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Tornado in Marshall County, Iowa
38 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 38 tornado events in Marshall County, Iowa, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 22 years.
June is the busiest month, with 12 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 11 events against 16 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 3,501 tornado events recorded in Iowa; its 6.6 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
By rating: 13 at (E)F0, 14 at (E)F1, 4 at (E)F2, 4 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 | Marshall County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 38 | 3,501 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.6 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 9.5 | 11.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 100 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
1Apr
4May
7Jun
12Jul
4Aug
5Sep
4Oct
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 38 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | $500 | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | $500 | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | $2K | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2018 | Tornado | EF3 | $200M | $4K | — | 23 | County |
| 19 Jul 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $100 | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | $20K | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $30K | $2K | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | $2K | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $20K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | $1K | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $150K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $20K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $2K | $500 | — | — | County |
| 19 May 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1989 | Tornado | F4 | $25M | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1989 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1987 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1981 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 9 | County |
| 16 Sep 1978 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1974 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1969 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1969 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1966 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1962 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 23 Apr 1961 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 6 | County |
| 1 Jun 1951 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | 7 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Marshall County had?
38 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 Marshall County?
10 Aug 2020 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Marshall County?
The tornado of 19 Jul 2018, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $200M and crop damage at $4K.
How does Marshall County compare with Iowa for tornado?
6.6 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 38 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.