Arthur County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31005 · population 434 · 715 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 411 records for Arthur County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 307 days; the most frequent are hail reports (182 records). The deadliest single record is the March 12, 2026 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Arthur, which covers the county: 1 death and $2.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1967, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires” on June 30, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 411on 307 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.6Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Arthur County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 182 since 1971. 54% of its hail reports since 1971 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Nebraska's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 182 | 114 | 1971-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 81 of 93 |
| Drought | 57 | 56 | 2012-2026 | 0 | 0 | $643K | 30 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 52 | 42 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $141K | 81 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 52 | 51 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 2 | $40K | 76 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 36 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $37K | 54 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 13 | 2008-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 7 | 1977-2016 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 93 of 93 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2012-2026 | 1 | 0 | $2.7M | 6 of 93 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 1998-2011 | 0 | 0 | $91K | 89 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2010-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 93 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2002-2012 | 0 | 0 | $113K | 40 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 of 93 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Arthur County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Arthur County from 1977 to 2016, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 9 tornadoes whose track touched Arthur County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-07-10 19:00, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 7.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Arthur County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-06 | Bucktail, Arthur County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Arthur County | EF1 20.61 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-06 | Arthur County | F1 2.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2005-06-06 | Arthur County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-10 | Bucktail, Arthur County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-10 | Arthur County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1991-06-18 | Arthur County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1977-07-10 | Arthur County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1977-05-18 | Arthur County | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Arthur County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 12, 2026 wildfire (1 death and $2.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Fire initiated during the early afternoon hours of March 12th east of Angora in Morrill County. Aided by 50 MPH winds, the fire tracked east of Garden County and spread across southwestern Arthur County. By the time the fire was contained on March 28th, approximately 64,590 acres of rangeland was consumed in the fire. The fire resulted in one fatality in southwestern Arthur County. One primary residence was destroyed, along with 6 outbuildings damaged in the fire. Two calf-cow pairs were lost in the fire in Arthur County.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1322523)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindArthur County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindArthur County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 1 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-01 | DroughtArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireArthur County · forecast zone Arthur Fire initiated during the early afternoon hours of March 12th east of Angora in Morrill County. Aided by 50 MPH winds, the fire tracked east of Garden County and spread across southwestern Arthur County. By the time the fire was contained on March 28th, approximately 64,590 acres of rangeland was consumed in the fire. ... | 1 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 1998-03-06 | Winter StormArthur County · forecast zone Arthur A winter storm produced from three to six inches of snowfall across Western and North Central Nebraska with some amounts up to 10 inches in parts of North Central Nebraska. I-80 was closed from Ogallala to Lincoln due to hazardous driving conditions created by the snow and blowing snow. Many schools were cancelled on ... | 0 | 2 | $27K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 1 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2011-08-09 | HailArthur County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $984K |
| 2011-08-09 | HailArthur County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $262K |
| 2004-06-10 | TornadoArthur County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1998-03-06 | Winter StormArthur County · forecast zone Arthur | 0 | 2 | $27K | |
| 2005-06-06 | TornadoArthur County | F1 2.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2005-04-19 | HailArthur County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2007-08-22 | Thunderstorm WindArthur County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 18, 1977 (tornado, Arthur County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Arthur County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 47 | 57 | 50 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 23 | 34 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 20 | 16 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 14 | 9 | 11 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its hail reports since 1971 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 18 · Feb 21 · Mar 25 · Apr 30 · May 57 · Jun 72 · Jul 71 · Aug 50 · Sep 11 · Oct 21 · Nov 15 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Arthur County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Arthur County: 9 major disasters, 2 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (4) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4920 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2026-03-13 | FM-5623 | Fire | Morrill-Cottonwood Fire |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4521 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3483 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-03-21 | DR-4420 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-04-21 | DR-1902 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, and Flooding |
| 2009-07-31 | DR-1853 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2007-08-29 | DR-1721 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-228 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Arthur County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Arthur County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $743,000. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Low | $197K | 71 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $96K | once in about 523 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $117K | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $37 | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $65K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $30K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $6K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $38K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Arthur County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in NebraskaEvery Nebraska tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in NebraskaThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Nebraska recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Arthur CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Arthur County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis