Cherokee County, IA hail & severe wind history
115 storm reports on file for Cherokee County between 2010-04-12 and 2026-05-18 — 59 hail and 56 severe thunderstorm wind. That averages 6.8 reports a year, and May is the busiest month.
Hail reports
59
3.5 per year
Largest hail
4"
grapefruit size · 2011-04-09
Strongest gust
100 mph
87 kt · 2021-12-15
Reported damage
$756K
property + crop, as filed
Storm days
61
distinct days with a report
Busiest year
2025
16 reports
Search every Cherokee County report
Filter the full record below — pick a year, narrow to a month, or drag the hail-size slider to see only the storms big enough to dent a roof (1" and up is the usual threshold insurers care about).
115 of 115 reports match.
Reports by month for the current filter — the shape of Cherokee County’s storm season.
| Date | Type | Size / gust | Nearest location | Report detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 16:35 | Hail | 1" quarter | .69 mi N of Washta | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2026-05-18 16:39 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 2.13 mi NNE of Washta | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2026-05-18 16:49 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 2.94 mi SSE of Cherokee Muni Arpt | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2026-05-17 19:03 | Wind | 74 kt 85 mph | 6.14 mi W of Washta | An outbuilding was destroyed with considerable tree damage west of Washta. |
| 2026-05-17 19:29 | Wind | 54 kt 62 mph | 4.84 mi N of Cleghorn | Wind gust measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2026-05-17 19:29 | Wind | 54 kt 62 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee Muni Arpt | Wind gust measured by AWOS station KCKP at the Cherokee Municipal Airport. |
| 2026-05-17 19:31 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 0 mi N of Meriden | Wind gust measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2026-05-15 19:28 | Hail | 1" quarter | .51 mi W of Marcus | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2026-05-15 19:42 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 2.46 mi SE of Cherokee Muni Arpt | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2025-08-09 02:38 | Hail | 2" hen egg | 0 mi N of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2025-07-28 21:00 | Wind | 70 kt 81 mph | 5.14 mi NE of Cleghorn | Thunderstorm winds downed large trees on a farmstead. |
| 2025-07-28 21:02 | Wind | 70 kt 81 mph | 2.81 mi N of Meriden | Large trees were snapped and uprooted by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-06-29 03:09 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 0 mi N of Marcus | Thunderstorm wind gusts removed numerous 6 inch diameter tree limbs as well as knocked down several trees around town. |
| 2025-06-29 03:22 | Wind | 65 kt 75 mph | 4.84 mi N of Cleghorn | Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2025-06-16 16:34 | Wind | 57 kt 66 mph | 2.46 mi SW of Mary Hill | Winds were measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2025-06-16 16:37 | Wind | 57 kt 66 mph | 0 mi N of Meriden | Winds were measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2025-06-16 16:46 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .51 mi W of Cherokee | Thunderstorm wind gusts brought several large limbs down. As a result of limbs coming down on powerlines around Cherokee, up to 1800 electrical customers were without power. |
| 2025-06-16 16:47 | Wind | 51 kt 59 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee Muni Arpt | No narrative filed · source: AWOS |
| 2025-06-16 16:48 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee Muni Arpt | Thunderstorm winds peeled off portions of the roof of a building. |
| 2025-06-14 16:53 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 2.03 mi W of Fielding | There was a brief period of pea to nickel size hail. |
| 2025-04-28 19:13 | Hail | 1" quarter | 1.38 mi N of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2025-04-18 00:00 | Hail | 1" quarter | 0 mi N of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2025-04-18 00:02 | Hail | 1.75" golf ball | 3.62 mi E of Meriden | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2025-04-18 00:03 | Hail | 1" quarter | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2025-03-14 18:05 | Wind | 55 kt 63 mph | 4.84 mi N of Cleghorn | A 63 mph thunderstorm outflow wind gust was measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2024-07-29 23:21 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .51 mi W of Quimby | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed several large tree branches in Quimby. |
| 2024-07-29 23:22 | Wind | 65 kt 75 mph | .51 mi W of Marcus | A large evergreen tree in Marcus was downed by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2024-07-29 23:37 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree branches in Cherokee. |
| 2024-07-29 23:45 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | Multiple large tree branches were downed by thunderstorm winds in Aurelia. |
| 2024-05-20 19:50 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 5.47 mi WNW of Larrabee | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2024-05-20 20:30 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | 7.07 mi NNE of Aurelia | Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| 2024-05-08 15:31 | Hail | 1" quarter | 2.31 mi NNE of Marcus | Hail was mostly pea to dime size as well as soft, but a few stones were as large as quarters. There was enough hail to briefly cover the ground before it melted in about 15 minutes. |
