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Tornado in Polk County, Iowa
68 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 68 tornado events in Polk County, Iowa, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 33 years.
May is the busiest month, with 22 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 20 events against 19 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.9% of the 3,501 tornado events recorded in Iowa; its 11.9 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
NCEI attributes 2 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 31 at (E)F0, 16 at (E)F1, 13 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 2 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 6 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Iowa
| Measure | Polk County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 68 | 3,501 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 11.9 | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.4 | 11.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 2 | 100 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
3Apr
11May
22Jun
12Jul
10Aug
1Sep
5Oct
2Nov
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 68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $90K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $5.2M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.5M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 23 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF2 | $75M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | $200 | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2018 | Tornado | EF2 | $35K | $4K | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2018 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 2 Oct 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2002 | Tornado | F1 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2002 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | $5K | — | 1 | County |
| 24 Jul 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | $1K | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2000 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $43K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F2 | $10M | $75K | — | 83 | County |
| 19 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | $500 | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1990 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 1990 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 15 | County |
| 2 May 1987 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1986 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1986 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1985 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 1983 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1983 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1979 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 1977 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1974 | Tornado | F4 | $25M | — | 2 | 50 | County |
| 28 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1967 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Oct 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1959 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1959 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 1958 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Polk County had?
68 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 Polk County?
15 Jul 2024 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Polk County?
The tornado of 5 Mar 2022, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $75M.
How does Polk County compare with Iowa for tornado?
11.9 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 68 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.