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Tornado History

Wapello Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Wapello, Iowa. The records below identify 24 tornadoes from 1958 through 2023, including a highest listed rating of F2 (Considerable damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $31.2M, with 2 deaths and 3 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes24
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries3
Property Damage$31.2M
Avg Length4.0 mi
Avg Width74 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Wapello, Iowa

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

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.2/yr in last decade)
June is the peak tornado month with 8 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F2 in Wapello, Iowa with 2 deaths
1988 was the most active year with 3 tornadoes
The 1980s had the most tornado activity (6 events)
Longest tornado: 13 miles in Wapello, Iowa
Widest tornado: 400.0 yards in Wapello, Iowa
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Jun 16, 1990

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 Wapello, Iowa, June is the most active month with 8 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

3210

Summary: 1988 was the most active year with 3 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
Unknown

Summary: F2 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 8 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.

$25.5M$2.5M$255K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1988 with at least $25.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F2 May 8, 19881988F2 September 13, 19821982EF2 March 31, 20232023F2 April 11, 20012001F2 May 8, 19881988F2 November 15, 19881988F2 June 16, 19901990F2 April 8, 19991999F2 June 8, 19581958EF1 June 8, 20082008EF1 June 20, 20152015F1 March 28, 19771977F1 April 14, 19871987EF1 April 27, 20142014F1 March 30, 1998F1 June 1, 2000F0 June 16, 1990F0 June 16, 1990F0 April 14, 1987F0 May 15, 1998F0 April 30, 2003F0 April 30, 2003EF0 June 20, 2018Unknown August 24, 1976© 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
May 8, 1988F2Wapello, Iowa3 mi60 yd00$25.0M
September 13, 1982F2Wapello, Iowa13 mi100 yd00$2.5M
March 31, 2023EF2Wapello, Iowa8.71 mi400 yd00$2.0M
April 11, 2001F2Wapello, Iowa8.4 mi100 yd23$400K
May 8, 1988F2Wapello, Iowa11 mi43 yd00$250K
November 15, 1988F2Wapello, Iowa6 mi63 yd00$250K
June 16, 1990F2Wapello, Iowa6.5 mi53 yd00$250K
April 8, 1999F2Wapello, Iowa5 mi200 yd00$100K
June 8, 1958F2Wapello, Iowa0 mi50 yd00$2K
June 8, 2008EF1Wapello, Iowa2.08 mi100 yd00$75K
June 20, 2015EF1Wapello, Iowa3 mi175 yd00$75K
March 28, 1977F1Wapello, Iowa0 mi30 yd00$25K

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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.