Benton County, Iowa
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 19011 · population 25,558 · 716 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 989 records for Benton County, Iowa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 528 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (365 records). The deadliest single record is the August 26, 1965 tornado: 1 death and 17 injuries. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1965, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms” on August 17, 2020.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 989on 528 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 326 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $115Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 46strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Benton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 365 since 1961. 58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Iowa's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 365 | 157 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 3 | $29M | 24 of 99 |
| Hail | 275 | 127 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | 18 of 99 |
| Winter storms | 165 | 161 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 1 | $3.0M | 33 of 99 |
| Tornadoes | 46 | 33 | 1965-2025 | 1 | 22 | $32M | 52 of 99 |
| Floods | 44 | 36 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 87 of 99 |
| Extreme cold | 25 | 24 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 91 of 99 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 23 | 20 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 99 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 16 | 1996-2016 | 0 | 0 | $196K | 88 of 99 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 12 | 2000-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 99 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 2003-2013 | 0 | 0 | $28M | 94 of 99 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 93 of 99 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | $732 | 87 of 99 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Benton County had?
NOAA records 46 tornadoes in Benton County from 1965 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 22 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 48 tornadoes whose track touched Benton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 46: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Benton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-08-26 19:00, as SPC files it | La Porte | F4 | 4.7 mi | 1 |
| 1961-04-23 10:15, as SPC files it | Marshalltown | F3 | 87.7 mi | 1 |
| 1971-05-18 15:08, as SPC files it | Blairstown | F3 | 4.3 mi | 0 |
| 1971-05-18 15:12, as SPC files it | Atkins to Palo | F3 | 4.3 mi | 0 |
| 1966-04-19 18:00, as SPC files it | Vining | F3 | 27.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Iowa.
Every tornado record filed for Benton County (46)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-11 | Shellsburg, Benton County | EF1 0.77 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-11 | Keystone, Benton County | EF1 3.8 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-09-26 | Garrison, Benton County | EFU 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-09-22 | Blairstown, Benton County | EFU 0.31 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-31 | Cheney, Benton County | EFU 1.35 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-31 | Cheney, Benton County | EF2 2.64 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-31 | Vinton, Benton County | EF2 1.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-05 | Garrison, Benton County | EF1 13.98 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-14 | Garrison, Benton County | EF1 4.57 mi x 560 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-14 | Shellsburg, Benton County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-14 | Vinton, Benton County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-14 | Garrison, Benton County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-14 | Garrison, Benton County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-10-09 | Blairstown, Benton County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-03 | Vinton, Benton County | EF0 0.01 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-03 | Van Horne, Benton County | EF0 0.01 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-28 | Vinton, Benton County | EF0 0.02 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-17 | Norway, Benton County | EF1 3.46 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
| 2016-07-17 | Vinton, Benton County | EF2 1.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2016-06-14 | Cheney, Benton County | EF0 0.17 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-07-06 | Garrison, Benton County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-30 | Cheney, Benton County | EF1 0.43 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-16 | Atkins, Benton County | EF0 0.07 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2008-07-02 | Van Horne, Benton County | EF1 1.54 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2006-04-13 | Van Horne, Benton County | F0 4.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2004-05-30 | Urbana, Benton County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2004-05-21 | Vinton, Benton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-21 | Atkins, Benton County | F1 1.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $117K |
| 2004-05-21 | Vinton, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-21 | Newhall, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2003-07-20 | Vinton, Benton County | F1 6.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $345K |
| 2002-06-12 | Atkins, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-11 | Mt Auburn, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2001-04-08 | Keystone, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-29 | Mt Auburn, Benton County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-08-03 | Vinton, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-06-28 | Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-06-22 | Benton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-08-12 | Benton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-08-05 | Benton County | F1 11.7 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-18 | Benton County | F3 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-18 | Benton County | F3 4.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-07-14 | Benton County | F1 11.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1966-04-19 | Benton County | F3 3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-08-26 | Benton County | F4 4.7 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 17 | $2.5M step |
| 1965-06-27 | Benton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Benton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 15, 2021 thunderstorm wind (1 death).
