A record-breaking number of tornadoes struck Iowa in the first five months of 2024. Multiple outbreaks have led to damage in small towns and in the Des Moines metro area.
An outbreak of storms on May 21 included the EF4 tornado that hit Greenfield. Four people in the town were killed and one woman was killed in her car a short distance away.
Multiple tornadoes have struck the Des Moines metro area, including an EF1 tornado that tore through Urbandale, Windsor Heights and Des Moines on July 15.
Here's what we know about the deadliest tornadoes in Iowa history:
Deadliest tornadoes in Iowa before 1950
The National Weather Service's tornado records only date back to 1950. Ratings using the Fujita Scale weren't introduced until 1971. The scale was later replaced by the Enhanced Fujita Scale in 2007.
Here's a list of Iowa's deadliest tornadoes before 1950, according to the Tornado Project. Some listings may account for multiple tornadoes that hit in a single day:
June 3, 1860: 92 killed, 175 injured in eastern Iowa
According to unofficial records, eight people died on farms near Dewitt, 41 died in Camanche and 23 died on a raft on the Mississippi River.
July 6, 1893: 71 killed, 200 injured in Pomeroy
A tornado destroyed 80% of the homes in Pomeroy in 1893 and deaths were recorded in four counties.
June 17, 1882: 68 dead, 300 injured in central Iowa
Ten people died near Rippey, seven deaths were recorded in Jasper County, 39 in Grinnell and 10 in Malcolm.
Sept. 21, 1894: 25 dead, 60 injured in north central Iowa
At least 10 farms were reported to be leveled in Hancock County, where 14 people died, six died in Kossuth County and five in Worth County.
March 23, 1913: 25 dead, 75 injured near Council Bluffs
A tornado hit the south edge of Council Bluffs, killing 17 people. Other individuals were reported dead in smaller towns nearby and more deaths and destruction were reported from storms that day in neighboring Omaha, Nebraska.
Deadliest tornados in Iowa, from 1950 to now
The National Weather Service has compiled lists of the strongest and deadliest tornadoes in the state since 1950. Here's what storms have caused the most deaths in Iowa in the last 74 years.
May 15, 1968: 13 dead, 450 injured by F5 tornado in Floyd County
An F5 tornado in Floyd County killed 13 people in 1968, injuring 450 and causing around $25 million in property damage.
May 25, 2008: 9 dead, 50 injured by EF5 tornado in Parkersburg
A tornado tore through Butler County in 2008, killing nine and injuring 50. The EF5 storm hit Parkersburg particularly hard and caused $75 million in property damage and $75,000 in crop damage.
Database:Tornadoes in Iowa since 1950
Oct. 14, 1966: 6 dead, 172 injured during F5 tornado in Worth County
An F5 tornado in 1966 killed six people in Wright County and injured 172, causing $25 million in property damage.
March 5, 2022: 6 dead, 5 injured in EF4 tornado that hit Winterset
A 2022 EF4 tornado killed six and injured five in Madison County, causing $75 million in property damage. Four of the six people killed were members of the same family who had sought shelter inside a home that was razed by the powerful tornado.
From 2023:It's been a year since a tornado killed 7 people in Iowa. Take a look back at the storm
May 15, 1968: 5 dead, 156 injured in Fayette County
An F5 tornado in 1968 killed five people and injured 156 in Fayette County. The storm caused $25 million in property damage.
Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.
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