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Tornado History

Poweshiek Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Poweshiek, Iowa. The records below identify 29 tornadoes from 1953 through 2023, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $11.5M, with 4 deaths and 53 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes29
Total Deaths4
Total Injuries53
Property Damage$11.5M
Avg Length5.8 mi
Avg Width121 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Poweshiek, Iowa

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

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.9/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 7 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Poweshiek, Iowa with 4 deaths
1965 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (8 events)
Longest tornado: 52.7 miles in Poweshiek, Iowa
Widest tornado: 1,250.0 yards in Poweshiek, Iowa
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Apr 23, 1965

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 Poweshiek, Iowa, May is the most active month with 7 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

4320

Summary: 1965 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
Unknown
EFU

Summary: EF0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 6 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.

$5.0M$500K$50K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1978 with at least $5.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 September 16, 19781978F3 August 12, 19561956F2 June 26, 19781978F2 May 8, 19881988EF2 September 30, 20072007F2 June 7, 19531953F1 April 24, 19651965EF1 September 30, 20072007EF1 April 10, 20082008F1 April 30, 19671967EF1 May 29, 20192019EF1 March 5, 20222022F1 May 9, 19591959EF0 April 10, 20082008F0 May 11, 1985F0 March 30, 1968F0 May 18, 2000EF0 November 11, 2015F0 June 12, 2001EF0 November 28, 2016EF0 November 28, 2016EF0 October 9, 2018EF0 October 9, 2018Unknown April 23, 1965Unknown April 23, 1965Unknown April 23, 1965EFU May 29, 2019EFU May 29, 2019EFU 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
September 16, 1978F3Poweshiek, Iowa4.1 mi200 yd443$2.5M
August 12, 1956F3Poweshiek, Iowa5.1 mi200 yd08$25K
June 26, 1978F2Poweshiek, Iowa0.7 mi100 yd01$2.5M
May 8, 1988F2Poweshiek, Iowa4 mi60 yd00$2.5M
September 30, 2007EF2Poweshiek, Iowa12.02 mi1250 yd00$2.5M
June 7, 1953F2Poweshiek, Iowa52.7 mi200 yd00N/A
April 24, 1965F1Poweshiek, Iowa0 mi300 yd00$250K
September 30, 2007EF1Poweshiek, Iowa4.97 mi150 yd00$250K
April 10, 2008EF1Poweshiek, Iowa7.64 mi50 yd00$100K
April 30, 1967F1Poweshiek, Iowa0 mi33 yd00$25K
May 29, 2019EF1Poweshiek, Iowa3.52 mi50 yd01$10K
March 5, 2022EF1Poweshiek, Iowa3.32 mi150 yd00$5K

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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.