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Tornado History

Benton Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Benton, Iowa. The records below identify 42 tornadoes from 1965 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $3.2M, with 1 deaths and 22 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes42
Total Deaths1
Total Injuries22
Property Damage$3.2M
Avg Length1.6 mi
Avg Width80 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Benton, Iowa

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.7 tornadoes per year (2.0/yr in last decade)
July is the peak tornado month with 12 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Benton, Iowa with 1 deaths
2004 was the most active year with 5 tornadoes
The 2020s had the most tornado activity (13 events)
Longest tornado: 13.98 miles in Benton, Iowa
Widest tornado: 560.0 yards in Benton, Iowa
Most tornadoes in one day: 5 on Jul 14, 2021

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Benton, Iowa, July is the most active month with 12 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

5420

Summary: 2004 was the most active year with 5 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
EF2
F3
F4
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 12 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1965 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 August 26, 19651965F3 April 19, 19661966EF2 July 17, 20162016EF2 March 31, 20232023EF2 March 31, 20232023F1 July 20, 20032003EF1 July 2, 20082008F1 May 21, 20042004F1 August 12, 19751975EF1 July 17, 20162016F1 June 27, 19651965EF1 June 30, 20142014EF1 July 14, 20212021EF1 March 5, 20222022EF1 July 11, 2025EF1 July 11, 2025F0 April 11, 2001F0 April 13, 2006F0 June 28, 1990F0 June 22, 1984F0 August 3, 1994F0 June 29, 1996F0 April 8, 2001F0 June 12, 2002F0 May 21, 2004F0 May 21, 2004F0 May 21, 2004F0 May 30, 2004EF0 July 6, 2014EF0 June 16, 2014EF0 June 14, 2016EF0 June 28, 2017EF0 September 3, 2018EF0 September 3, 2018EF0 October 9, 2018EFU July 14, 2021EFU July 14, 2021EFU July 14, 2021EFU July 14, 2021EFU September 22, 2023EFU September 26, 2023EFU March 31, 2023© OpenStreetMap contributors

Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
August 26, 1965F4Benton, Iowa4.7 mi200 yd117$2.5M
April 19, 1966F3Benton, Iowa3 mi400 yd00$250K
July 17, 2016EF2Benton, Iowa1.59 mi100 yd05N/A
March 31, 2023EF2Benton, Iowa1.7 mi50 yd00N/A
March 31, 2023EF2Benton, Iowa2.64 mi50 yd00N/A
July 20, 2003F1Benton, Iowa6.8 mi150 yd00$200K
July 2, 2008EF1Benton, Iowa1.54 mi75 yd00$100K
May 21, 2004F1Benton, Iowa1.7 mi150 yd00$50K
August 12, 1975F1Benton, Iowa0 mi33 yd00$25K
July 17, 2016EF1Benton, Iowa3.46 mi75 yd00$25K
June 27, 1965F1Benton, Iowa0 mi100 yd00$250
June 30, 2014EF1Benton, Iowa0.43 mi75 yd00N/A

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Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.