas to NE | 19.1 | 550 | |||
| July 12, 2023 | 6:32 AM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 0.9 | 40 | |||
| July 12, 2023 | 6:28 AM CDT | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 1.5 | 40 | |||
| April 19, 2023 | 7:10 PM CDT | Unrated | Pottawattamie | 0.5 | 10 | |||
| June 14, 2022 | 12:18 AM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 2.4 | 75 | |||
| December 15, 2021 | 4:34 PM CST | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 9.6 | 50 | |||
| December 15, 2021 | 4:31 PM CST | EF2 | Pottawattamie | 6.7 | 75 | |||
| December 15, 2021 | 4:24 PM CST | EF2 | Pottawattamie | 2.3 | 50 | |||
| December 15, 2021 | 4:16 PM CST | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 0.9 | 30 | |||
| August 4, 2016 | 5:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 0.6 | 15 | |||
| June 29, 2016 | 6:06 PM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 4.2 | 25 | |||
| November 11, 2015 | 1:48 PM CST | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 10.2 | 150 | $1.4 million | ||
| June 3, 2014 | 5:02 PM CDT | EF2 | Pottawattamie | 2.8 | 680 | |||
| April 14, 2012 | 12:55 AM CDT | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 1.0 | 440 | |||
| June 20, 2008 | 4:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 0.3 | 40 | |||
| June 11, 2008 | 7:23 PM CDT | EF0 | Pottawattamie | 0.8 | 20 | |||
| June 11, 2008 | 7:20 PM CDT | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 2.4 | 40 | |||
| May 5, 2007 | 9:00 PM CDT | EF1 | Pottawattamie | 3.6 | 200 | |||
| May 5, 2007 | 8:46 PM CDT | EF2 | Pottawattamie | 6.8 | 400 | |||
| May 8, 2004 | 8:55 PM CDT | F1 | Shelby | 8.0 | 150 | |||
| June 24, 2003 | 5:53 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.3 | 30 | |||
| April 11, 2001 | 1:00 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| April 11, 2001 | 12:55 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 0.5 | 40 | $110,000 | ||
| April 11, 2001 | 12:55 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 2.0 | 30 | |||
| July 26, 2000 | 6:00 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 13, 2000 | 3:10 PM CDT | F1 | Harrison | 10.6 | 330 | $30,000 | ||
| May 16, 1999 | 5:14 PM CDT | F2 | Pottawattamie | 5.0 | 120 | $690,000 | ||
| May 16, 1999 | 5:07 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 1.0 | 80 | $10,000 | ||
| April 8, 1999 | 2:18 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.3 | 60 | |||
| July 24, 1996 | 3:21 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 1.0 | 30 | $100,000 | ||
| August 22, 1993 | 12:15 AM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.5 | 30 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 16, 1992 | 12:00 AM CDT | F2 | Pottawattamie | 4.0 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 29, 1991 | 2:21 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.2 | 17 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 29, 1991 | 1:20 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 20.0 | 40 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 16, 1990 | 11:30 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.3 | 20 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| March 13, 1990 | 5:10 PM CST | F1 | Pottawattamie | 8.0 | 40 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 27, 1989 | 7:35 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 3.8 | 60 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| July 15, 1988 | 4:19 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 3.0 | 73 | 12 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| July 15, 1988 | 4:16 PM CDT | F3 | Pottawattamie | 2.8 | 73 | 34 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| July 15, 1988 | 4:14 PM CDT | F2 | Pottawattamie | 2.3 | 100 | 42 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| May 7, 1988 | 11:10 PM CDT | F2 | Pottawattamie | 7.2 | 73 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| May 31, 1987 | 3:38 PM CDT | F1 | Cass | 8.0 | 20 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 26, 1987 | 5:30 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 0.2 | 40 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 26, 1987 | 4:25 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 1.0 | 20 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 26, 1987 | 4:10 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawattamie | 36.0 | 50 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| June 26, 1984 | 7:18 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.1 | 20 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 15, 1982 | 5:00 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawattamie | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 26, 1976 | 6:15 PM CDT | F4 | Pottawattamie | 5.1 | 200 | 6 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| May 6, 1975 | 5:20 PM CDT | F2 | Harrison | 10.6 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 6, 1975 | 5:00 PM CDT | F2 | Pottawattamie | 12.8 | 500 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 12, 1970 | 8:30 PM CDT | F2 | Cass | 5.9 | 400 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Pottawattamie CountyThe forecast for Pottawattamie CountyThe live radar over Pottawattamie 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.