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Tornado in Cedar County, Iowa
45 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.
Cedar County, Iowa, has 45 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 25 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 16 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 15 events against 19 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.3% of the 3,501 tornado events recorded in Iowa; its 7.8 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 17 at (E)F0, 16 at (E)F1, 9 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Iowa
| Measure | Cedar County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 45 | 3,501 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.8 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 24.4 | 11.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 100 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
9Apr
4May
16Jun
5Jul
6Aug
3Sep
1Oct
0Nov
1Dec
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 45 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 Mar 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $1.0M | $30K | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1998 | Tornado | F3 | $2K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 18 May 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | $50 | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F2 | $500K | $60K | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1995 | Tornado | F2 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 1991 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 1991 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Mar 1990 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1988 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 May 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 16 | County |
| 11 Apr 1965 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1961 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 May 1957 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Cedar County had?
45 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 Cedar County?
14 Mar 2025 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Cedar County?
The tornado of 11 Apr 1965, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M; 1 death recorded.
How does Cedar County compare with Iowa for tornado?
7.8 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 45 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.