| 2024-04-26 11:30 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 3.75 mi SE of Fielding | Hail varied in size from quarter to half-dollar size. |
| 2024-04-26 11:47 | Hail | 1" quarter | .86 mi SW of Cleghorn | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2023-07-03 16:53 | Hail | 1" quarter | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| 2023-04-19 18:43 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | 1.23 mi SW of Cleghorn | Hail 1.5 inches in diamater fell in Cleghorn. |
| 2022-08-27 16:18 | Wind | 70 kt 81 mph | 6.24 mi N of Cleghorn | A roof was removed from part of a farm outbuilding by thunderstorm winds. |
| 2022-08-18 18:35 | Wind | 53 kt 61 mph | 3.45 mi S of Fielding | A thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph was measured by a personal weather station 5 miles northwest of Washta. |
| 2022-05-30 14:55 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 0 mi N of Marcus | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2021-12-15 16:46 | Wind | 74 kt 85 mph | 4.56 mi S of Fielding | Thunderstorm winds caused the collapse of a brick gable on the west side of a building at the Grand Meadow Heritage Center, as well as lesser damage to other buildings. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-12-15 16:53 | Wind | 83 kt 96 mph | 4.07 mi W of Mary Hill | Thunderstorm winds knocked down a machine shed. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-12-15 16:56 | Wind | 83 kt 96 mph | 2.4 mi SW of Meriden | Thunderstorms winds removed a portion of the roof of a well-built machine shed. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-12-15 16:56 | Wind | 70 kt 81 mph | .86 mi SW of Marcus | Thunderstorm winds removed sections of the roof off a few buildings and blew a semi-truck off the road. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-12-15 17:02 | Wind | 87 kt 100 mph | .9 mi S of Aurelia | Three empty railcars were blown over by thunderstorm winds. |
| 2021-12-15 17:02 | Wind | 78 kt 90 mph | 1.14 mi SSW of Aurelia | Thunderstorm winds blew in the south facing doors of a metal shed, which caused complete removal of the roof. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-12-15 17:02 | Wind | 87 kt 100 mph | .97 mi S of Aurelia | A half-dozen power poles were snapped off at the ground by thunderstorm winds. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-12-15 17:03 | Wind | 78 kt 90 mph | .43 mi SSE of Aurelia | Thunderstorm winds resulted in failure of garage doors, with removal of walls and roof of half the building. Debris was thrown north and northwest into several homes. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| 2021-08-27 00:46 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 2.57 mi SE of Marcus | Corn was flattened by thunderstorm wind gusts. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| 2021-08-27 01:05 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 2.54 mi W of Cherokee | Thunderstorm winds produced damage to large tree limbs. |
| 2021-08-20 17:22 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 3.05 mi W of Washta | Thunderstorm winds downed a 10 inch diameter tree limb, with additional damage to corn fields. |
| 2021-06-22 17:42 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 7.12 mi W of Washta | A continuation of the wind-driven hail path from Plymouth County, extensive to total crop damage was noted across the southwest corner of Cherokee County. The path was determined from Sentinel satellite data and ground survey. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States De… |
| 2020-06-04 22:43 | Hail | 1" quarter | 3.43 mi SW of Cleghorn | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2020-06-04 23:09 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 1.71 mi SE of Cherokee Muni Arpt | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2019-10-01 00:47 | Hail | 0.75" penny | .69 mi N of Washta | No narrative filed · source: Broadcast Media |
| 2019-09-24 17:45 | Hail | 1" quarter | .86 mi SW of Cleghorn | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2019-09-24 18:05 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 0 mi N of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Social Media |
| 2019-09-21 15:54 | Hail | 0.75" penny | 7.23 mi NNE of Aurelia | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2019-07-20 08:34 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | .86 mi NW of Marcus | Five inch diameter tree limbs snapped. |
| 2019-06-15 12:30 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | .86 mi NW of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2018-08-28 05:14 | Hail | 1" quarter | .51 mi W of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Law Enforcement |
| 2018-08-28 05:20 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | .86 mi NE of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Law Enforcement |
| 2018-07-04 16:56 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | .86 mi SW of Cleghorn | A power line was knocked down by thunderstorm wind. |
