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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jefferson, IA

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Jefferson, Iowa since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 128 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
128

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
7

1 deaths in all

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Jefferson

By decade

  • 2020s25(1 EF3+)
  • 2010s17
  • 2000s31(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s24(2 EF3+)
  • 1980s10
  • 1970s6(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s9(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s6(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Jefferson, Iowa
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 27, 1995F49 mi30 mi0 / 1
May 27, 1995F421 mi57 mi0 / 2
May 5, 1965F420 mi9.9 mi0 / 0
May 10, 1959F415 mi41.1 mi0 / 1
Nov 12, 2005F319 mi17.6 mi1 / 3
Jul 14, 2021EF321 mi10.81 mi0 / 0
Jun 13, 1976F319 mi17.9 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF28 mi19.67 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF23 mi5.49 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF25 mi23.4 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF23 mi29.99 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF220 mi16.25 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 128, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Jefferson while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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