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Tornado History

Polk Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Polk, Iowa. The records below identify 67 tornadoes from 1958 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $131.8M, with 2 deaths and 152 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes67
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries152
Property Damage$131.8M
Avg Length3.7 mi
Avg Width81 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Polk, Iowa

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

Average 1.0 tornadoes per year (1.6/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 21 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Polk, Iowa with 2 deaths
2024 was the most active year with 7 tornadoes
The 1980s had the most tornado activity (18 events)
Longest tornado: 28.8 miles in Polk, Iowa
Widest tornado: 800.0 yards in Polk, Iowa
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Jun 11, 1984

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 Polk, Iowa, May is the most active month with 21 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

7530

Summary: 2024 was the most active year with 7 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F4
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 24 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.

$75.0M$7.5M$750K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2022 with at least $75.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 June 18, 19741974F4 September 28, 19861986EF2 March 5, 20222022F2 June 29, 19981998EF2 May 21, 20242024F2 October 14, 19661966F2 May 6, 19831983F2 June 29, 19861986F2 March 13, 19901990EF2 April 26, 20242024EF2 July 19, 20182018EF2 July 19, 20182018F2 June 11, 19661966F2 July 28, 19761976F2 May 10, 1959F1 September 6, 2001EF1 July 15, 2024F1 June 6, 1980F1 June 15, 1982F1 May 30, 2000EF1 October 2, 2007EF1 May 19, 2013F1 April 8, 1999EF1 July 27, 2008F1 June 12, 1976F1 May 6, 1983F1 September 9, 1984EF1 April 23, 2022F1 April 18, 2002F1 May 10, 1959EF1 May 25, 2020EF0 May 24, 2024EF0 May 24, 2024EF0 May 24, 2024F0 April 8, 1999F0 July 30, 1979F0 May 11, 1985EF0 November 11, 2015F0 September 5, 2004F0 November 11, 1982F0 June 11, 1984F0 June 11, 1984EF0 July 19, 2018F0 May 18, 2000F0 April 18, 2002EF0 April 23, 2022F0 April 28, 1974F0 June 16, 1990F0 July 2, 1983F0 June 11, 1984F0 May 8, 1986F0 May 9, 1986F0 May 9, 1986F0 May 9, 1986F0 May 2, 1987F0 May 19, 1998F0 May 30, 2000F0 April 11, 2001F0 July 24, 2001F0 May 22, 2004F0 April 2, 2006Unknown March 30, 1958Unknown July 30, 1967Unknown August 15, 1977EFU September 21, 2019EFU April 23, 2022EFU June 25, 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
June 18, 1974F4Polk, Iowa15.3 mi400 yd250$25.0M
September 28, 1986F4Polk, Iowa6 mi250 yd00$2.5M
March 5, 2022EF2Polk, Iowa13.62 mi400 yd00$75.0M
June 29, 1998F2Polk, Iowa18.3 mi150 yd083$10.0M
May 21, 2024EF2Polk, Iowa17.55 mi800 yd02$5.2M
October 14, 1966F2Polk, Iowa13.5 mi50 yd00$2.5M
May 6, 1983F2Polk, Iowa1 mi60 yd00$2.5M
June 29, 1986F2Polk, Iowa5 mi50 yd00$2.5M
March 13, 1990F2Polk, Iowa12 mi60 yd015$2.5M
April 26, 2024EF2Polk, Iowa7.61 mi150 yd01$1.5M
July 19, 2018EF2Polk, Iowa2.95 mi100 yd00$250K
July 19, 2018EF2Polk, Iowa3.68 mi130 yd00$35K

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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.