| 2018-07-04 17:10 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 4.05 mi W of Larrabee | Several three inch diameter tree limbs broken by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2018-06-14 02:30 | Hail | 1" quarter | 1.67 mi WSW of Fielding | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2018-05-01 15:23 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | 2.57 mi NE of Quimby | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2018-05-01 15:36 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | Report via social media with picture. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2018-05-01 15:40 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | Relayed public report with picture. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2017-08-18 20:20 | Hail | 1" quarter | 4.61 mi E of Larrabee | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2017-06-13 21:00 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Strong winds caused tree to split. |
| 2016-06-17 21:30 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 1.47 mi NNW of Fielding | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including one tree blown down onto a machine shed. |
| 2016-05-23 17:43 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | .51 mi W of Marcus | Hail was mostly pea size, but there were a few large stones up to ping pong ball size. |
| 2016-04-24 16:09 | Hail | 0.75" penny | .69 mi N of Washta | No narrative filed · source: Law Enforcement |
| 2016-04-24 16:23 | Hail | 1" quarter | .69 mi S of Cherokee Muni Arpt | No narrative filed · source: Law Enforcement |
| 2015-06-22 04:55 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .86 mi NW of Marcus | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including up to 2 foot diameter trees snapped. The winds also blew down power lines. |
| 2015-06-22 05:09 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .86 mi SW of Cleghorn | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including a one foot diameter tree snapped. |
| 2014-09-19 22:30 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including branches up to 10 inches in diameter blown down. |
| 2014-06-14 21:05 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 1.67 mi WSW of Cleghorn | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage. |
| 2014-05-11 17:10 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | 2.57 mi NW of Quimby | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2014-05-11 17:22 | Hail | 1" quarter | .69 mi S of Meriden | No narrative filed · source: Emergency Manager |
| 2013-10-04 18:28 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | .51 mi W of Quimby | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large branches blown down. |
| 2013-08-31 23:21 | Hail | 1" quarter | 4.28 mi ENE of Larrabee | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2013-06-15 09:32 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large limbs blown down. The winds also blew down power lines. |
| 2012-09-06 20:45 | Hail | 1" quarter | 4.11 mi W of Larrabee | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2012-09-04 20:40 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | .51 mi W of Marcus | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. |
| 2012-09-04 21:07 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage and blew down power lines. |
| 2012-05-19 20:30 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | .69 mi N of Washta | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. |
| 2012-05-19 20:32 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 1.02 mi W of Quimby | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a lean-to shed, blew away shingles, and caused tree damage, including the top of one tree blown down. |
| 2012-05-19 20:55 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | .51 mi W of Marcus | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including some trees blown down. |
| 2012-05-04 15:05 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 2.13 mi NNW of Cleghorn | Thunderstorm winds caused tree and building damage. |
| 2012-05-03 19:01 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 2.94 mi NNE of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2012-05-03 19:03 | Hail | 0.75" penny | 2.76 mi N of Cherokee | Hail covered the ground. |
| 2012-05-03 19:12 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 3.62 mi E of Meriden | Hail was accompanied by an inch of rain which fell in 15 minutes. |
| 2012-05-03 19:23 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 4.28 mi SE of Larrabee | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including branches up to 3 inches in diameter blown down. The winds were accompanied by small hail which covered the ground. |
| 2012-05-03 19:23 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 4.01 mi SSE of Larrabee | No narrative filed · source: County Official |
| 2012-05-03 19:34 | Hail | 0.75" penny | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Hail was accompanied by heavy rain. |
| 2012-05-03 19:39 | Hail | 1.75" golf ball | .86 mi SW of Aurelia | Hail up to golf ball size fell for several minutes. An unknown amount of damage was done to vehicles. |
| 2011-09-02 02:18 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | .86 mi NW of Marcus | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several small branches blown down. The winds were accompanied by quarter size hail. |
| 2011-09-02 02:18 | Hail | 1" quarter | .86 mi NW of Marcus | Large hail was accompanied by 60 mph wind gusts. |
