Louisa County, Iowa
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 19115 · population 10,837 · 402 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 457 records for Louisa County, Iowa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 373 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (136 records). The deadliest single record is the February 3, 2008 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Louisa, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1965, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on March 23, 2019.
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
- 457on 373 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 57 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $161Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 16strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Louisa County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 136 since 1996. 63% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 136 | 134 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 1 | $1.6M | 6 of 99 |
| Floods | 85 | 68 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $34M | 15 of 99 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 84 | 72 | 1962-2026 | 1 | 3 | $6.5M | 44 of 99 |
| Hail | 67 | 40 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 92 of 99 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 18 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | $399K | 55 of 99 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 15 | 1999-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 99 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 2003-2013 | 0 | 0 | $39M | 61 of 99 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 14 | 1967-2024 | 0 | 3 | $68M | 82 of 99 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 1996-2008 | 0 | 0 | $184K | 95 of 99 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 99 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2006 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 84 of 99 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2000-2015 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 43 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 Louisa County had?
NOAA records 16 tornadoes in Louisa County from 1967 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 3 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Louisa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 16: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-01 11:07, as SPC files it | Muscatine | EF3 | 15.75 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Iowa.
Every tornado record filed for Louisa County (16)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-16 | Newport, Louisa County | EF1 10.75 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-06 | Grandview, Louisa County | EF2 0.31 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-09 | Wyman, Louisa County | EF0 0.09 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-06-01 | Grandview, Louisa County | EF3 5.56 mi x 774 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
| 2003-05-10 | Marsh, Louisa County | F0 11.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2003-04-30 | Morning Sun, Louisa County | F0 16 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $321K |
| 1998-06-18 | Grandview, Louisa County | F0 0.1 mi x 1 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1998-06-18 | Oakville, Louisa County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $326K |
| 1988-05-08 | Louisa County | F2 7 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1987-05-20 | Louisa County | F1 11.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Louisa County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1981-04-03 | Louisa County | F0 16.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-05-04 | Louisa County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1970-05-09 | Louisa County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-01-24 | Louisa County | F2 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1967-01-24 | Louisa County | F2 3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Louisa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 29, 2016 flash flood ($3.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
A trained spotter reported heavy rains had produced washed out locations on gravel roads in the area.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 653394)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Flash FloodLetts, Louisa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindWapello, Louisa County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindFredonia, Louisa County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindLetts, Louisa County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | HailColumbus City, Louisa County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | HailGrandview, Louisa County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | HailLetts, Louisa County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-28 | Winter StormLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-25 | Flash FloodColumbus Jct, Louisa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-20 | Flash FloodColumbus Jct, Louisa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-20 | Flash FloodColumbus City, Louisa County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-03 | Winter WeatherLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa Snowfall amounts of 4 to 5 inches were noted across the county. According to the Muscatine Journal, snow played a role in a fatal accident in northern Louisa county near Fredonia on snow-covered county road G40. Two indirect fatalites to children occurred in the accident, ages 9 and 11. | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Louisa County Supercell thunderstorms developed over Central Iowa and rapidly intensified into a long squall line which raced southeast over Eastern Iowa into Central Illinois. Numerous funnel clouds were sited along the leading edge of the storm and a few non-supercell tornadoes were masked within a large area of damaging winds. ... | 1 | 1 | $1.8M | |
| 2008-12-03 | Winter WeatherLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa An indirect fatality occurred in extreme southern Louisa county on U.S. Highway 61 just north of Iowa Highway 78 at about 232 pm CST. An SUV collided with a semi on the snow and ice covered road, killing the SUV driver. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-06-14 | Flash FloodOakville, Louisa County Major to record flooding caused a levee to fail on the Iowa River at Oakville leading to flash flooding in much of the town. One indirect fatality occurred in rural Oakville in Louisa County. A 35 year old male drowned while attempting to swim across flood waters. He left his car parked with his keys and wallet on one ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-02-11 | Thunderstorm WindLetts, Louisa County An intensifying squall line ahead of a strong cold front sent severe thunderstorms racing across Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois. Widespread damage from high winds and hail was reported across Southeast Iowa into Northwest Illinois as the storms moved northeast. In Eastern Iowa high profile vehicles were ... | 0 | 2 | $35K | |
| 2007-06-01 | TornadoGrandview, Louisa County The tornado touched down on the southern edge of Grandview. It moved through the center of town intensifying in rural areas as it approached the county line. In Grandview, several homes sustained severe damage. North of Grandview, about 1.5 miles, a farm house was completely destroyed. Other homes and trees along the ... | EF3 5.56 mi x 774 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
| 1998-06-18 | TornadoOakville, Louisa County Two homes were destroyed and trees were uprooted when a tornado touched down near Oakville. One minor injury was reported when the tornado rolled and damaged a mobile home. Twelve other residences sustained $130,000 in damages. Besides the two homes which were destroyed, two others were moved off their foundations. ... | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $326K |
| 1967-01-24 | TornadoLouisa County | F2 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-06-01 | FloodGladwin, Louisa County | 0 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2005-07-01 | DroughtLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2003-04-30 | HailMorning Sun, Louisa County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6.4M |
| 2005-08-01 | DroughtLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 2016-07-29 | Flash FloodGladwin, Louisa County | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2016-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindColumbus City, Louisa County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 1998-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Louisa County | 1 | 1 | $1.8M | |
| 2003-04-30 | HailWapello, Louisa County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
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: May 8, 1988 (tornado, Louisa County).
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 Louisa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 21 | 63 | 37 | 15 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 28 | 42 | 7 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 14 | 18 | 16 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 19 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
63% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 53 · Feb 36 · Mar 38 · Apr 65 · May 49 · Jun 56 · Jul 35 · Aug 20 · Sep 14 · Oct 20 · Nov 16 · Dec 55 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Louisa County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Louisa County: 18 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (11) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2013-07-02 | DR-4126 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 2001-05-02 | DR-1367 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1230 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1996-06-24 | DR-1121 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-996 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1993-04-26 | DR-986 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-05-26 | DR-868 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-06-24 | DR-443 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-05-23 | DR-386 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-08-14 | DR-269 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1969-04-25 | DR-259 | Flood | 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 Louisa County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 85 flood or flash flood records for Louisa County from 1996 to 2026, on 68 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Louisa County ranks 1209th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.5 million on 120 claims filed in Louisa County; the most in one year was 53 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 2 · 1990: 3 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 26 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 2 · 2001: 6 · 2008: 53 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 16 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 2; 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 Louisa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Louisa County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 9.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $648K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $5K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $532K | 8.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $105K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $828K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $138K | 45 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 Louisa 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
- Winter storms in IowaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Louisa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Louisa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis