2025 Iowa Tornadoes

Above is a map of the tornadoes that occurred across Iowa in 2025. Mouse over each icon to view more information on that tornado, which will appear in the box to the right. A season summary and table of these tornadoes is provided below. Detailed KMZ files for many of the tracks can be downloaded and viewed in Google Earth by clicking on the appropriate icon in the table below. To download the full year map shown above, click the download button below.

Please note: Track lines and contours are often interpolated and may not encompass the full extent of the damage. Surveying procedures vary between NWS offices. Downloadable tracks may not be available for weak tornadoes that were not surveyed.

*EFU - EF Unknown rating. This is used in instances that a tornado does not impact damage indicators used to assigned an EF rating.

2025 was well below average for tornadoes in Iowa with just 32 tornadoes recorded, a notable low year for a state that averages 50 tornadoes a year. This number is especially low when compared to the record setting 125 tornadoes that occurred in 2024. Thankfully, this year also resulted in no injuries or fatalities attributed to tornadoes. 

The season began on March 14th when a tornado in Cedar County resulted in roof, tree, and outbuilding damage. Three more tornadoes occurred just over a month later, on April 17th, in southwest Iowa. This includes the largest tornado of the year, an EF-1 that was on the ground for nearly 20 miles and was just over a mile wide at its largest. This was the last of any tornadoes in Iowa until June 3rd, bypassing what is often the most active time of year for tornadoes in Iowa. On June 25th a weak tornado developed near the Iowa-Minnesota Line and produced tree damage before crossing into Minnesota. The next day another weak tornado developed in northern Iowa near LuVerne, causing sheet metal damage to outbuildings. 

July marked the busiest month of the year for Iowa tornadoes with more than half the tornadoes recorded in 2025 occurring in July. The first occurred on July 10th when a storm chaser captured video of a very weak tornado in rural southeast Iowa. The following day, July 11th, a line of storms produced straight-line wind and 12 confirmed tornadoes across mainly southeast Iowa. This line of storms resulted in a swath of damage to hundreds of trees, several outbuildings, power poles, and roofs. Just over a week later, an early morning tornado occurred just before 6 am CDT, developing in central with the track ending just outside the city of Gilbert. The associated line of storms continued to produce straight line wind gusts and damage through the morning. Four more tornadoes occurred to wrap up the month of July on the 28th, associated with a late night derecho that produced a swath of damage across northern Iowa. 

The final seven tornadoes of 2025 occurred in the month of August, beginning with a pair of tornadoes in Lee County on August 10th. This was followed by a tornado the next day on August 11th. Despite being on the ground for over two miles, this tornado in Van Buren County did not result in any notable damage. One tornado that remained in cropland occurred on August 17th. The final three tornadoes occurred on the morning of August 18th in Grundy County as a line of thunderstorms moved across the area. All three tornadoes remained in open cropland and did not result in any structural or tree damage.