Iowa Tornado History — 3,082 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes does Iowa get per year?
Iowa has had 3,082 tornadoes on record since 1950, including 168 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes — averaging about 40.6 per year since 1950 (about 63.9 per year over the last decade). Counts come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center archive for Iowa. The 30 cities below report tornadoes within their own search radius, so those figures overlap each other and do not sum to the state total.
When was the most recent tornado in Iowa?
The most recent confirmed tornado in our Iowa dataset was an unrated tornado on August 18, 2025. Confirmed records are complete through December 29, 2025; more recent preliminary reports are listed below.
When is tornado season in Iowa?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes in Iowa, with 784 on record since 1950. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most US states.
Iowa at a Glance
Notable Tornadoes in Iowa
62 preliminary tornado reports in Iowa since December 29, 2025
These are 62 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Showing the 10 most recent of 62 preliminary reports.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.