NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Iola, WI
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Iola, Wisconsin since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 60 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 60
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Iola
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Iola; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 39 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. Iola is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. The strongest of the 60 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on September 26, 1951; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 6 people. Of the 60, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on July 23, 2025. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Iola. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1995, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Iola.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Iola
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Iola: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Iola
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s14
- 2000s6
- 1990s8
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s5
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 1951 | F4 | 12 mi | 26.4 mi | 6 / 3 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F3 | 11 mi | 32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F2 | 11 mi | 18.2 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF2 | 22 mi | 13.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF2 | 16 mi | 64.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 7, 2007 | EF2 | 22 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2004 | F2 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 1992 | F2 | 17 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F2 | 18 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1976 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1976 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 1974 | F2 | 19 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 60, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Iola
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Iola since 1995, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on August 8, 2000. The most recent report is from June 29, 2025. July has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Iola
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rosholt 9 NNE, WI, 14 miles north of Iola at 1,183 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 24°F and 7°F. June is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 34.0 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 178 nights a year. That 34.0 inches is more than at 64 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (39%). Manawa, 12 miles southeast, has its own station (Waupaca, WI): 33.8 inches a year, 0.2 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 7 | 1.2 | 4 |
| Feb | 28 | 9 | 1.1 | 3 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.2 | 7 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 81 | 58 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Oct | 57 | 37 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 42 | 26 | 2.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 29 | 15 | 1.6 | 5 |
| Year | 54 | 34 | 34.0 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rosholt 9 NNE, WI (1,183 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Iola
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 45 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Iola: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on August 28, 2009.
July 12, 2008: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Iola — 1 injured.
NWS: “Strong winds from thunderstorms caused a tree branch to fall on a tent, injuring a male camper. The man was camped near Iola to take part in the Iola Old Car Show.”
June 11, 2001: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Iola — $1.4 million damage.
June 14, 2017: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Iola — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees in Iola, including some large trees that were knocked onto houses and power lines.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Waupaca County, which includes Iola, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Waupaca County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.8 million a year, the 35th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.1 million (43%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Iola
- Rosholt, WI11 mi
- Manawa, WI12 mi
- Amherst, WI13 mi
- Tigerton, WI13 mi
- Marion, WI14 mi
- Custer, WI14 mi
- Waupaca, WI16 mi
- Wittenberg, WI17 mi
- Weyauwega, WI19 mi
- Clintonville, WI20 mi
- Stevens Point, WI21 mi
- Plover, WI22 mi
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