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Tornado in Linn County, Iowa
64 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.
Linn County, Iowa, has 64 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 39 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 14 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 23 events against 25 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.8% of the 3,501 tornado events recorded in Iowa; its 8.9 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
By rating: 22 at (E)F0, 20 at (E)F1, 11 at (E)F2, 2 at (E)F3, 2 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 7 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Iowa
| Measure | Linn County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 64 | 3,501 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 8.9 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 2.8 | 11.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 100 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
0Mar
2Apr
8May
14Jun
10Jul
13Aug
6Sep
6Oct
3Nov
0Dec
1
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 64 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jul 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2025 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2021 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2021 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2019 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $35K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 2017 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2016 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 23 Dec 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jul 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $70K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | $5K | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F1 | — | $10K | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2004 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Tornado | F2 | $500K | $45K | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Tornado | F2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 1991 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1991 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 1990 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 1990 | Tornado | F4 | $25M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1989 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 1987 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1985 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Oct 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1972 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 3 | County |
| 14 Oct 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Oct 1966 | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1966 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1965 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 14 | County |
| 4 May 1964 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 29 May 1956 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1954 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 1954 | Tornado | F4 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1953 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | 4 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Linn County had?
64 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 Linn County?
11 Jul 2025 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Linn County?
The tornado of 13 Mar 1990, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M.
How does Linn County compare with Iowa for tornado?
8.9 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 64 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.