Pocahontas County, Iowa
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 19151 · population 7,078 · 577 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 595 records for Pocahontas County, Iowa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 413 days; the most frequent are hail reports (145 records). The most damaging was the April 9, 2011 tornado ($13.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1965, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on June 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
- 595on 413 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 02 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $282Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 45strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Pocahontas County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 145 since 1969. 41% of its hail reports since 1969 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 145 | 72 | 1969-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 70 of 99 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 70 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 97 of 99 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 91 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | 51 of 99 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 30 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 2 | $46M | 36 of 99 |
| Floods | 43 | 42 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $31M | 66 of 99 |
| Heavy rain | 42 | 26 | 2008-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 99 |
| High wind and dust storms | 42 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 24 of 99 |
| Drought | 39 | 39 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 0 | $189M | 20 of 99 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 32 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | 34 of 99 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 16 | 12 | 2008-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 99 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2001-2019 | 0 | 0 | $177K | 78 of 99 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | $22K | 84 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 Pocahontas County had?
NOAA records 45 tornadoes in Pocahontas County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated EF4, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 36th 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 49 tornadoes whose track touched Pocahontas County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 45: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in Pocahontas County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-06-28 18:02, as SPC files it | Manson | F4 | 14.9 mi | 3 |
| 2011-04-09 20:54, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF4 | 3.2 mi | 0 |
| 1995-05-27 18:22, as SPC files it | Carroll | F4 | 36 mi | 0 |
| 2011-04-09 20:08, as SPC files it | Newell | EF3 | 29.37 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 Pocahontas County (45)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-31 | Varina, Pocahontas County | EFU 0.42 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | Rolfe, Pocahontas County | EF0 0.64 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2024-04-16 | Rolfe, Pocahontas County | EFU 1.44 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | Palmer, Pocahontas County | EF0 1.66 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $188 |
| 2023-06-24 | Pocahontas Municipal Airport, Pocahontas County | EF0 2.77 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2023-05-13 | Havelock, Pocahontas County | EFU 0.63 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-13 | Westview, Pocahontas County | EFU 0.48 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-13 | Ware, Pocahontas County | EFU 0.47 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-13 | Blanden, Pocahontas County | EF0 0.83 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2023-05-13 | Fonda, Pocahontas County | EFU 1.17 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-04-12 | Palmer, Pocahontas County | EF2 7.17 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 1 | $151K |
| 2021-12-15 | Palmer, Pocahontas County | EFU 6 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Blanden, Pocahontas County | EFU 1.04 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-08-20 | Blanden, Pocahontas County | EFU 1.18 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $545 |
| 2019-05-29 | Pocahontas Municipal Airport, Pocahontas County | EFU 0.22 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-28 | Plover, Pocahontas County | EF0 0.87 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $118 |
| 2014-06-16 | Plover, Pocahontas County | EF0 2.64 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2011-04-09 | Varina, Pocahontas County | EF2 0.9 mi x 146 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2011-04-09 | Varina, Pocahontas County | EF1 1.64 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-09 | Varina, Pocahontas County | EF1 1.58 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-09 | Westview, Pocahontas County | EF1 2.42 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-09 | Varina, Pocahontas County | EF4 3.2 mi x 587 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.3M |
| 2011-04-09 | Fonda, Pocahontas County | EF3 17.17 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 2010-07-22 | Westview, Pocahontas County | EF1 2.62 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2004-05-21 | Rolfe, Pocahontas County | F1 5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 2004-05-21 | Rolfe, Pocahontas County | F2 5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2000-10-13 | Havelock, Pocahontas County | F1 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 1998-05-28 | Pocahontas County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $181 |
| 1992-04-15 | Pocahontas County | F1 5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-04-29 | Pocahontas County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-04-29 | Pocahontas County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-06-19 | Pocahontas County | F2 14 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-06-01 | Pocahontas County | F1 3.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-08-13 | Pocahontas County | F1 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-23 | Pocahontas County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-06-07 | Pocahontas County | F2 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-06-07 | Pocahontas County | F2 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-04-26 | Pocahontas County | F2 7 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-05-26 | Pocahontas County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-05-29 | Pocahontas County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-06-28 | Pocahontas County | F4 4.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1977-05-04 | Pocahontas County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1966-07-28 | Pocahontas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-06-02 | Pocahontas County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1953-06-07 | Pocahontas County | F2 16.2 mi x 833 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 Pocahontas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 16, 2024 tornado ($9,408 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A storm chaser captured video of this brief tornado as it moved just east of Rolfe. The tornado produced some minor damage to a couple of farmsteads on the east side of Rolfe along with some tree damage.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1169952)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-16 | HailWare, Pocahontas County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-28 | Thunderstorm WindWare, Pocahontas County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-28 | Funnel CloudVarina, Pocahontas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindPocahontas County · forecast zone Pocahontas | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardPocahontas County · forecast zone Pocahontas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindPocahontas County · forecast zone Pocahontas | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | BlizzardPocahontas County · forecast zone Pocahontas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-20 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPocahontas County · forecast zone Pocahontas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-05-31 | TornadoVarina, Pocahontas County | EFU 0.42 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | TornadoRolfe, Pocahontas County | EF0 0.64 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2024-04-16 | TornadoRolfe, Pocahontas County | EFU 1.44 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | TornadoPalmer, Pocahontas County | EF0 1.66 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $188 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-04-12 | TornadoPalmer, Pocahontas County Tornado developed a few miles east northeast of Palmer and moved northeast to north for the entire path. The tornado destroyed a farm buildings and also snapped several power poles producing the EF2 rating. Otherwise, much of the path was in rural cropland with a large dust cloud enveloping the tornado for much of its ... | EF2 7.17 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 1 | $151K |
| 1984-06-07 | TornadoPocahontas County | F2 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-09 | TornadoFonda, Pocahontas County | EF3 17.17 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 2011-04-09 | TornadoVarina, Pocahontas County | EF4 3.2 mi x 587 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.3M |
| 2010-07-22 | TornadoWestview, Pocahontas County | EF1 2.62 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2013-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindWare, Pocahontas County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $342K |
| 1998-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindRolfe, Pocahontas County | 0 | 0 | $154K | |
| 1998-09-01 | HailPalmer, Pocahontas County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $154K |
| 2022-04-12 | TornadoPalmer, Pocahontas County | EF2 7.17 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 1 | $151K |
| 2001-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindPocahontas County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $133K |
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: June 7, 1984 (tornado, Pocahontas County); April 26, 1984 (tornado, Pocahontas County); June 7, 1984 (tornado, Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas 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 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 51 | 49 | 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 24 | 32 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 32 | 30 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 16 | 23 | 3 | 1 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 32 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its hail reports since 1969 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 56 · Feb 25 · Mar 25 · Apr 70 · May 75 · Jun 94 · Jul 83 · Aug 80 · Sep 27 · Oct 15 · Nov 13 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Pocahontas County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Pocahontas County: 19 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-24 | DR-4796 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2018-08-20 | DR-4386 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-07-24 | DR-4184 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-05 | DR-1977 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2008-05-27 | DR-1763 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-09-14 | DR-1727 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-03-30 | EM-3275 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Pocahontas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pocahontas County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.3 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 | $5.4M | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $449K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $83K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $381K | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $42K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $89K | 42 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 Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Pocahontas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis