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Iowa · County tornado history

Pocahontas County, Iowa tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 49 tornadoes in Pocahontas County, Iowa from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 15 of 99 counties in Iowa with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 31, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
49
Since 2000
27
Strongest
EF4, April 9, 2011
Most recent
EF-U, May 31, 2024
Peak month
May (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
85
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Pocahontas County

May has brought the most, 16 of 49. About 67% touched down between 1 pm and 7 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) 11
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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) 10

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 Pocahontas County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 28, 1979 F4 14.9 mi 33 yd 3 26
May 27, 1995 F4 36 mi 400 yd
April 9, 2011 EF4 3.2 mi 587 yd
June 7, 1953 F3 30.7 mi 200 yd
April 9, 2011 EF3 29.4 mi 2,640 yd
May 21, 2004 F2 12.5 mi 880 yd 15
June 7, 1984 F2 25 mi 100 yd 2
April 12, 2022 EF2 7.2 mi 450 yd 1
June 7, 1953 F2 49.2 mi 833 yd
April 26, 1984 F2 22 mi 200 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Pocahontas County was an F4 on June 28, 1979. It killed 3 people and injured 26 along its 14.9-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 31, 2024 EF-U 0.4 mi 30 yd
April 16, 2024 EF0 0.6 mi 40 yd
April 16, 2024 EF-U 1.4 mi 75 yd
April 16, 2024 EF0 1.7 mi 75 yd
June 24, 2023 EF0 2.8 mi 80 yd
May 13, 2023 EF-U 0.6 mi 30 yd
May 13, 2023 EF-U 0.5 mi 30 yd
May 13, 2023 EF-U 0.5 mi 40 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 Pocahontas County as relatively low, with a score of 50 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.50 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,308,081 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 Pocahontas County had?

49 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 27 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Pocahontas County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 31, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pocahontas County?

An EF4 on April 9, 2011, with a 3.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pocahontas 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.