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Iowa · County tornado history

Page County, Iowa tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 38 tornadoes in Page County, Iowa from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 40 of 99 counties in Iowa with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 21, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
38
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F4, March 29, 1979
Most recent
EF1, May 21, 2024
Peak month
May (11)
Per 1,000 sq mi
71
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Page County

May has brought the most, 11 of 38. About 71% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 8
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 16
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Page County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 12, 1964 F4 13.1 mi 400 yd 1 28
March 29, 1979 F4 18.8 mi 500 yd 20
April 5, 1954 F4 6.3 mi 900 yd 2
August 28, 1979 F3 38.3 mi 533 yd 2 14
June 7, 1984 F3 25 mi 100 yd 3
June 19, 1964 F3 11.5 mi 350 yd 2
June 19, 1964 F3 10.6 mi 200 yd 1
April 5, 1954 F3 5.2 mi 667 yd
May 21, 2024 EF3 33.9 mi 1,300 yd
April 23, 1955 F2 1.5 mi 30 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Page County was an F3 on August 28, 1979. It killed 2 people and injured 14 along its 38.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 21, 2024 EF1 1.7 mi 85 yd
May 21, 2024 EF3 33.9 mi 1,300 yd
May 21, 2024 EF1 3.3 mi 80 yd
October 1, 2019 EF-U 0 mi 50 yd
June 28, 2017 EF1 2.1 mi 75 yd
November 11, 2015 EF0 0.6 mi 50 yd
June 5, 2008 EF0 1.2 mi 80 yd
August 26, 2004 F2 7 mi 1,200 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Page County as relatively moderate, with a score of 70 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.42 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,411,758 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Page County had?

38 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Page County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 21, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Page County?

An F4 on March 29, 1979, with a 18.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Page County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.