Tornadoes · United States · Iowa

Tornadoes in Washington County, Iowa

29 tornadoes have crossed Washington County since 1950, 4 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 70th of the 99 counties in Iowa with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.6 years. They have killed 0 people and injured 52. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
29
Deaths
0
Injuries
52
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
EF4, March 31, 2023

The strongest

  1. EF4, Keokuk, Washington, Iowa and Johnson counties, IowaMarch 31, 2023EF4, 19.9 mi (32 km)
  2. F3, Poweshiek, Keokuk and Washington counties, IowaApril 23, 1965F3, 47.4 mi (76 km)
  3. F3, Washington, Johnson and Cedar counties, IowaMay 15, 1998F3, 47.0 mi (76 km)
  4. F2, Davis, Wapello, Jefferson and Washington counties, IowaMay 8, 1988F2, 71.0 mi (114 km)
  5. F2, Keokuk, Washington and Johnson counties, IowaMay 8, 1988F2, 36.0 mi (58 km)
  6. F2, Keokuk, Washington and Johnson counties, IowaJune 7, 1984F2, 24.0 mi (39 km)
  7. EF2, Henry and Washington counties, IowaMay 3, 2012EF2, 6.7 mi (11 km)
  8. F2, Washington County, IowaMay 9, 1970F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  9. F2, Washington County, IowaApril 2, 2006F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  10. F2, Washington County, IowaNovember 9, 1975F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 21 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Washington County. Each year links to every tornado in Iowa that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20264EF1
20242EF1
202313EF4
20172EF1
20151EF1
20121EF2
20071EF1
20063F2
20021F0
20011F0
1998147F3
19931F1
19882F2
19871F1
198411F2
19811F0
19751F2
19731F1
19701F2
19671F1
196511F3

Every tornado that crossed Washington County

29 tornadoes, newest first. The 4 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 2, 20264:11 PM CDTEF1Washington3.9100
April 17, 20265:02 PM CDTEF1Washington5.3100
June 11, 20264:05 PM CDTUnratedWashington0.10
August 7, 20267:43 PM CDTEF1Washington1.4175
May 24, 20246:45 AM CDTEF1Washington22.5150
May 24, 20246:26 AM CDTEF1Washington18.3100
March 31, 20234:10 PM CDTEF4Keokuk19.97003
May 17, 20176:36 PM CDTEF1Washington6.040
May 17, 20174:16 PM CDTEF1Jefferson3.225
June 20, 20157:01 PM CDTEF1Washington1.475$50,000
May 3, 20128:40 PM CDTEF2Henry6.7440$1.0 million
July 16, 20075:49 PM CDTEF1Washington0.5100$100,000
June 6, 20063:55 PM CDTF0Washington0.030
April 2, 20065:00 PM CDTF1Washington0.150$10,000
April 2, 20064:46 PM CDTF2Washington1.075$30,000
June 12, 20027:13 PM CDTF0Washington0.110
April 11, 20014:50 PM CDTF0Washington0.110
May 15, 19985:05 PM CDTF3Washington47.040047$15 million
June 8, 19936:23 PM CDTF1Louisa5.040$5,000 to $50,000
May 8, 19882:16 PM CDTF2Keokuk36.060$50,000 to $500,000
May 8, 19881:47 PM CDTF2Davis71.060$5 million to $50 million
May 20, 19872:30 PM CDTF1Louisa25.027$50,000 to $500,000
June 7, 19849:33 PM CDTF2Keokuk24.02001$500,000 to $5 million
April 3, 198111:15 PM CSTF0Washington103.550$50,000 to $500,000
November 9, 19756:15 PM CSTF2Washington0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 20, 197312:15 PM CSTF1Washington2.0350$5,000 to $50,000
May 9, 19704:00 PM CDTF2Washington2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
January 24, 19673:45 PM GMT-6F1Washington1.0200$500 to $5,000
April 23, 196510:00 PM GMT-6F3Poweshiek47.4101$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Washington CountyThe forecast for Washington CountyThe live radar over Washington 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.