Marion County, Iowa
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 19125 · population 33,404 · 554 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 919 records for Marion County, Iowa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 485 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (236 records). The most damaging was the July 19, 2018 tornado ($141 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1965, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storm and Tornadoes” on September 12, 2018.
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
- 919on 485 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 031 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $371Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 47strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Marion County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 236 since 1971. 52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 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 | 236 | 118 | 1971-2025 | 0 | 7 | $5.9M | 26 of 99 |
| Hail | 196 | 94 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 26 of 99 |
| Floods | 137 | 98 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $43M | 13 of 99 |
| Heavy rain | 108 | 40 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 99 |
| Winter storms | 78 | 75 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8.0M | 74 of 99 |
| Tornadoes | 47 | 35 | 1962-2024 | 0 | 24 | $149M | 13 of 99 |
| Drought | 33 | 33 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | $156M | 29 of 99 |
| High wind and dust storms | 32 | 32 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 41 of 99 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 24 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | 60 of 99 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 17 | 14 | 2010-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 99 |
| Lightning | 7 | 5 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | $162K | 23 of 99 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2001-2019 | 0 | 0 | $177K | 58 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 Marion County had?
NOAA records 47 tornadoes in Marion County from 1962 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 24 injuries recorded in the county. That is 13th of 99 Iowa counties and 270th of 3,080 U.S. 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 47 tornadoes whose track touched Marion County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 47, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-19 15:01, as SPC files it | Pella | EF3 | 9.17 mi | 0 |
| 2015-06-22 16:05, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 11.12 mi | 0 |
| 1999-04-08 16:18, as SPC files it | Colfax | F3 | 39 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Iowa.
Every tornado record filed for Marion County (47)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-07 | Pershing, Marion County | EF0 4.96 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2023-05-13 | Donnelly, Marion County | EF0 0.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2023-05-13 | Nepas, Marion County | EFU 0.31 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-13 | Durham, Marion County | EF0 0.66 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $969 |
| 2023-05-13 | Flagler, Marion County | EF0 0.54 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2023-05-13 | Flagler, Marion County | EFU 0.52 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-13 | Pleasantville, Marion County | EF0 0.56 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $969 |
| 2023-04-04 | Nepas, Marion County | EF1 5.42 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2021-06-20 | Pella Municipal Airport, Marion County | EF1 1.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2019-08-20 | Tracy, Marion County | EF1 1.58 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2018-07-19 | Pella, Marion County | EF3 5.11 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 13 | $141M |
| 2018-07-19 | Otley, Marion County | EF0 0.99 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-07-19 | Otley, Marion County | EF1 2.27 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2018-05-03 | Percy, Marion County | EF0 1.07 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-28 | Pleasantville, Marion County | EF1 16.22 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $96K |
| 2017-03-06 | Otley, Marion County | EF0 5.45 mi x 65 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2017-03-06 | Donnelly, Marion County | EF1 6.76 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2017-03-06 | Nepas, Marion County | EF1 5.33 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2015-11-11 | Knoxville Airport, Marion County | EF1 4.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $436K |
| 2015-06-22 | Columbia, Marion County | EF0 0.35 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2008-06-05 | Swan, Marion County | EF1 1.04 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $41K |
| 2008-05-30 | Columbia, Marion County | EF2 12.28 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 10 | $1.1M |
| 2008-05-30 | Newbern, Marion County | EF1 4.5 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2007-09-30 | Pella, Marion County | EF1 0.59 mi x 530 yd | 0 | 0 | $249K |
| 2007-06-07 | Columbia, Marion County | EF0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-13 | Melcher, Marion County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2005-06-13 | Melcher, Marion County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2005-06-13 | Knoxville, Marion County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-10 | Columbia, Marion County | F1 15 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 2002-05-08 | Pleasantville, Marion County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-18 | Swan, Marion County | F1 1 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1999-04-08 | Swan, Marion County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 1998-05-19 | Pleasantville, Marion County | F0 0.7 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1988-05-08 | Marion County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1987-07-08 | Marion County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1986-08-14 | Marion County | F1 0.2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-06-10 | Marion County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1985-05-11 | Marion County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-10-14 | Marion County | F1 3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-05-15 | Marion County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-04-10 | Marion County | F0 8.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-04-23 | Marion County | F1 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-06-05 | Marion County | F2 1.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-05-18 | Marion County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-06-04 | Marion County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1964-06-22 | Marion County | F2 6.