Burlington, IA Tornado History — 96 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Burlington, IA had?
Burlington has had 96 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Burlington?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Burlington was an EF0 on June 3, 2025.
When is tornado season in Burlington?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Burlington, with 27 on record. April through June account for 71 of the 96 tornadoes on record near Burlington.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Burlington
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 25 total, averaging 1.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Burlington since December 29, 2025
These are 3 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
[Landspout] Multiple spotter reports of a landspout tornado reaching the ground and then dissipating. (DVN)
In coordination with the Denmark... IA Fire Dept... an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 100 mph and path length of 1.2 miles was determined to have occurred on March 1 (DVN)
An EF1 tornado with max winds near 90 mph begun its 2.1 mile long path with damage to tree branches. The tornado then caused damage to some fascia on a house. It then c (DVN)
Within 25 miles of Burlington. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Burlington
3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Burlington and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 20, 2025 and the most recent on June 3, 2025. They are already counted in the Burlington totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
A brief EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 80 mph touched down southwest of Ft Madison Iowa. This damaged an irrigator... a garage... and trees. (DVN)
An EF1 tornado started just south of Blandinsville and tracked to NE along a 7 mile path. Tree damage was noted at numerous locations with large branches and some trees (DVN)
DOT metal building/shed collapsed. (DVN)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
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 Burlington
1 fatality has been recorded within 25 miles of Burlington since 1950, across 1 event. 54 injuries have been reported across all events. 1967 was the deadliest year on record near Burlington.
The deadliest single event was an F3 on January 24, 1967, which caused 1 fatality along a 4.3-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Burlington
What the record shows near Burlington
The 1990s were the busiest decade near Burlington, with 21 of the 96 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 8 so far. The Burlington record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Burlington, 72 reached EF0 or EF1 and 20 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Burlington is rated EF4, of which 1 is logged. A further 4 near Burlington are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Burlington has averaged 1.3 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 25 in total. 2015 was the busiest of them with 8, and 10 of those years passed with none at all.