Mills County, Iowa
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 19129 · population 14,475 · 437 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 516 records for Mills County, Iowa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 370 days; the most frequent are hail reports (148 records). The deadliest single record is the January 11, 2012 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Mills, which covers the county: 1 death. 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 Tornadoes” on May 14, 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
- 516on 370 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 18 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $22Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Mills County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 148 since 1957. 45% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. 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 | 148 | 98 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 5 | $518K | 6 of 99 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 146 | 97 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 0 | $41K | 22 of 99 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 63 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $2.1M | 65 of 99 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 34 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 99 |
| Floods | 32 | 30 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 70 of 99 |
| Heat | 26 | 26 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 99 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 20 | 1950-2026 | 0 | 3 | $1.5M | 53 of 99 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 23 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 99 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 2012-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 86 of 99 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2007-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 99 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1997-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 87 of 99 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | $344K | 73 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 Mills County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Mills County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Mills County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Mills County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-08-28 17:25, as SPC files it | Farragut to Northboro | F3 | 38.3 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Iowa.
Every tornado record filed for Mills County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Tabor, Mills County | EF0 1.65 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-06 | Balfour, Mills County | EF1 5.66 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Pacific Jct, Mills County | EF1 2.7 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Henderson, Mills County | EF1 0.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Tabor, Mills County | EF1 9.97 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-18 | Pacific Jct, Mills County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-16 | Folsom, Mills County | EF1 1.79 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-16 | Pacific City, Mills County | EF1 4.57 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-04 | Emerson, Mills County | EF1 5.13 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-04 | Pacific Jct, Mills County | EF1 4.8 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Glenwood, Mills County | EF0 4 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Strahan, Mills County | EF0 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-27 | Glenwood, Mills County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-11 | Mineola, Mills County | F1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2001-04-11 | Emerson, Mills County | F0 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2000-10-31 | Glenwood, Mills County | F1 2.5 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 1999-05-16 | Pacific Jct, Mills County | F0 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1992-07-04 | Mills County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1992-06-16 | Mills County | F2 3 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-09-04 | Mills County | F0 0.4 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-08-22 | Mills County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Mills County | F1 11 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 1979-08-28 | Mills County | F3 5.6 mi x 533 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-05-06 | Mills County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1950-05-04 | Mills County | F1 | 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 Mills County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 10, 2025 flash flood ($97,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindHenderson, Mills County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-28 | HeatMills County · forecast zone Mills | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | HailHastings, Mills County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMalvern, Mills County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGlenwood, Mills County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMalvern, Mills County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGlenwood, Mills County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMineola, Mills County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSilver City, Mills County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindTabor, Mills County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSilver City, Mills County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoTabor, Mills County | EF0 1.65 mi x 20 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-01-11 | Winter WeatherMills County · forecast zone Mills Light snow accompanied an Arctic cold front that passed through the area during the afternoon of January 11th. Although snow amounts were mostly 1/2 inch or less, the ground temperatures were above freezing when the snow started which caused some initial melting. The roads quickly froze as north winds gusted over 45 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-08-18 | HailMineola, Mills County Hail, some as large as around softball-size, was accompanied by thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph or stronger. The hail and strong winds caused considerable home and vehicle damage in the Mineola area, especially on the east side of the structures. It was reported that almost every home in town lost at least one ... | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1983-05-01 | TornadoMills County | F1 11 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-09 | FloodMills County · forecast zone Mills | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 2007-05-06 | Flash FloodGlenwood, Mills County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 1997-10-25 | Heavy SnowMills County · forecast zone Mills | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2009-07-08 | LightningPacific Jct, Mills County | 0 | 0 | $344K | |
| 2025-08-10 | Flash FloodTabor, Mills County | 0 | 0 | $97K | |
| 2001-04-11 | TornadoMineola, Mills County | F1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2000-10-31 | TornadoGlenwood, Mills County | F1 2.5 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2001-04-11 | TornadoEmerson, Mills County | F0 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
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: August 22, 1988 (tornado, Mills County); September 4, 1989 (tornado, Mills 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 Mills 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 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 56 | 25 | 35 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 33 | 31 | 52 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 24 | 26 | 8 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 10 | 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 7 | 15 | 3 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 14 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 31 · Mar 27 · Apr 60 · May 71 · Jun 109 · Jul 60 · Aug 49 · Sep 18 · Oct 13 · Nov 5 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mills County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Mills County: 18 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-14 | DR-4779 | Tornado | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2014-07-14 | DR-4181 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-06-27 | DR-1998 | Flood | 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 |
| 2007-05-25 | DR-1705 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3239 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1518 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1999-07-22 | DR-1282 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-928 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storm |
| 1987-07-17 | DR-795 | Flood | Storms & Flash Flooding |
| 1972-09-26 | DR-354 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Mills County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 32 flood or flash flood records for Mills County from 1997 to 2025, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Mills County ranks 1207th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.2 million on 121 claims filed in Mills County; the most in one year was 31 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 7 · 1987: 19 · 1990: 2 · 1993: 15 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 8 · 1999: 5 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 4 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 18 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 31; 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 Mills County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mills County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.6 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 | $614K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $20K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $973K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.3M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $83K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $356K | 8.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $535K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $54K | 13 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 Mills 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 Mills CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mills County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis