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Sibley, Iowa

7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in West Holman Township. It lies in ZIP code area 51249. The Survey maps it on the Sibley West quadrangle. 2,860 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,516 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Sibley within Osceola County

On record in Sibley

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Sibley grew from 2,798 to 2,860 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20102,798
20202,860+62 (+2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 surveys from 7 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

22 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 22 fires within 5 miles of Sibley between 2008 and 2020, burning about 100 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
Debris and open burning7
Equipment and vehicle use5
Smoking5
Missing data/not specified/undetermined5

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
22 September 2020Equipment and vehicle use10 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
9 June 2016Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural ResourcesSIBLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT
9 June 2016Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural ResourcesSIBLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT
24 June 2017Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
15 May 2020Smoking20 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
7 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
3 April 2008Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
23 April 2020Debris and open burning40 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Osceola 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 Sibley: 4 past producers, 3 producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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
Estherville S and GSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Hogan Const CoSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Lienen BrothersSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Peters PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
RailroadSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
RoskamSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Osceola County

Storms near this place

60 of 65 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Sibley in 65 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 31 thunderstorm wind, 24 hail, 5 tornado, 3 flood. The reports record 14 injuries. 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
June 2010Tornado (EF4)Sibley13 hurt, $3,000,000A tornado, moving into Osceola County from Lyon County, destroyed at least two houses, injuring two people in one of them. the tornado also destroyed several garages and severely damaged several other homes, destroyed at least 4 hog confinement buildings, several barns and silos, and numerous outbuildings. The tornado destroyed three vehicles that had been parked under an Iowa Highway 60 overpass, injuring 11 people in the vehicles, and removing the engine from one of the vehicles. The tornado damaged power lines, causing power outages, and caused damage to trees and crops. The tornado also destroyed a shelter belt and severely damaged heavy farm equipment, removing the wheels from some of the vehicles. Much of the damage occurred a short distance west to south of the town of Sibley.
August 1994Tornado (F3)Sibley1 hurt, $500,000no account filed
June 1998Tornado (F1)Sibley$500,000no account filed
August 1994Thunderstorm WindSibley$500,000no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindSibley$200,000Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage, blew down power lines, and destroyed or damaged several large sheds and a silo on a farm. The severe winds also resulted in four calves being killed.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindSibley$200,000no account filed
August 2019Thunderstorm WindSibley$75,000Several grain bins were damaged, and large road signs were bent over on the south exit to Sibley from Iowa Highway 60.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindSibley$50,000A metal shed was damaged, along with numerous trees down.
June 2014FloodSibley$50,000Persistent moderate to heavy rain caused flooding of fields and other lowlands, including several roads, homes, and businesses. This flooding lasted for almost two days, and was aggravated locally by additional storms during that time. Some roads were damaged or washed out.
May 1993Thunderstorm WindSibley$50,000Numerous thunderstorms developed in the strong, moist southerly flow ahead of an approaching cold front. Many of them produced pea to marble-size hail and gusty winds of 40 to 50 MPH. One of the cells became severe and produced winds strong enough to take down power lines and one utility pole east of Akron. During the late evening hours, the thunderstorms weakened and collapsed. As the tops collapsed, high winds affected Osceola County. Trees were toppled and power lines downed. Several out buildings were toppled as well. A machine shed, on a farmstead west of May City, was picked up and hurled 100 feet from its foundation. The building was destroyed. Some minor damage was also done to the farmhouse as well. Trees and power lines were also downed on a farmstead east of Ocheyedan. A machine shed was also destroyed by high winds there.
June 1994HailSibley$50,000no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindSibley$20,000Thunderstorm winds blew down the walls of a garage under construction, blew a playground set into the back of a house, and caused shingle damage to several roofs. The winds also loosened rain gutters, blew downspouts away from a house, and caused widespread tree damage, including a few trees blown down.
April 2002Thunderstorm WindSibley$20,000Thunderstorm winds blew down power poles, resulting in power outages.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindSibley$5,000no account filed
August 1994HailSibley$5,000no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindSibley$1,000no account filed
April 2025HailSibley-Quarter to half-dollar size hail fell for a brief time.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSibley-Trees were reported down in Sibley from thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSibley-Winds were measured by a personal weather station.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSibley-Wind initially hit severe levels at 1300CST with a peak wind of 83 mph recorded at 1310CST at mesonet station RSYI4 near Sibley.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm wind gusts removed the roof from a small shed.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm wind gust was measured by Iowa mesonet station RSYI4 near Sibley.
June 2024Flash FloodSibley-Torrential rainfall of up to 3 to 5 inches in 3 hours early evening resulted in rising water around Sibley that required some homes to be evacuated and residents to be sheltered. For a more comprehensive description of flood damage, please see other entries for areal and river flooding for Osceola County.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 59 mph were measured by the Iowa Road Weather Information System site RSYI4 near Sibley.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Sibley and caused power outages.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindSibley-A thunderstorm wind gust of 82 mph was measured by Iowa Road Weather Information System site RSYI4 3 miles northeast of Sibley.
April 2022Thunderstorm WindSibley-Law enforcement reported wrist sized and larger tree limbs down.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindSibley-Six to eight inch diameter tree branches were broken by thunderstorm wind gusts.
August 2017Tornado (EF1)Sibley-The EF-1 tornado was responsible for mainly crop damage, as well as tress in and along shelter belts. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing into Osceola county from Nobles county in southwest Minnesota.
August 2017HailSibley-Reported by the Emergency Manager.
April 2011FloodSibley-Flooding of lowlands, including some farmland, continued in the county through most of April, though flooding generally abated slowly. A few roads remained flooded. High water and groundwater levels resulting from record precipitation in the previous year was the main reason that the flooding either grew worse or improved so slowly.
March 2011FloodSibley-Melting of a heavy winter snow cover caused flooding of lowlands, lakes, and streams. There was considerable flooding of farmland. Several roads in the county were flooded. Some of the roads were closed, and a few were washed out in spots. The flooding onset was rapid for a snow melt flood due to high water and groundwater levels from record precipitation in the year 2010.
July 2010Flash FloodSibley-Heavy rain caused flash flooding of numerous roads and basements.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several branches blown down.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm winds damaged crops and blew down branches. The amount of crop or tree damage was not known.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including numerous two to three inch diameter branches blown down.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindSibley-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including blowing down a large limb across a road. The limb could not be moved by a deputy.
July 2000Tornado (F0)Sibley-A brief tornado caused no reported damage.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindSibley-no account filed
July 2023Thunderstorm WindSibley-no account filed
July 2023HailSibley-no account filed
July 2019Thunderstorm WindSibley-no account filed
August 2017HailSibley-no account filed
August 2013Thunderstorm WindSibley-no account filed
September 2008HailSibley-no account filed
August 2007HailSibley-no account filed
May 2007HailSibley-no account filed
July 2006HailSibley-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindSibley-no account filed
May 2005HailSibley-no account filed
May 2005HailSibley-no account filed
April 2004HailSibley-no account filed
April 2004HailSibley-no account filed
May 2004HailSibley-no account filed
July 2004HailSibley-no account filed
July 2003Thunderstorm WindSibley-no account filed
April 2001HailSibley-no account filed
May 2001HailSibley-no account filed
May 2001HailSibley-no account filed
April 2001HailSibley-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Osceola 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
Cloverdale5.0 miles7
Allendorf5.9 miles7
Ashton6.4 miles7
Melvin10.8 miles7
Ocheyedan11.6 miles7
May City15.7 miles7
Harris17.1 miles7

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.

Wikipedia article on SibleyAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1913425The 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 461598. 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.