NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lone Tree, IA
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 Lone Tree, Iowa since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1900. Since 1950, 123 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 123
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Lone Tree
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lone Tree; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 48 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. Lone Tree is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 241 Iowa cities on this site. The highest rating among the 123 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on June 7, 1984, killed 3 people. Of the 123, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 56 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 40. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2025. Of the 241 Iowa cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lone Tree. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 65 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 241 Iowa cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lone Tree.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lone Tree
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lone Tree: 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 Lone Tree
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s18
- 2000s22(1 EF3+)
- 1990s17(1 EF3+)
- 1980s21(1 EF3+)
- 1970s18
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 1984 | F4 | 23 mi | 134 mi | 3 / 64 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF4 | 20 mi | 19.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 1, 2007 | EF3 | 18 mi | 15.75 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 15, 1998 | F3 | 3 mi | 47 mi | 0 / 47 |
| Apr 23, 1965 | F3 | 5 mi | 47.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 22, 1962 | F2 | 13 mi | 4.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 18 mi | 19.56 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 24 mi | 16.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 23 mi | 8.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 8 mi | 14.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 17 mi | 16.93 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.78 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 123, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lone Tree
The Storm Prediction Center has 65 hail reports within 10 miles of Lone Tree since 1971, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 14, 1972. The most recent report is from May 24, 2024. April has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lone Tree
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Iowa City, IA, 10 miles north of Lone Tree at 640 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 38.6 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 130 nights a year. Snowfall averages 27.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.6 inches is more than at 100 of the 124 Iowa stations used on this site (81%). Iowa City, 13 miles north, has its own station (Iowa City Municipal Airport, IA): 35.7 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 12 | 1.1 | 3 | 7.6 |
| Feb | 34 | 16 | 1.4 | 4 | 7.5 |
| Mar | 48 | 27 | 2.3 | 5 | 3.2 |
| Apr | 62 | 37 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.5 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 52 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 40 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 48 | 28 | 2.3 | 4 | 1.1 |
| Dec | 34 | 18 | 1.6 | 4 | 7.2 |
| Year | 60 | 38 | 38.6 | 68 | 27.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Iowa City, IA (640 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 Lone Tree
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 67 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lone Tree: 43 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods, 9 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $23.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on April 18, 1996. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 240 Iowa cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 66 have had fewer than Lone Tree.
June 1, 2008: flood 6 miles from the centre of Lone Tree — $19.0 million damage.
NWS: “49 feet. Flood stage is 19 feet.”
July 29, 2016: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Lone Tree — $2.5 million damage.
NWS: “A trained spotter reported heavy rains had produced washed out locations on gravel roads in the area.”
August 29, 2009: flood 5 miles from the centre of Lone Tree — $500,000 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
Johnson County, which includes Lone Tree, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 floods, 7 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, on August 17, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Johnson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind; Relatively High for tornadoes and hail; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $96.3 million a year, the 2nd highest of 99 Iowa counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $36.2 million (38%), is from tornadoes.
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 Lone Tree
- Riverside, IA7 mi
- West Liberty, IA11 mi
- Iowa City, IA13 mi
- Kalona, IA14 mi
- Columbus Junction, IA15 mi
- West Branch, IA15 mi
- Coralville, IA17 mi
- Washington, IA18 mi
- Tiffin, IA20 mi
- North Liberty, IA21 mi
- Wellman, IA22 mi
- Muscatine, IA23 mi
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