Iowa, 1996
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 1996 was 1,847 against 465 in 1995.
Counties with the most recorded events
Notable events
| Date | County | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 1996 | Poweshiek | Heavy Snow | — | — | 2 | — |
| 3 May 1996 | Pottawattamie | Lightning | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Jackson | Winter Storm | — | $80,000 | 1 | — |
| 18 Jan 1996 | Butler | Blizzard | — | — | 1 | — |
| 4 Feb 1996 | Davis | Cold/Wind Chill | — | — | 1 | — |
| 25 Mar 1996 | Kossuth | Blizzard | — | — | 1 | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Scott | Winter Storm | — | $100,000 | — | 10 |
| 21 Jun 1996 | Harrison | Flood | — | $7,500,000 | — | — |
| 27 Dec 1996 | Scott | Winter Storm | — | $100,000 | — | 3 |
| 24 Mar 1996 | Woodbury | Blizzard | — | $40,000 | — | 3 |
| 16 Jul 1996 | Monona | Flood | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 9 May 1996 | Monroe | Tornado | F1 | $380,000 | — | 2 |
| 21 Jun 1996 | Crawford | Flash Flood | — | $11,000,000 | — | — |
| 17 May 1996 | Floyd | Hail | 4.50 in | $600,000 | — | 1 |
| 16 Jul 1996 | Woodbury | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $200,000 | — | 1 |
| 7 Aug 1996 | Fayette | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $30,000 | — | 1 |
| 4 Aug 1996 | Cerro Gordo | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $25,000 | — | 1 |
| 4 Aug 1996 | Cerro Gordo | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $25,000 | — | 1 |
| 29 Oct 1996 | Dubuque | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $20,000 | — | 1 |
| 29 Oct 1996 | Dubuque | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $20,000 | — | 1 |
| 29 Oct 1996 | Dubuque | High Wind | 60 mph | $20,000 | — | 1 |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Benton | Winter Storm | — | $3,500 | — | 1 |
| 5 Aug 1996 | Mahaska | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 |
| 16 Jul 1996 | Harrison | Flood | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 16 Jun 1996 | Story | Flash Flood | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 17 Jun 1996 | Mahaska | Flood | — | $500,000 | — | — |
| 17 Jun 1996 | Story | Flood | — | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Woodbury | Flood | — | $400,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Sioux | Hail | 2.50 in | $300,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Plymouth | Flood | — | $300,000 | — | — |
| 20 Jun 1996 | Dallas | Flood | — | $500,000 | — | — |
| 10 May 1996 | Scott | Thunderstorm Wind | 98 mph | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 10 May 1996 | Clinton | Thunderstorm Wind | 104 mph | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 10 May 1996 | Clinton | Tornado | F1 | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 16 Jul 1996 | Woodbury | Flash Flood | — | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 9 May 1996 | Louisa | Thunderstorm Wind | 98 mph | $800,000 | — | — |
| 25 Apr 1996 | Davis | High Wind | 60 mph | $750,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Ida | Flood | — | $200,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Cherokee | Flood | — | $200,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Sioux | Flood | — | $200,000 | — | — |
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 1996
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 1996 | DR-1133 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, And Flooding | 15 |
| 24 Jun 1996 | DR-1121 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | 16 |
Flood insurance claims with a 1996 date of loss
185 NFIP claims, 140 of them paid, for $2,402,327.
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.