NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pella, 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 Pella, Iowa since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1900. Since 1950, 119 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 119
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Pella
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pella; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 44 mph winds when its centre passed 9 miles away. Pella 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 119 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 5, 2022, came within 22 miles. Of the 119, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 67 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on June 25, 2024. Of the 241 Iowa cities, 59% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Pella. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 90 times since 1973, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 241 Iowa cities, 50% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Pella.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pella
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pella: 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 Pella
By decade
- 2020s18(1 EF3+)
- 2010s26(2 EF3+)
- 2000s23
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s19(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 2022 | EF4 | 22 mi | 70.57 mi | 6 / 5 |
| Jun 7, 1984 | F4 | 22 mi | 134 mi | 3 / 64 |
| Sep 16, 1978 | F3 | 20 mi | 31.8 mi | 6 / 45 |
| Jul 19, 2018 | EF3 | 2 mi | 9.17 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | EF3 | 20 mi | 11.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1999 | F3 | 22 mi | 39 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Oct 14, 1966 | F3 | 11 mi | 29.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 1956 | F3 | 12 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 5, 2022 | EF2 | 23 mi | 17.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 11, 2015 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 2008 | EF2 | 11 mi | 19.18 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Sep 30, 2007 | EF2 | 4 mi | 21.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 119, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pella
The Storm Prediction Center has 90 hail reports within 10 miles of Pella since 1973, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on June 20, 2015. The most recent report is from October 4, 2024. April has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pella
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Knoxville, IA, 12 miles southwest of Pella at 895 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 13°F. June is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.2 inches; the year adds up to 37.7 inches over 62 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 20 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 133 nights a year. That 37.7 inches is more than at 79 of the 124 Iowa stations used on this site (64%). Monroe, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Des Moines 17 E, IA): 36.6 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 13 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 1.9 | 5 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 3.9 | 7 |
| May | 71 | 51 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 85 | 66 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 1.6 | 2 |
| Year | 60 | 40 | 37.7 | 62 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Knoxville, IA (895 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 Pella
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 174 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pella: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 heavy rain events, 40 floods, 11 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $25.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 6, 2010. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 11. Of the 240 Iowa cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 95 have had fewer than Pella.
June 12, 2010: flood 9 miles from the centre of Pella — $20.0 million damage.
June 26, 2010: flood 6 miles from the centre of Pella — $1.1 million damage.
June 1, 2008: flood 6 miles from the centre of Pella — $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
Marion County, which includes Pella, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 floods, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 23, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marion County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.2 million a year, the 43rd highest of 99 Iowa counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.5 million (46%), 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 Pella
- Knoxville, IA12 mi
- Monroe, IA13 mi
- New Sharon, IA14 mi
- Oskaloosa, IA16 mi
- Pleasantville, IA19 mi
- Prairie City, IA21 mi
- Newton, IA21 mi
- Montezuma, IA23 mi
- Grinnell, IA25 mi
- Colfax, IA25 mi
- Runnells, IA26 mi
- Albia, IA27 mi
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