Iowa tornadoes peak in June, so check which counties have tornado, severe thunderstorm or flood warnings now
No active warnings or watches in Iowa
Nothing is listed right now. Check your exact location for the latest.
Iowa severe weather alerts by type
What each kind of alert means and where to see it for Iowa.
Iowa tornado watches and warnings
None active in Iowa right now. A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible.
Iowa severe thunderstorm watches and warnings
None active in Iowa right now. A severe thunderstorm has winds of 58 mph or higher, hail 1 inch across or larger, or both.
Iowa flood watches and flash flood warnings
None active in Iowa right now. A flood watch means flooding is possible.
Iowa winter storm, ice storm, snow and blizzard warnings
None active in Iowa right now. Winter alerts run from a watch (possible within about 48 hours) to a warning (occurring or imminent) and an advisory for less serious but still inconvenient conditions.
Iowa heat advisories and extreme heat warnings
None active in Iowa right now. A heat advisory is the lower level and an extreme heat warning the higher level; both based on the heat index.
Iowa wind advisories and high wind warnings
None active in Iowa right now. A wind advisory is for strong winds; a high wind warning is for damaging winds.
Other alert types: Tropical · Fire weather · Coastal · Marine
Iowa tornado history: last tornado, strongest and worst on record
From the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database, 1950 through 2025.
Iowa has 3,079 tornadoes on record, about 41 a year, and 1,495 of them since 2000. That ranks Iowa number 7 among the 50 states by count. 168 were rated EF3 or stronger, including 49 rated EF4 or EF5. They caused 98 deaths and 2,285 injuries.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 52 | 69 | 56 | 28 | 119 | 42 | 72 | 124 | 32 |
Most Iowa tornadoes have come from April through June. The single busiest month is June (25% of the total).
Counts use each tornado's starting state. Ratings before 2007 use the original Fujita scale. The database ends in 2025, so more recent tornadoes are not included.
Iowa flood map and flood warnings
No flood watch or warning is active in Iowa right now. Flood zones are mapped by FEMA street by street. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center lets you search an address and see its flood zone.
Iowa storm tracker: storms and events
No tracked events involve Iowa right now.
Official sources for Iowa
Iowa emergency managementFEMA: state and local emergency managementNWS La Crosse, WI: warnings and local alertsNWS Des Moines, IA: warnings and local alertsNWS Quad Cities, IA/IL: warnings and local alertsNWS Sioux Falls, SD: warnings and local alertsNWS Omaha/Valley, NE: warnings and local alertsNWS safety guidesCommon questions
Is there a tornado warning, winter storm warning or other weather warning in Iowa right now?
We do not see an active tornado, winter storm or other warning or watch for Iowa in the latest National Weather Service data. Conditions change quickly, so check your ZIP code for the latest.
When was the last tornado in Iowa, and how many have there been since 2000?
The most recent tornado in the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database for Iowa is August 18, 2025. The database lists 1,495 Iowa tornadoes since 2000 and 3,079 since 1950. It runs through 2025, so it does not include later tornadoes.
What was the deadliest tornado in Iowa, and what was the strongest?
By rating, the strongest in the record is May 15, 1968, rated EF5, 13 deaths. It is also the deadliest. Ratings before 2007 use the original Fujita scale.
How does Iowa rank for tornadoes among the states?
Iowa ranks 7th of 50 states by the number of tornadoes since 1950: 3,079 in all, about 41 a year. 168 were rated EF3 or stronger, 49 of them EF4 or EF5. They caused 98 deaths and 2,285 injuries, and the busiest year was 2024 with 124. Each tornado is counted in the state where it started.
When is tornado season in Iowa?
Most Iowa tornadoes in the record came from April through June. June is the busiest single month, with 25% of the total. Tornadoes can happen in any month.
Where do I find Iowa emergency management and National Weather Service offices?
The state agency is Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (https://homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/). The National Weather Service offices that cover Iowa include NWS La Crosse, WI, NWS Des Moines, IA, NWS Quad Cities, IA/IL, NWS Sioux Falls, SD, NWS Omaha/Valley, NE. Evacuation zones and orders come from your county or state emergency management office, not from this site.
Which Iowa cities and counties have their own alert pages?
This site has city pages for Linn County (Cedar Rapids); Polk County (Des Moines); Scott County (Davenport). Each city page shows the alerts for the center of that city.
Be ready in Iowa
Official-source guides for the weather Iowa sees most.
Cities and counties in Iowa
Live alerts and local storm history for each city, grouped by the county it is in.
Alert data comes from the National Weather Service and is refreshed every 15 minutes.