Marion, IA Tornado History — 150 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Marion, IA had?
Marion has had 150 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 9 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Marion?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Marion was an EF1 on July 11, 2025.
When is tornado season in Marion?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Marion, with 38 on record. April through June account for 83 of the 150 tornadoes on record near Marion.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Marion
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 53 total, averaging 2.6 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Marion 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
A short lived EF1 tornado with max winds to 100 MPH hit a farmstead causing damage to an outbuilding. A piece of the roof of that building was shot through the wall of (DVN)
Long lived funnel cloud associated with a storm southwest of Cedar Rapids resulted in a brief touchdown just north of the Eastern Iowa Airport. This was an EFU tornado. (DVN)
Within 25 miles of Marion. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Marion
3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Marion and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on July 11, 2025 and the most recent on July 11, 2025. They are already counted in the Marion totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
Brief EF0 tornado with a 1.6 mile long track was identified from satellite data as well as pictures from Delaware County EMA. The wall of a farm outbuilding was destroy (DVN)
This tornado developed just east of the Wapsipinicon River in Linn County and crossed into Jones County ending near U.S. Highway 151. Snapped large trees were found at (DVN)
This tornado intensified rapidly after development... and there was a visual from a farmstead to the north of the tornado developing. A dozen large trees at the first h (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 Marion
2 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Marion since 1950, across 2 events. 76 injuries have been reported across all events. 1962 was the deadliest year on record near Marion.
The deadliest single event was an F3 on April 23, 1961, which caused 1 fatality along a 87.7-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Marion
What the record shows near Marion
The 2000s were the busiest decade near Marion, with 29 of the 150 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 25 so far. The Marion record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Marion, 102 reached EF0 or EF1 and 35 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Marion is rated EF4, of which 3 are logged. A further 13 near Marion are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Marion has averaged 2.6 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 53 in total. 2018 was the busiest of them with 8, and 5 of those years passed with none at all.