NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Washington, 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 Washington, Iowa since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1900. Since 1950, 98 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 98
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Washington
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Washington; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. Washington 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 98 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on June 7, 1984, killed 3 people. Of the 98, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on May 24, 2024. Of the 241 Iowa cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Washington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 241 Iowa cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Washington.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Washington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Washington: 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 Washington
By decade
- 2020s8(2 EF3+)
- 2010s15
- 2000s22
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 1984 | F4 | 20 mi | 134 mi | 3 / 64 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF4 | 14 mi | 19.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 16 mi | 26.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1998 | F3 | in town | 47 mi | 0 / 47 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1965 | F3 | 14 mi | 47.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 9, 1959 | F3 | 11 mi | 17.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 9, 1959 | F3 | 11 mi | 6.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 18 mi | 14.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 23 mi | 16.93 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF2 | 23 mi | 0.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2012 | EF2 | 9 mi | 6.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 98, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Washington
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Washington since 1974, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 6, 1999. The most recent report is from October 24, 2024. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Washington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Washington, IA, 1 mile southwest of Washington at 687 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.3 inches; the year adds up to 38.0 inches over 70 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 140 nights a year. Snowfall averages 25.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 38.0 inches is more than at 86 of the 124 Iowa stations used on this site (69%). Kalona, 14 miles north, has its own station (Iowa City Municipal Airport, IA): 35.7 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 12 | 1.3 | 4 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 35 | 15 | 1.6 | 4 | 8.1 |
| Mar | 48 | 27 | 2.3 | 5 | 2.3 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.8 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 51 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 40 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 49 | 28 | 2.2 | 5 | 1.4 |
| Dec | 36 | 18 | 1.7 | 4 | 4.7 |
| Year | 60 | 38 | 38.0 | 70 | 25.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Washington, IA (687 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 Washington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 102 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Washington: 85 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $22.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 123 mph, on June 29, 1998. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 12. Of the 240 Iowa cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Washington.
June 29, 1998: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Washington — $21.0 million damage.
September 11, 2000: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Washington — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Widespread damage to corn fields.”
May 9, 1996: thunderstorm wind in Washington — $100,000 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
Washington County, which includes Washington, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, on August 17, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.9 million a year, the 48th highest of 99 Iowa counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.2 million (45%), 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 Washington
- Kalona, IA14 mi
- Riverside, IA14 mi
- Wellman, IA15 mi
- Columbus Junction, IA17 mi
- Lone Tree, IA18 mi
- Mt Pleasant, IA23 mi
- Fairfield, IA24 mi
- Sigourney, IA26 mi
- Iowa City, IA26 mi
- Coralville, IA27 mi
- Tiffin, IA28 mi
- Wapello, IA29 mi
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