Waterloo, IA Tornado History — 130 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Waterloo, IA had?
Waterloo has had 130 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 11 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Waterloo?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Waterloo was an Unrated on August 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Waterloo?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Waterloo, with 36 on record. April through June account for 78 of the 130 tornadoes on record near Waterloo.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Waterloo
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 35 total, averaging 1.8 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Waterloo 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 well documented... large spatially... HP supercell... low-level mesocyclone produced an EF2 tornado along its 5 mile path. Most of the damage was EF1 damage to struct (DVN)
Brief touchdown confirmed by a video received via social media. (DMX)
Within 25 miles of Waterloo. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. 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 Waterloo
17 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Waterloo since 1950, across 5 events. 311 injuries have been reported across all events. 2008 was the deadliest year on record near Waterloo.
The deadliest single event was an EF5 on May 25, 2008, which caused 9 fatalities along a 41.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Waterloo
What the record shows near Waterloo
The 2000s were the busiest decade near Waterloo, with 37 of the 130 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 14 so far. The Waterloo record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Waterloo, 93 reached EF0 or EF1 and 32 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Waterloo is rated EF5, of which 2 are logged. A further 5 near Waterloo are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Waterloo has averaged 1.8 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 35 in total. 2014 was the busiest of them with 11, and 7 of those years passed with none at all.