BlockBefore

Ashawa, Iowa

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1908 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Walnut Township. It lies in ZIP code area 50265. The Survey maps it on the Commerce quadrangle.

Ashawa within Polk County

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 11 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

4 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 4 fires within 5 miles of Ashawa between 2006 and 2011, burning about 21 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined4

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined15 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources47753 127TH, IA
4 April 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined6.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
2 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resources129 COTTAGE LANE,LAKE PONDEROSA, IA
13 January 2006Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Polk County

Mines and quarries near this place

7 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Ashawa: 4 producers, 3 past producers. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Marquette Cement PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Penn-Dixie Cement PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Commerce PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Commerce Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
I-35 and Army Post Road PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
West Des Moines Sand PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Polk County

Storms near this place

44 since 2007

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ashawa in 44 storm reports between 2007 and 2025: 20 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 6 heavy rain, 3 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2012Thunderstorm WindAshawa$25,000Winds estimated in excess of 70 MPH. Extremely heavy rain as well.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindAshawa$25,000Numerous two inch diameter limbs down at the intersection of 68th and Douglas. Winds in excess of 60 MPH.
July 2008FloodAshawa$25,000Law Enforcement reported water blocking the road in the 5000 block of EP True Parkway.
July 2025Flash FloodAshawa$20,000Local law enforcement reported flash flooding over portions of the Des Moines metro area on the evening of July 20th 2025. Several intersections closed along 63rd Ave, with several stranded vehicles. George Flagg Parkways closed, with flooding reported in the Valley Junction area. Local media also reported deep, standing water along Ashworth road in West Des Moines.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindAshawa$20,000Three to eight inch tree limbs down at Valley Junction.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindAshawa$10,000Emergency manager reported multiple trees and power lines down in West Des Moines along Ashworth Rd.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindAshawa$10,000Public reported 18 to 24 inch diameter tree downed through wooden fence. Time and location estimated. Delayed report.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindAshawa$10,000Public reported large tree blown onto roof of two-story residence. Time and location estimated from radar.
June 2011HailAshawa$10,000no account filed
May 2024Thunderstorm WindAshawa$5,000City official reported an ash tee blown over and across the street. Time estimated from radar.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindAshawa$5,000Winds of up to 65 MPH reported at Western Hills Drive between E. P. True and Ashworth Road.
June 2008HailAshawa$5,000Spotter reported hail at the Hickman exit of Interstate 35/80.
June 2008HailAshawa$5,000Report relayed by KCCI television.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindAshawa$5,000no account filed
June 2007Thunderstorm WindAshawa$5,000no account filed
June 2007Thunderstorm WindAshawa$5,000no account filed
June 2007Thunderstorm WindAshawa$5,000no account filed
February 2009HailAshawa$3,000no account filed
June 2009Thunderstorm WindAshawa$3,000no account filed
July 2008HailAshawa$3,000no account filed
May 2019LightningAshawa$2,000Lightning struck a power pole and knocked out power to the area.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindAshawa$2,000Trained spotter, via social media, shared a photo of a large tree branch around 6 to 10 inches in diameter down.
August 2008HailAshawa$2,000no account filed
April 2019LightningAshawa$1,000Public relayed picture of tree split via social media, possibly set on fire initially, from lightning strike. Location and time estimated from information provided.
April 2019LightningAshawa$1,000Lightning struck a tree splitting the tree in half and downing about a 2-3 foot diameter limb/trunk portion of the tree.
March 2011HailAshawa$1,000no account filed
May 2024Thunderstorm WindAshawa-Delayed report of a tree down on a house. Time of occurrence estimated from radar.
August 2022HailAshawa-Report from mping.
August 2022HailAshawa-Golf balled sized hail reported breaking windshields.
August 2022HailAshawa-Delayed report via social media of ping pong ball sized hail in West Des Moines. Time estimated via radar.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindAshawa-NWS Employee reported a large tree, approximately two feet in diameter and 60 feet tall, down off a bike train in West Des Moines. Time estimated via radar.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindAshawa-Broadcast media relayed report of tree snapped at base. Time estimated via radar.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindAshawa-A trained spotter reported 70 mph gusts at Mills Civic Parkway and Interstate 35.
September 2019Thunderstorm WindAshawa-Public reported estimated 60 mph wind gusts.
April 2019HailAshawa-Public relayed estimated quarter sized hail via the mPING app, and was located right underneath the hail core via radar.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindAshawa-Public reported tree damage including 6 to 12 inch diameter limbs torn off main trunk.
September 2016Heavy RainAshawa-NWS employee reported heavy rainfall of 2.07 inches.
July 2015Heavy RainAshawa-Trained spotter reported heavy rainfall of 1.63 inches.
August 2014Heavy RainAshawa-Rainfall of 2.50 inches was measured in the past 24 hours.
August 2014Heavy RainAshawa-Rainfall in the past 24 hours was 2.35 inches near I-35 and Mills Civic Parkway.
March 2011Heavy RainAshawa-An inch of rain fell in a short period of time.
June 2017HailAshawa-no account filed
June 2011HailAshawa-no account filed
June 2009Heavy RainAshawa-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Polk County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Commerce2.3 miles11
West Des Moines2.4 miles16
Valley Junction2.5 miles16
Clive2.7 miles16
Windsor Heights3.1 miles16
Crestwood3.3 miles16
Campbell3.3 miles11
Urbandale4.4 miles17

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikidata item Q122542578The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 464450. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.