NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Iowa, LA
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
44 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Iowa, Louisiana since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 154 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 154
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Iowa
The strongest storm to pass near Iowa was Laura in 2020, a Category 4 hurricane with 133 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Delta in 2020, whose centre came within 10 miles. The record near Iowa begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Delta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 44 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 50% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Iowa. The highest rating among the 154 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on November 21, 1992, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an F3 on October 29, 1974, killed 2 people. Of the 154, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 73 have come since 2000. October has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on October 25, 2025. Iowa has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Iowa.
Compare Iowa's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Iowa
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 10 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 18 mi | Category 4 (133 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | LeeSep 4 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 2 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | EdouardAug 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 53 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 23 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 15 | 22 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1982 | ChrisSep 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1980 | DanielleSep 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ClaudetteJul 24 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1978 | DebraAug 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 42 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | BerthaAug 10 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 27 | 34 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | BarbaraJul 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 24 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 7 | 59 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 15 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 27 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 6 | 25 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 49 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 36 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 14 | 19 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 18 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 13 | 28 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 30 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Iowa: 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 Iowa
By decade
- 2020s23
- 2010s35
- 2000s15
- 1990s25(1 EF3+)
- 1980s17
- 1970s17(3 EF3+)
- 1960s14
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 1974 | F3 | 22 mi | 31.3 mi | 2 / 52 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F3 | in town | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 17, 1973 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 12, 1971 | F3 | 10 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 4, 1952 | F3 | 9 mi | 36.7 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 13, 2024 | EF2 | 18 mi | 3.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 1.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 24, 2023 | EF2 | 19 mi | 12.43 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 27, 2021 | EF2 | 15 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 29, 2017 | EF2 | 24 mi | 2.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 1999 | F2 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 2, 1999 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 154, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Iowa
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of Iowa since 1974, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently January 8, 2024. The most recent report is from May 12, 2024. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Iowa
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Moss Bluff 2 NNW, LA, 14 miles northwest of Iowa at 25 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 63°F and 40°F. August is the wettest at 7.5 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 4.1 inches; the year adds up to 69.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (37.5 of 69.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 44 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 6.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 93 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 25 nights a year. That 69.3 inches is more than at 79 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (98%). Welsh, 10 miles east, has its own station (Jennings, LA): 63.6 inches a year, 5.7 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Lake Charles, LA, 13 miles west, averaged 89°F in August and 59°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to September.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 40 | 6.6 | 6 | 59 |
| Feb | 66 | 45 | 4.3 | 6 | 61 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 5 | 68 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 5.3 | 6 | 74 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 5.9 | 6 | 81 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 7.4 | 8 | 87 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 5.9 | 8 | 89 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 7.5 | 8 | 89 |
| Sep | 88 | 68 | 6.3 | 6 | 86 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 5.3 | 4 | 79 |
| Nov | 71 | 48 | 5.1 | 5 | 70 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 5.6 | 7 | 63 |
| Year | 79 | 57 | 69.3 | 74 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Moss Bluff 2 NNW, LA (25 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Lake Charles, LA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Iowa
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 52 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Iowa: 47 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on June 5, 2011.
February 26, 1998: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Iowa — 3 injured, $300,000 damage.
February 26, 1998: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Iowa — 3 injured, $200,000 damage.
October 13, 2001: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Iowa — $1.0 million damage.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Iowa's ZIP code 70647 have filed 282 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $8.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Delta in 2020: 89 claims (32% of all) and $3.0 million, then Hurricane Harvey in 2017 with 46 and Flooding in 1989 with 37. 83% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 219 Louisiana cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 122 have fewer than Iowa.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Delta2020 | 89 | $3.0 million |
| Hurricane Harvey2017 | 46 | $2.8 million |
| Flooding1989 | 37 | $534,000 |
| Hurricane Laura2020 | 31 | $83,000 |
| 2021 Mid-Spring Severe Storms2021 | 14 | $314,000 |
| Hurricane Rita2005 | 11 | $99,000 |
Calcasieu Parish, which includes Iowa, has been named in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 23 hurricanes, 7 floods, 3 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Calcasieu Parish a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, coastal flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $163.6 million a year, the 7th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $71.0 million (43%), is from hurricanes.
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).
Iowa in the notable storm records: Hurricane Rita (2005)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Iowa
- Welsh, LA10 mi
- Bell City, LA12 mi
- Lake Charles, LA13 mi
- Westlake, LA16 mi
- Ragley, LA18 mi
- Kinder, LA19 mi
- Lake Arthur, LA20 mi
- Jennings, LA20 mi
- Sulphur, LA23 mi
- Elton, LA24 mi
- Dequincy, LA28 mi
- Longville, LA29 mi
All Louisiana cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Iowa with another place →