Pottawattamie County, Iowa: hail history 2014–2026
By density Pottawattamie County lands #39 of 67 in Iowa: 86.5 reports per 1,000 square miles from 83 reports. Of 33 days at 1 inch or more, 16 topped 1.75. Record: 4 inches (a grapefruit), April 17, 2025 near Weston.
- 83reports
- 33days, 1 in+
- 16days, 1.75 in+
- 4 inlargest stone
Hail since my roof went on: Pottawattamie County
Year by year
| Year | Reports | Days 1 in+ | Days 1.75 in+ | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1.75 in |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2017 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 in |
| 2018 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2019 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 in |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2.5 in |
| 2022 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2.75 in |
| 2023 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 in |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 in |
| 2025 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 4 in |
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 in |
2025 was the busiest year (17 reports) and 2015 the quietest (0). Pottawattamie County averaged 8 reports a year from 2020 to 2025, 36% above the 6 of 2014 to 2019. 2026 stands at 5 through June, against a full-year average of 6. Days with 1-inch stones average 2.6 per full year.
Pottawattamie County: reports by month
| Jan | 0 |
|---|---|
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 3 |
| Apr | 32 |
| May | 5 |
| Jun | 28 |
| Jul | 6 |
| Aug | 1 |
| Sep | 8 |
| Oct | 0 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
April dominates the calendar: 32 of 83 reports, 39%. April to June alone bring 78%. 3 of 83 reports fell outside April to September.
Largest stone: 4 inches
Reported hail locations, Pottawattamie County
- 461 to 1.74 in
- 231.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 62.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 4 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
75 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlinePottawattamie County’s ten biggest hail days
| Date | Size | Reports | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2025 | 4 in, a grapefruit | 9 | Weston |
| September 17, 2022 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 3 | Carson |
| June 18, 2021 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 3 | Carson |
| June 25, 2024 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 3 | Council Bluffs |
| June 12, 2024 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 1 | Council Bluffs Arpt |
| June 5, 2020 | 2 in, a hen egg | 3 | Treynor |
| April 19, 2023 | 2 in, a hen egg | 1 | Minden |
| April 24, 2025 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 8 | Chautauqua |
| June 30, 2014 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 4 | Underwood |
| April 13, 2018 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 4 | Oakland |
“This storm began producing severe hail in a swath from Council Bluffs to eastern Sarpy County. Multiple reports of hail ranging from quarter to tennis ball sized were received by the office via social media and phone calls from the public and trained spotters.”
NWS report, June 25, 2024
“Emergency manager measured hail up to 1.75 inch in diameter.”
NWS report, April 24, 2025
Tornadoes and wind in Pottawattamie County
19 tornadoes on record in Pottawattamie County; the strongest listed is EF3, 14.8 miles long, near Carter Lake. Top gust: 109 mph near Bentley.
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 26, 2024 | EF3 | 14.8 mi | 550 yd | Carter Lake |
| April 26, 2024 | EF3 | 14.19 mi | 1900 yd | Mc Clelland · 1 deaths, 3 injured |
| April 26, 2024 | EF3 | 13.31 mi | 900 yd | Dumfries |
| December 15, 2021 | EF2 | 6.7 mi | 75 yd | Bentley |
| June 3, 2014 | EF2 | 2.81 mi | 680 yd | Bentley |
| December 15, 2021 | EF2 | 2.3 mi | 50 yd | Weston |
| December 15, 2021 | EF1 | 9.57 mi | 50 yd | Macedonia |
| May 6, 2024 | EF1 | 3.81 mi | 450 yd | Minden |
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| June 3, 2014 | 109 mph | Bentley |
| December 15, 2021 | 92 mph | Lake Manawa |
| June 3, 2014 | 90 mph | Grable |
| July 31, 2024 | 90 mph | Lake Manawa |
| June 25, 2024 | 90 mph | Carter Lake |
| December 15, 2021 | 85 mph | Weston |
Homes in Pottawattamie County
Median build year in Pottawattamie County: 1967. 82.1% of 40,022 homes predate 2000. Houses permitted since 2014: 1,488, or 37.2 per 1,000 homes. Busiest year: 2018.
| pre-1940 | 26.4% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 4.6% |
| 1950s | 12.3% |
| 1960s | 9.6% |
| 1970s | 13.1% |
| 1980s | 6.3% |
| 1990s | 9.8% |
| 2000s | 12.5% |
| 2010s | 4.7% |
| 2020+ | 0.6% |
| Year | Houses | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 118 | 122 |
| 2015 | 135 | 141 |
| 2016 | 114 | 114 |
| 2017 | 127 | 133 |
| 2018 | 166 | 180 |
| 2019 | 134 | 160 |
| 2020 | 131 | 195 |
| 2021 | 107 | 143 |
| 2022 | 106 | 138 |
| 2023 | 123 | 179 |
| 2024 | 105 | 681 |
| 2025 | 122 | 334 |
Quick answers
How many hail reports has Pottawattamie County had?
NOAA logged 83 hail reports in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, from 2014 to June 2026.
How many days had hail of 1 inch or larger in Pottawattamie County?
33 days, including 16 days with hail of 1.75 inches or larger. The National Weather Service calls hail of 1 inch or larger severe.
What was the largest hail reported in Pottawattamie County?
4 inches (a grapefruit), reported on April 17, 2025.
Which month has the most hail in Pottawattamie County?
April has the most reports, 39% of the 83 in the record.
Does a hail day in the record mean my roof was damaged?
A counted day only means a spotter reported hail somewhere in the area. An inspection is the only way to know whether a roof was hit.
Next steps for Pottawattamie County
Pottawattamie County cities we cover
Next to Pottawattamie County in the Iowa ranking
- Story County (153 reports)
- Scott County (128 reports)
- Johnson County (109 reports)
- Woodbury County (92 reports)
Cite this page
Data version: NOAA Storm Events hail data, 2014 to June 2026, loaded October 6, 2026. All dataset versions. Download the table as CSV. Free to quote with credit under CC BY 4.0.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, public domain. Counts and tables on this page are free to reuse with credit to PickARoofer under CC BY 4.0.