Tama County Iowa Emergency Management

06/01/2026

June is National Pet Preparedness Month! Do you have a plan for your pet during a disaster?

June is National Pet Preparedness Month! 🐾 When emergencies strike, our pets rely entirely on us to keep them safe.

Here is your mission for the month:

✅Follow our page: We'll be sharing essential safety tips all month long, from building pet "go-bags" to evacuating livestock.

✅Get started now: Don't wait for a storm! Visit https://go.iowa.gov/tx8w for guides and checklists to build your pet's emergency plan today.

If it's not safe for you, it's not safe for them. ❤️🐶🐱

05/28/2026

The Tama County Emergency Management Office is proud to help share the Tama County Flag Day Photo Contest being organized by Tama County Economic Development.

We encourage everyone to submit photos showcasing the American flags flying across Tama County!

Join us for an inspiring afternoon of patriotic music, storytelling, dance, and community celebration on Sunday, June 14 from 2–4 PM at the Tama County Courthouse lawn & bandstand. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy a family-friendly event honoring our nation’s history, flag, and spirit—complete with performances by local talent, community singing, and special appearances inspired by America’s founding story.

🎶 Patriotic music by the Community Band, group singalongs & more
🎨 Kid-friendly activities, coloring contest & prizes
🍦 Free cake & ice cream following the program

🎥 Bonus! Catch the documentary “After Ike” at 1 PM at the Wieting Theater before the celebration.
☔ In case of rain, the event moves to the Wieting Theater. Follow the Tama County Economic Development page for updates!

05/27/2026

Summer is here!

Pleasant, summer conditions continue the rest of the week and into the weekend with highs in the 80s. Occasional showers or storms may occur at times in western Iowa but most will stay dry.

05/20/2026

Cooler temperatures to end the work week.

Cooler weather will prevail for the remainder of this week. It will be dry from tonight through Wednesday night, and on Wednesday morning temperatures will fall into the mid to upper 30s in parts of northern and western Iowa, where patchy frost will be possible in low-lying areas. High temperatures from Wednesday through Friday will only range in the upper 50s to mid 60s each day. Clouds and rain chances will increase from late Thursday through Friday, with a few thunderstorms possible but severe weather unlikely.

05/19/2026

Tama Co Alert:

Tornado Warning
Tornado Warning issued May 18 at 9:06PM CDT until May 18 at 9:45PM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
TORDMX

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
Northern Poweshiek County in central Iowa...
Southern Tama County in central Iowa...

* Until 945 PM CDT.

* At 906 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Gilman, or 7 miles north of Grinnell, moving
northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.
Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree
damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
Tama around 915 PM CDT.
Chelsea and Vining around 925 PM CDT.
Elberon around 930 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Chelsea, Elberon, Vining, Toledo Municipal Airport, and Holiday Lake.
http://www.weather.gov

05/18/2026

May 18th Afternoon Update

The Des Moines National Weather Service has produced a weather briefing concerning the following flash flooding and severe weather conditions.

* WHAT - Severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts, large hail, tornadoes, and flash flooding

* WHERE - Much of Iowa has the highest risk, over southern Iowa

* WHEN - Late this afternoon into tonight

05/18/2026

May 18th Morning Update

The Des Moines National Weather Service has produced an updated weather briefing concerning the following:

* WHAT - Severe weather potential Today.

* WHERE - Much of Iowa.

* WHEN - 6pm Monday through 5am Tuesday.

05/18/2026

Tama Co Alert:

Tornado Watch
Tornado Watch issued May 17 at 8:07PM CDT until May 18 at 3:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 218 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM CDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 35 COUNTIES

IN CENTRAL IOWA

BOONE DALLAS GRUNDY
HAMILTON HARDIN JASPER
MARSHALL POLK POWESHIEK
STORY TAMA WEBSTER

IN NORTHEAST IOWA

BLACK HAWK

IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA

CLARKE DECATUR LUCAS
MADISON MAHASKA MARION
MONROE RINGGOLD UNION
WARREN WAYNE

IN SOUTHWEST IOWA

ADAIR ADAMS CASS
TAYLOR

IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA

AUDUBON CALHOUN CARROLL
CRAWFORD GREENE GUTHRIE
SAC

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ACKLEY, ADAIR, ADEL, ALBIA, ALLERTON,
AMES, ATLANTIC, AUDUBON, BAYARD, BEDFORD, BOONE, CARLISLE,
CARROLL, CASEY, CEDAR FALLS, CHARITON, CONRAD, CORNING, CORYDON,
CRESTON, DENISON, DES MOINES, D**E, DYSART, EARLHAM, EARLY,
ELDORA, EXIRA, FONTANELLE, FORT DODGE, GLADBROOK, GREENFIELD,
GRINNELL, GRUNDY CENTER, GUTHRIE CENTER, HUMESTON, INDIANOLA,
IOWA FALLS, JEFFERSON, KNOXVILLE, LAKE CITY, LAKE VIEW, LAMONI,
LENOX, LEON, MANSON, MARSHALLTOWN, MOUNT AYR, NEW MARKET, NEWTON,
NORWALK, ODEBOLT, OSCEOLA, OSKALOOSA, PANORA, PELLA, PERRY,
POMEROY, REINBECK, ROCKWELL CITY, SAC CITY, SCHALLER, SEYMOUR,
STUART, TAMA, TOLEDO, TRAER, WALL LAKE, WATERLOO, WAUKEE,
WEBSTER CITY, WELLSBURG, AND WINTERSET.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...

A COUPLE TORNADOES POSSIBLE.
SCATTERED DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED SIGNIFICANT GUSTS TO 80
MPH LIKELY.
ISOLATED LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE.

PROBABILITY TABLE:
PROB OF 2 OR MORE TORNADOES : 40%
PROB OF 1 OR MORE STRONG /EF2-EF5/ TORNADOES : 20%
PROB OF 10 OR MORE SEVERE WIND EVENTS : 70%
PROB OF 1 OR MORE WIND EVENTS >= 75 MPH : 60%
PROB OF 10 OR MORE SEVERE HAIL EVENTS : 30%
PROB OF 1 OR MORE HAIL EVENTS >= 2 INCHES : 20%
PROB OF 6 OR MORE COMBINED SEVERE HAIL/WIND EVENTS : 90%
MEAN STORM MOTION /MPH/ : NE 45
http://www.weather.gov

05/17/2026

Weather outlook for tonight. Be weather aware and make sure you have multiple ways of getting alerts.

05/16/2026

May 16th Morning Update

The Des Moines National Weather Service has produced a weather briefing concerning the following:

* WHAT - Severe weather potential Today through Monday.

* WHERE - Western and central Iowa.

* WHEN - Isolated storms will develop in central Iowa after 3pm, before becoming more widespread. A line of storms is expected to enter Iowa from the west and continue overnight through Sunday morning.