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-28 | Marion County | F2 11.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Marion County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 14, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($7,500 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-23 | Heavy RainPella Municipal Airport, Marion County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-23 | Heavy RainDallas, Marion County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindPella, Marion County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | HailKnoxville Airport, Marion County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | Thunderstorm WindKnoxville, Marion County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2025-03-05 | High WindMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-05 | BlizzardMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-11 | Winter StormMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-21 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindOtley, Marion County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-21 | HailPella Municipal Airport, Marion County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-21 | HailPella Municipal Airport, Marion County | 2.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-19 | TornadoPella, Marion County Tornado developed about 3 miles north of Pella and moved southeast for its entire length. The tornado initially remained in rural areas just north and northeast of the town producing crop, tree and minor structural damage to houses. The tornado began to intensify just northeast of town and shifted a house off of its ... | EF3 5.11 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 13 | $141M |
| 2008-05-30 | TornadoColumbia, Marion County Several homes were damaged or destroyed, two mobile homes were destroyed. Considerable tree damage was reported. The EF2 damage occurred in the Attica area, along with 10 injuries. The tornado moved out of Marion County into Mahaska County. | EF2 12.28 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 10 | $1.1M |
| 1986-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindMarion County | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2019-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindRed Rock, Marion County Law enforcement reported a semi blown over on mile long bridge north of Knoxville, including a reported serious injury. Time estimated from radar. | 56 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $23K |
| 2015-11-11 | TornadoKnoxville Airport, Marion County A high-end EF-1 tornado touched down southwest of Knoxville and traveled through the southeast side of town. Damage occurred along its path through town. One injury was reported. | EF1 4.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $436K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-19 | TornadoPella, Marion County | EF3 5.11 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 13 | $141M |
| 2008-06-08 | FloodBussey, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 1997-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindKnoxville, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2008-05-30 | TornadoColumbia, Marion County | EF2 12.28 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 10 | $1.1M |
| 2015-07-29 | FloodPleasantville, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $934K | |
| 1999-09-21 | Cold/Wind ChillMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | $521K | |
| 2015-06-25 | FloodSwan, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $498K | |
| 2010-07-18 | FloodBussey, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $474K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 28, 1962 (tornado, Marion County); October 14, 1984 (tornado, Marion County); August 14, 1986 (tornado, Marion 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 Marion 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 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 20 | 65 | 95 | 32 |
| Hail | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 49 | 67 | 42 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 28 | 54 | 51 | 4 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 70 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 24 | 26 | 12 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 32 · Mar 42 · Apr 117 · May 131 · Jun 194 · Jul 149 · Aug 68 · Sep 59 · Oct 38 · Nov 19 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Marion County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Marion County: 17 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (9) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-23 | DR-4483 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3480 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-09-12 | DR-4392 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Tornadoes |
| 2015-07-31 | DR-4234 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-05-31 | DR-4119 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2010-07-29 | DR-1930 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2008-05-27 | DR-1763 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-01-04 | DR-1737 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2007-03-14 | DR-1688 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3239 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1998-07-02 | DR-1230 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1997-11-20 | DR-1191 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowstorms |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-996 | 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 Marion County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 137 flood or flash flood records for Marion County from 1996 to 2024, on 98 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Marion County ranks 1976th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $486,000 on 26 claims filed in Marion County; the most in one year was 10 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1993: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2008: 10 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 6 · 2011: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 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 Marion County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.2 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 | $1.9M | 6.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $10K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $798K | 7.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $397K | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $655K | 5.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $77K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.5M | 3.4 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 Marion 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 Marion CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Marion County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis