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Tornado in Greene County, Iowa
30 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.
NCEI records 30 tornado events in Greene County, Iowa, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 15 years.
December is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 15 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.9% of the 3,501 tornado events recorded in Iowa; its 5.3 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
By rating: 14 at (E)F0, 4 at (E)F1, 10 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 2 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Iowa
| Measure | Greene County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 30 | 3,501 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.3 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 34.4 | 11.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 100 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | December | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
6May
3Jun
2Jul
2Aug
5Sep
3Oct
0Nov
1Dec
8
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 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 2023 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $350K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $800K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.2M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $100 | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $5K | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | $20K | $25K | — | — | County |
| 12 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | $1K | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $200 | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | $500 | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 26 Sep 1969 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 1969 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1959 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 1954 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Greene County had?
30 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 Greene County?
13 May 2023 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Greene County?
The tornado of 15 Dec 2021, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.2M.
How does Greene County compare with Iowa for tornado?
5.3 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 30 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.