| 2011-07-11 00:55 | Wind | 53 kt 61 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee | No narrative filed · source: AWOS |
| 2011-06-09 16:11 | Hail | 1" quarter | .51 mi W of Marcus | No narrative filed · source: Broadcast Media |
| 2011-04-09 19:55 | Hail | 1" quarter | 2.15 mi ESE of Fielding | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2011-04-09 20:20 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 6.93 mi ESE of Quimby | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large limbs blown down. |
| 2011-04-09 20:22 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 6.65 mi E of Quimby | Thunderstorm winds damaged outbuildings and a shelterbelt on a farmstead. |
| 2011-04-09 20:40 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 5.07 mi SSW of Fielding | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2011-04-09 21:15 | Hail | 4" grapefruit | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Large hail was estimated at 4 inches in diameter with one stone measured at 3.5 inches. The hail caused an unknown amount of damage to vehicles. |
| 2011-04-09 21:15 | Hail | 2.75" baseball | .86 mi SE of Cherokee | Large hail caused an unknown amount of vehicle, siding, and roof damage. |
| 2010-09-15 17:24 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 2.06 mi NW of Mary Hill | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several branches blown down. the winds were accompanied by small hail. |
| 2010-09-15 17:35 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 2.76 mi S of Meriden | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2010-09-15 17:40 | Hail | 1" quarter | .69 mi N of Washta | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2010-07-22 00:20 | Wind | 70 kt 81 mph | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage, including several large trees blown down. Several homes and businesses were damaged by falling trees, and other had shingle and other roof damage. Several vehicles were also damaged by falling trees and tree debris. A storage shed full of sports equipment at the high s… |
| 2010-06-26 21:40 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | .69 mi S of Meriden | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. |
| 2010-06-22 21:53 | Hail | 1.25" half dollar | 2.45 mi SW of Marcus | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2010-06-17 15:57 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 6.98 mi N of Aurelia | No narrative filed · source: Public |
| 2010-06-17 16:05 | Hail | 1" quarter | 6.62 mi E of Larrabee | No narrative filed · source: Trained Spotter |
| 2010-04-12 09:50 | Hail | 1" quarter | 2.31 mi SSW of Mary Hill | No narrative filed · source: Public |
Worst storm days in Cherokee County
| Date | Reports that day | Largest hail | Peak gust |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-15 | 8 | — | 100 mph |
| 2012-05-03 | 7 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 60 mph |
| 2011-04-09 | 6 | 4" (grapefruit) | 70 mph |
| 2025-06-16 | 5 | — | 70 mph |
| 2026-05-17 | 4 | — | 85 mph |
| 2024-07-29 | 4 | — | 75 mph |
| 2025-04-18 | 3 | 1.75" (golf ball) | — |
| 2018-05-01 | 3 | 1.5" (ping pong ball) | — |
| 2026-05-18 | 3 | 1" (quarter) | — |
| 2010-09-15 | 3 | 1" (quarter) | 60 mph |
Reports by year
Report counts are driven partly by how many people were around to report a storm, so recent years tend to look busier than the early 2010s. Treat the trend as a reporting trend, not purely a weather trend.
Notable large-hail events (2" and up)
| Date | Size | Near | What was reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-09 | 2" hen egg | 0 mi N of Cherokee | No narrative filed |
| 2011-04-09 | 4" grapefruit | 0 mi N of Cherokee | Large hail was estimated at 4 inches in diameter with one stone measured at 3.5 inches. The hail caused an unknown amount of damage to vehicles. |
| 2011-04-09 | 2.75" baseball | .86 mi SE of Cherokee | Large hail caused an unknown amount of vehicle, siding, and roof damage. |
When does hail hit Cherokee County?
Across 17 years of records, May produced the most reports (30), followed by the months either side of it. Monthly totals:
| Month | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0.0% |
| February | 0 | 0.0% |
| March | 1 | 0.9% |
| April | 16 | 13.9% |
| May | 30 | 26.1% |
| June | 24 | 20.9% |
| July | 12 | 10.4% |
| August | 10 | 8.7% |
| September | 12 | 10.4% |
| October | 2 | 1.7% |
| November | 0 | 0.0% |
| December | 8 | 7.0% |
Nearby counties in Iowa
Polk County (645)Linn County (550)Scott County (434)Story County (328)Johnson County (295)Woodbury County (290)Dubuque County (272)Dallas County (268)Benton County (265)Warren County (255)Marion County (236)Buchanan County (226)
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About these numbers
Every row above is a report filed with the National Weather Service and archived in the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (FIPS 19035). Reports are eyewitness, trained-spotter and damage-survey observations, so they cluster near roads and towns and miss storms over empty country. Hail sizes are estimates. Damage figures are preliminary as filed and are never revised in this archive. Use this page for background, not for an insurance claim, a legal filing, or a roof assessment — for those, get the official record from NOAA directly.