Iowa’s Hurricane History: Has the Hawkeye State Ever Been Hit?

OK...the answer to the question "Has a hurricane ever hit the state of Iowa" is clearly NO. While we may be under threat each spring and summer from tornadoes and thunderstorms, we don't have to worry about hurricanes directly slamming into the Hawkeye state. But the remnants of hurricanes that hit the coastal areas of the U.S. can affect us here in the Midwest.

CNN reports that Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas on Monday as a category 1 hurricane. Millions were left without power and 8 people were killed in the storm. Winds and flood waters left a path of destruction that will take a long time to recover from. What remained of Beryl moved north towards the Midwest bringing rain and the threat of tornadoes along with it. Fortunately for us, Iowa will miss the threat of severe weather.

The National Weather Service says that the remnants of Beryl should mainly affect areas of Western Illinois and be out of the area by today. So has the state of Iowa ever been directly affected by what was left over by a major hurricane? The answer to that question is YES. But it has only happened twice.

According to the National Weather Service, two storm systems from hurricanes have passed over Iowa. Cristobal in 2020 and an unnamed storm in 1990. As unlikely as it seems, hurricanes can even be felt here in the state of Iowa.

Here are some of the biggest and most expensive hurricanes ever.