Calhoun County, Iowa
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 19025 · population 9,927 · 570 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 609 records for Calhoun County, Iowa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 418 days; the most frequent are hail reports (132 records). The deadliest single record is the June 28, 1979 tornado: 3 deaths and 26 injuries. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1979, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on May 24, 2024.
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
- 609on 418 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 433 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $355Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2024
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 Calhoun County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 132 since 1960. 58% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in May and June. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 132 | 75 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 1 | $48M | 57 of 99 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 130 | 72 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 5 | $9.1M | 93 of 99 |
| Winter storms | 90 | 87 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 56 of 99 |
| Floods | 61 | 50 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 1 | $33M | 49 of 99 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 45 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 14 of 99 |
| Drought | 37 | 37 | 2001-2024 | 0 | 0 | $131M | 22 of 99 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 31 | 1953-2024 | 4 | 26 | $122M | 32 of 99 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 32 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | 30 of 99 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 20 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | $68K | 46 of 99 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 8 | 2007-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 99 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2001-2019 | 0 | 0 | $177K | 68 of 99 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2000-2021 | 0 | 0 | $30K | 56 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 Calhoun County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Calhoun County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 4 deaths and 26 injuries recorded in the county. That is 32nd of 99 Iowa counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 41 tornadoes whose track touched Calhoun County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-06-28 18:02, as SPC files it | Manson | F4 | 14.9 mi | 3 |
| 1954-06-09 22:00, as SPC files it | Lake | F4 | 9.9 mi | 1 |
| 1995-05-27 18:22, as SPC files it | Carroll | F4 | 36 mi | 0 |
| 1965-05-05 16:15, as SPC files it | Callender | F4 | 9.9 mi | 0 |
| 2021-07-14 14:52, as SPC files it | Lake to Lohrville | EF3 | 10.81 mi | 0 |
| 1953-06-07 21:15, as SPC files it | Pomeroy to Gilmore | F3 | 30.7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Iowa.
Every tornado record filed for Calhoun County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-16 | Manson, Calhoun County | EFU 0.61 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | Rands, Calhoun County | EF1 5.22 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2023-05-13 | Pomeroy, Calhoun County | EFU 0.52 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-13 | Knoke, Calhoun County | EFU 0.62 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Farnhamville, Calhoun County | EF2 11.52 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 2021-12-15 | Wightman, Calhoun County | EF1 19.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2021-12-15 | Wightman, Calhoun County | EFU 1.33 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-14 | Lake City, Calhoun County | EF3 10.81 mi x 505 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2021-05-15 | Manson, Calhoun County | EFU 0.33 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-10 | Manson, Calhoun County | EF0 1.03 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2015-05-10 | Lake City, Calhoun County | EF1 18.11 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2008-05-29 | Farnhamville, Calhoun County | EF0 2.35 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $41K |
| 2008-05-29 | Somers, Calhoun County | EF1 2.76 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2007-09-30 | Jolley, Calhoun County | EF0 3.19 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2007-07-03 | Knoke, Calhoun County | EF0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2006-08-10 | Lake City, Calhoun County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2005-05-18 | Farnhamville, Calhoun County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2004-07-05 | Rockwell City, Calhoun County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2004-06-11 | Somers, Calhoun County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 1999-06-01 | Rockwell City, Calhoun County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-23 | Lytton, Calhoun County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $905 |
| 1998-05-30 | Farnhamville, Calhoun County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $905 |
| 1998-05-28 | Lake City, Calhoun County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $362 |
| 1990-06-19 | Calhoun County | F2 2 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-04-27 | Calhoun County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1987-08-17 | Calhoun County | F0 0.4 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-07-28 | Calhoun County | F2 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-04-26 | Calhoun County | F2 5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1981-06-23 | Calhoun County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-06-28 | Calhoun County | F4 10.8 mi x 333 yd | 3 | 26 | $25M step |
| 1978-06-25 | Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1977-05-18 | Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1965-05-15 | Calhoun County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1965-05-05 | Calhoun County | F4 9.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-05-09 | Calhoun County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-06-09 | Calhoun County | F4 9.9 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1953-06-07 | Calhoun County | F3 30.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Calhoun County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 14, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($4,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-19 | Heavy SnowCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-16 | Heavy RainManson, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-28 | Thunderstorm WindSherwood, Calhoun County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-16 | HailPomeroy, Calhoun County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-14 | Thunderstorm WindLytton, Calhoun County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-03-14 | Thunderstorm WindLytton, Calhoun County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2025-03-14 | HailKnierim, Calhoun County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-05 | High WindCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | BlizzardCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-20 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-06-28 | TornadoCalhoun County | F4 10.8 mi x 333 yd | 3 | 26 | $25M step |
| 1954-06-09 | TornadoCalhoun County | F4 9.9 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 0 | $250K step |
| 2013-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindRinard, Calhoun County An unstable atmosphere was in place with strong theta-e advection taking place overnight. There was around 2000 J/kg of elevated CAPE available with a steep lapse rate, around 9 C, present in the 700 to 500 mb layer of the atmosphere. Downdraft CAPE was around 500 J/kg. A strong line of thunderstorms developed well to ... | 55 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $4K |
| 2001-05-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Calhoun County Injury occurred 1 E of Yetter | 0 | 1 | $417K | |
| 1998-05-30 | HailLohrville, Calhoun County A very unstable airmass was over Iowa. In spite of the instability, the atmosphere was capped by very warm air aloft. Temperatures at the 700 mb level were between 12 degrees C and 14 degrees C. As a result, thunderstorms had a difficult time forming. The atmosphere was primed with CAPE values in the 4000 to 6000 J/kg ... | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-08-09 | HailYetter, Calhoun County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $21M |
| 2009-08-09 | HailRockwell City, Calhoun County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $21M |
| 2001-08-01 | DroughtCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2009-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindSomers, Calhoun County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7.6M |
| 2021-07-14 | TornadoLake City, Calhoun County | EF3 10.81 mi x 505 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 1998-05-30 | HailLohrville, Calhoun County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| 1998-05-30 | HailLake City, Calhoun County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2015-05-10 | TornadoLake City, Calhoun County | EF1 18.11 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 28, 1979 (tornado, Calhoun County, 3 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 Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 42 | 50 | 9 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 40 | 52 | 10 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 27 | 28 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 21 | 30 | 10 | 0 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 16 | 12 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 6 | 29 z |
Drought in the 2020-26: 29 records against 6 in the decade before, 29 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Calhoun County days with a record above.
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 hail reports since 1960 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 50 · Feb 32 · Mar 39 · Apr 43 · May 96 · Jun 111 · Jul 59 · Aug 80 · Sep 32 · Oct 18 · Nov 13 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Calhoun County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Calhoun County: 16 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-24 | DR-4784 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4642 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2020-03-23 | DR-4483 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3480 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-03-23 | DR-4421 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-07-29 | DR-1930 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2010-03-02 | DR-1880 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1877 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2007-09-14 | DR-1727 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 2001-05-02 | DR-1367 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1230 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-996 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-928 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storm |
| 1990-05-26 | DR-868 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-07-01 | DR-590 | Tornado | High Winds & Tornadoes |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Calhoun County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Calhoun County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.3 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 High | $3.7M | 17 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | 5.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $795K | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $91K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $69K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.4M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Calhoun 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
- Hail in IowaThe state's hail reports, 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 Calhoun CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Calhoun County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis