Iowa, 1988
The year's recorded storm events, federal disaster declarations and flood insurance claims.
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.
Events by hazard
Includes events recorded by forecast zone. The state's yearly total for 1988 was 205 against 248 in 1987.
Counties with the most recorded events
Notable events
| Date | County | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 1988 | Pottawattamie | Tornado | F2 | $25,000,000 | — | 42 |
| 15 Jul 1988 | Pottawattamie | Tornado | F3 | $25,000,000 | — | 34 |
| 15 Jul 1988 | Pottawattamie | Tornado | F1 | $25,000,000 | — | 12 |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Monroe | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | 4 |
| 8 May 1988 | Jefferson | Tornado | F2 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Louisa | Tornado | F2 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Scott | Tornado | F3 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Clinton | Tornado | F3 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Davis | Tornado | F2 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Wapello | Tornado | F2 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Washington | Tornado | F2 | $25,000,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Bremer | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | 1 |
| 8 May 1988 | Dubuque | Tornado | F1 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Cedar | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Poweshiek | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Iowa | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Washington | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Johnson | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Johnson | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 24 Mar 1988 | Fayette | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 24 Mar 1988 | Winneshiek | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 7 May 1988 | Pottawattamie | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Mahaska | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Buchanan | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Bremer | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 24 Mar 1988 | Cerro Gordo | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Muscatine | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Jones | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Des Moines | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 9 Jul 1988 | Buchanan | Tornado | F0 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Wayne | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Wayne | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Appanoose | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Davis | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Wapello | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Keokuk | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 24 Mar 1988 | Floyd | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Bremer | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Wapello | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 8 May 1988 | Warren | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
Up to 40 events with deaths, injuries, damage of $50,000 or more, or a tornado rating, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage.
Federal disaster declarations in 1988
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul 1988 | DR-814 | Major disaster | Tornado | Rain, Winds, & Tornadoes | 1 |
Flood insurance claims with a 1988 date of loss
No NFIP claims in Iowa carry a 1988 date of loss.
Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (1 Oct 2026); OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 (8 Sep 2026). Built 1 Oct 2026.