States › Iowa › Bremer County › Tornado
Tornado in Bremer County, Iowa
29 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Bremer County, Iowa, has 29 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 21 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 9 events against 7 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.8% of the 3,501 tornado events recorded in Iowa; its 6.7 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
By rating: 11 at (E)F0, 7 at (E)F1, 8 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 2 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Iowa
| Measure | Bremer County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 29 | 3,501 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.7 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 11.6 | 11.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 100 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
2May
4Jun
8Jul
5Aug
4Sep
3Oct
1Nov
2Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 29 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.0M | $2K | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | $2K | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $2K | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $2K | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $4K | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F2 | $100K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $30K | $3K | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | $500 | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 1991 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1981 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 1977 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1977 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Nov 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 1971 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 1964 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 1962 | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 1961 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1961 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Bremer County had?
29 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Bremer County?
14 Jul 2021 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Bremer County?
The tornado of 1 Sep 1961, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Bremer County compare with Iowa for tornado?
6.7 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 29 of the state's 3,501 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.