Hancock County (Iowa) Emergency Management

05/21/2026

Hancock County has been included in the Governor's Disaster Proclamation along with 7 other Counties in Iowa.

This proclamation opens up two programs for assistance for anyone affected by the storms beginning Friday May 15th through Sunday May 17th.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides financial support (up to $,7000) to households that have an annual income at or below 200% of the 2026 Federal Poverty level (See Graphic for more information.

There is also the Disaster Case Advocacy program that provides an advocate to assist affected household through assessment, recovery and access to available resources.

05/18/2026

TORNADO WARNING

The Northern half of Hancock County is in a Tornado Warning. There have been confirmed tornadoes with this storm.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
Union Slogh and Titonka around 940 PM CDT.
Woden around 945 PM CDT.
Thompson around 955 PM CDT.
Scarville around 1005 PM CDT.
Lake Mills and Hogsback Wildlife Area around 1010 PM CDT.

Take Shelter immediately.

05/18/2026

SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHING

The system continuing to gather strength and speed to our west will likely enter our area after 10 p.m. this evening.

This system continues to produce tornadoes and strong winds in excess of 70 mph. The Tornado Warning to our South and West contains a confirmed tornado near Pomeroy moving northeast toward Hancock County.

Prepare to take shelter as this storm approaches.

05/18/2026

WEATHER UPDATE

It appears that the weather system to our west is becoming more linear in nature (bowing of the system) and increasing speed.

These storms look to be moving directly to our area and we can expect extremely strong winds as they arrive. Tornadoes and hail cannot be ruled out but the most significant threat is straight line winds in excess of 75 mph.

Continue to monitor the weather situation until it passes our area and be prepared to take shelter when warnings are issued.

05/17/2026

TORNADO WATCH

We are under a Tornado Watch until 1:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Primary threats include...
A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes possible
Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 75
mph likely
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible

Be sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings to prepare for this potential storm.

04/27/2026

The Severe Thunderstorm moving across the northern half of Hancock County has decreased a bit in intensity. However, there is still a risk of hail with this storm, just below severe limits.

04/27/2026

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Hancock County is in a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 3 p.m. Areas impacted are Britt, Woden and Crystal Lake at this time. The storm is moving east at 25 mph.

Primary threat is large hail up to the size of a quarter.

04/23/2026

TORNADO WATCH

We are under a tornado watch until 7:00 p.m. Thursday. Our area is the furthest Northeast in the Watch area currently.

A line of storms is entering the western portion of the State at this time and is expected to expand. This system may bring tornadoes, winds in excess of 70 mph and large hail over 2" in diameter.

Stay weather aware throughout the remainder of the day and have a plan to find shelter quickly if these storms become severe in our area.

Be Safe. Be Smart.

04/17/2026

FRIDAY WEATHER

The hazard areas have shift slightly to our east but there is still a possibility of our area seeing some severe weather during the early afternoon (2p to 4p). Tornadoes and Hail are the primary threat with this system while strong winds are a secondary concern.

The cold front that is bringing us the potential weather this afternoon will also force temperatures lower on Saturday with below freezing likely Saturday night.

Stay weather aware early this afternoon and be prepared to take action if necessary.

04/14/2026

STORM REPORTING

The link below is for an application that you can download on your mobile device that allows you to submit real-time storm reports directly to the National Weather Service.

It's very simple to use and aids local responders and forecast offices by providing "ground truth" during storms. Strong winds, hail reports, funnel clouds, tornadoes and flash flooding reports help keep our communities safe by providing real-time hazards and be able to issue warnings and protective measures.

The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory is collecting public weather reports through a free app available for smart phones or mobile devices. The app is called 'mPING,' for Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground.