(Radio Iowa) – The National Weather Service confirms Iowa’s already had 72 tornadoes touch down this year, putting us far ahead of last year’s count that only saw 32 twisters strike all year long. N-W-S meteorologist Brian Barjenbruch says despite the tally, it’s actually been a relatively typical spring in terms of severe weather.
“The thing about tornadoes is all that really matters is, did one affect you, right?” Barjenbruch says. “Tornadoes are rare events, just in general.” Iowa averages about 50 tornadoes per year. While there were 72 confirmed twisters statewide so far this year, with half a year left on the calendar, that figure compares to just five tornadoes by this date in 2025, which was a very light year for twisters.
“It’s been close to an average year so far, as far as numbers go,” Bargenbruch says. “As far as significant tornadoes, most of them have been EF-0s and EF-1s, which is pretty typical of tornadoes in this area. No really significant large ones, at least in our coverage area so far this year.”
Iowa set a tornado record in 2024 with a total of 125 touchdowns. That topped the previous record of 120 tornadoes two decades before in 2004. During April and May alone in 2024, Iowa had 98 tornadoes. Illinois leads the nation’s tornado count this year, with 196 confirmed.
