Cedar Rapids, IA Tornado History — 154 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Cedar Rapids, IA had?
Cedar Rapids has had 154 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 8 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Cedar Rapids?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids was an EF1 on July 11, 2025.
When is tornado season in Cedar Rapids?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Cedar Rapids, with 37 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 Cedar Rapids
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 54 total, averaging 2.7 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Cedar Rapids 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Cedar Rapids. 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 Cedar Rapids
4 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids since 1950, across 3 events. 90 injuries have been reported across all events. 2014 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF1 on April 27, 2014, which caused 2 fatalities along a 45.7-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Cedar Rapids
About Tornadoes in Cedar Rapids
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Cedar Rapids sits astride the Cedar River in eastern Iowa, where the land is a gently rolling quilt of glacial till, floodplain, and open farm country. Nothing in this low-relief terrain blunts the warm, humid Gulf of Mexico air that streams north across the state each spring, and when jet-stream disturbances and Plains cold fronts ride over that moist surface layer, thunderstorms crossing the Cedar valley can begin to rotate.
The area's history holds violent examples. On May 1, 1954, an F4 tornado tore an 80.4-mile path through the region. An F3 on April 23, 1961 killed 1 person and injured 12 along an 87.7-mile track. On March 13, 1990, another F4 carved a 19-mile path and caused roughly 27,500,000 dollars in damage near the city. In the modern era, an EF1 on April 27, 2014 claimed 2 lives on a long track, and another EF1 touched down on July 11, 2025.
The heart of the local season arrives in late spring and early summer, though the archive maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows twisters near Cedar Rapids as early as March and as late as September. For current counts, ratings, and event details, consult the live listings elsewhere on this page.