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Tornado History

Cedar Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Cedar, Iowa. The records below identify 42 tornadoes from 1957 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $8.7M, with 1 deaths and 22 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes42
Total Deaths1
Total Injuries22
Property Damage$8.7M
Avg Length6.8 mi
Avg Width81 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Cedar, Iowa

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

Average 0.6 tornadoes per year (1.3/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 14 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Cedar, Iowa with 1 deaths
1982 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (12 events)
Longest tornado: 70.2 miles in Cedar, Iowa
Widest tornado: 440.0 yards in Cedar, Iowa
Most tornadoes in one day: 4 on May 20, 1982

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 Cedar, Iowa, May is the most active month with 14 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

4320

Summary: 1982 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
F4
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 11 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.

$2.8M$275K$28K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1988 with at least $2.8M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 April 11, 19651965F3 May 15, 19981998F2 May 8, 19881988F2 May 9, 19951995F2 July 27, 19951995F2 May 21, 19571957F2 April 28, 19741974F2 March 22, 19911991F2 June 7, 19611961EF2 March 31, 20232023EF2 March 31, 20232023F1 July 20, 20032003F1 July 1, 19831983F1 August 21, 19871987F1 April 2, 1988EF1 March 6, 2017F1 June 17, 1984F1 November 29, 1991F1 March 22, 1991EF1 June 1, 2007EF1 May 23, 2020EF1 May 23, 2020EF1 March 31, 2023EF1 March 31, 2023EF1 May 24, 2024EF1 May 24, 2024F0 July 22, 1991EF0 September 25, 2018F0 March 8, 1990F0 July 27, 1995F0 May 20, 1982F0 May 20, 1982F0 May 20, 1982F0 May 20, 1982F0 June 22, 1984F0 July 27, 1995F0 August 22, 1996F0 June 18, 1998EF0 August 18, 2015EF0 May 24, 2019EF0 March 14, 2025EFU May 24, 2024© 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
April 11, 1965F4Cedar, Iowa70.2 mi200 yd10$2.5M
May 15, 1998F3Cedar, Iowa15 mi400 yd02$2K
May 8, 1988F2Cedar, Iowa7 mi90 yd00$2.5M
May 9, 1995F2Cedar, Iowa7 mi100 yd00$500K
July 27, 1995F2Cedar, Iowa7.5 mi100 yd00$500K
May 21, 1957F2Cedar, Iowa8.9 mi100 yd00$250K
April 28, 1974F2Cedar, Iowa2.3 mi100 yd016$250K
March 22, 1991F2Cedar, Iowa10 mi80 yd00$250K
June 7, 1961F2Cedar, Iowa5.1 mi200 yd01$25K
March 31, 2023EF2Cedar, Iowa16.42 mi250 yd00N/A
March 31, 2023EF2Cedar, Iowa16.05 mi200 yd02N/A
July 20, 2003F1Cedar, Iowa2.4 mi440 yd00$1.0M

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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.