Altoona, IA Tornado History — 186 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Altoona, IA had?
Altoona has had 186 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 9 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Altoona?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Altoona was an EF1 on July 15, 2024.
When is tornado season in Altoona?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Altoona, with 59 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Altoona
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 67 total, averaging 3.4 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Altoona since December 29, 2025
These are 2 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Within 25 miles of Altoona. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Altoona
8 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Altoona since 1950, across 2 events. 194 injuries have been reported across all events. 2022 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF4 on March 5, 2022, which caused 6 fatalities along a 70.6-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Altoona
About Tornadoes in Altoona
This overview was written July 24, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Altoona sits just east of Des Moines in central Iowa, in the open farmland of the Corn Belt near the edge of the metropolitan area. It lies within the tornado-prone heart of the country, where the flat-to-rolling terrain does little to weaken the storm systems that move through in the warm season.
The area's tornadoes are born of clashing air masses. Warm, humid air surging north from the Gulf of Mexico meets cooler, drier air from the north and west, and when a strong jet stream aloft supplies wind shear, thunderstorms can organize into rotating supercells. Activity is generally greatest from late spring into summer, when heat and moisture make the atmosphere most volatile, though the threat persists across the warmer half of the year.
Tornado strength is measured on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which grades a tornado from EF0 to EF5 based on surveyed damage rather than a measured wind speed. Most tornadoes are weak, while the strongest are rare but capable of severe destruction. For the specific history near Altoona — the total on record, the breakdown by decade and rating, and the deadliest, costliest, and most recent events — see the figures compiled from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center elsewhere on this page.