A semi-trailer was blown over during severe thunderstorm winds. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 993812)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindAtkins, Benton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindVan Horne, Benton County | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindBlairstown, Benton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGarrison, Benton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailVinton, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailVan Horne, Benton County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailBlairstown, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailNewhall, Benton County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailVan Horne, Benton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailUrbana, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailVinton Meml Airport, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | HailVinton, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-08-26 | TornadoBenton County | F4 4.7 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 17 | $2.5M step |
| 2021-12-15 | Thunderstorm WindWalford, Benton County A semi-trailer was blown over during severe thunderstorm winds. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2008-01-20 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton A trained spotter measured 7.5 inches of snow at Mount Auburn. According to Radio Iowa, an indirect fatality occurred on snow covered I-380 near the Urbana exit in Benton county at around 10 pm. A 82 year old male was killed in a multi-vehicle accident. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-07-17 | TornadoVinton, Benton County A tornado tracked across the southern parts of Vinton, with damage to over a dozen homes, an apartment complex and other buildings including some roofs removed. Numerous power poles and trees were down with damage to other structures like a cell phone tower and some corn fields. | EF2 1.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1984-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindBenton County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2006-04-13 | Thunderstorm WindVan Horne, Benton County NWS storm survey indicates a one mile wide swath of estimated 61 knot (70 mph) winds centered along 71st Street. Several outbuildings were destroyed with tree and roof damage and a tractor trailer rig was blown over. Some windows were blown out causing minor structural damage. One injury occurred with this event. A 22 ... | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $220K |
| 1996-11-14 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton Around an inch of snow caused numerous accidents and injuries across the area as roads became slick. East bound lanes of Interstate 80 were closed near the Mississippi river for over an hour, backing up traffic for 20 miles. One fatality was reported on Highway 218 northwest of Vinton. | 0 | 1 | $7K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-08-10 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Benton County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $22M |
| 2008-06-01 | FloodMt Auburn, Benton County | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2005-07-01 | DroughtBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | |
| 2007-02-24 | Ice StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2003-05-10 | HailUrbana, Benton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2005-05-03 | Frost/FreezeBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1994-06-07 | HailKeystone To Norway, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2011-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindUrbana, Benton County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $656K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 26, 1965 (tornado, Benton County, 1 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Benton County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 7 | 14 | 18 | 36 | 145 | 91 | 54 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 106 | 68 | 52 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 79 | 44 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 13 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 20 | 13 | 7 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 14 | 7 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 65 · Feb 45 · Mar 52 · Apr 111 · May 126 · Jun 230 · Jul 156 · Aug 64 · Sep 36 · Oct 20 · Nov 19 · Dec 65 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Benton County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Benton County: 16 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (8) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-17 | DR-4557 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2020-03-23 | DR-4483 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3480 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-10-31 | DR-4289 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2013-07-31 | DR-4135 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2013-07-02 | DR-4126 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-08-24 | DR-4016 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2008-05-27 | DR-1763 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-03-14 | DR-1688 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3239 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1518 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-06-19 | DR-1420 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1230 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-996 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1993-04-26 | DR-986 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-06-24 | DR-443 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-08-14 | DR-269 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1965-04-22 | DR-193 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Benton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 44 flood or flash flood records for Benton County from 1996 to 2025, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Benton County ranks 1272nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.1 million on 108 claims filed in Benton County; the most in one year was 42 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1993: 4 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 4 · 2004: 1 · 2008: 42 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 7 · 2011: 2 · 2013: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2016: 27 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Benton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.7 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $128K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $113K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.7M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.2M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $1K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Benton County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in IowaEvery Iowa tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in IowaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Iowa recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Benton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Benton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis