Bannock County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16005 · population 86,991 · 1,112 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 862 records for Bannock County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 629 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (346 records). 550 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the December 24, 2014 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain, which covers the county: 2 deaths, 8 injuries and $19,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 1964, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina” on September 13, 2005.
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
- 862on 629 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1851 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $625Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 5latest 2020
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 Bannock County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 346 since 1996. 47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The rank column places the county among Idaho'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 346 | 277 | 1996-2026 | 9 | 32 | $1.2M | 6 of 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 112 | 74 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $657K | 7 of 44 |
| Hail | 80 | 56 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 1 of 44 |
| Wildfires | 76 | 69 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $609M | 2 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 75 | 61 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.2M | 6 of 44 |
| Floods | 68 | 59 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | 2 of 44 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 22 | 2001-2025 | 2 | 0 | – | 4 of 44 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 12 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | 1 of 44 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 19 | 18 | 1997-2026 | 2 | 14 | $355K | 1 of 44 |
| Lightning | 12 | 11 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 3 | $1.9M | 1 of 44 |
| Heat | 9 | 7 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1983-2007 | 0 | 0 | $252K | 12 of 44 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 5 | 5 | 2007-2020 | 5 | 0 | – | 18 of 44 |
| Drought | 4 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 44 |
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 Bannock County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Bannock County from 1983 to 2007, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 12th of 44 Idaho counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Bannock County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Bannock County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08-17 | Inkom, Bannock County | EF0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2000-02-14 | Chubbuck, Bannock County | F0 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $189K |
| 1997-05-31 | Pocatello, Bannock County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-03-28 | Bannock County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-06-15 | Bannock County | F0 0.2 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-08-18 | Bannock County | F1 2.5 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Bannock County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | WildfireBannock County and 3 more · forecast zone Marsh And Arbon Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-06 | WildfireBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindInkom, Bannock County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindChubbuck, Bannock County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | High WindBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-16 | Funnel CloudPocatello, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-12 | Thunderstorm WindChubbuck, Bannock County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-02 | High WindBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBannock County and 3 more · forecast zone Marsh And Arbon Highlands | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-05 | Heavy SnowBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain | 0 | 0 | $15K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-12-24 | Winter StormBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain A powerful winter storm dropped 6 to 8 inches of snow in the cities of Chubbuck and Pocatello with 8 to 10 inches on the Pocatello east and west benches. A fatal traffic accident occurred on interstate 15 in south Pocatello in which a mother and her daughter died with injuries to 5 other children in the vehicle. The ... | 2 | 8 | $19K | |
| 2002-02-07 | Winter StormBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain A strong frontal system brought a variety of winter weather to all of southeastern Idaho including heavy snow and strong winds. The storm produced some heavy snowfall in the mountains with 6 to 12 inches reported by SNOTEL sites. Some other amounts were 8 inches at Pomerelle ski resort, 7 inches in Stanley, 7 inches ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-11-27 | Dense FogBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain Localized dense fog developed on interstate 86 just east of Pocatello to the Pocatello airport exit and a 30 vehicle crash occurred with multiple injuries and one death involved. Visibility was under one quarter mile at the Pocatello airport ASOS at the time and Idaho State Patrol determined fog was a contributing ... | 1 | 3 | $97K | |
| 2008-10-11 | Heavy SnowBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain Snow begain falling early morning on October 11th and continued through the morning of the 12th intermittently. American Falls recorded 9 inches. The National Weather Service office at the Pocatello airport recorded 7 inches with 5 to 6 inches in Pocatello and Chubbuck city propers. Several auto accidents were ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2019-01-21 | Winter WeatherBannock County and 3 more · forecast zone Marsh And Arbon Highlands One to 3 inches of snow over wet roads that froze caused a fatal traffic accident on US Highway 30 near mile post 361 in McCammon. The crash occurred at 10 am. A driver lost control and crossed the center of the roadwy on snow covered roads causing a head-on collision. A 74 year old man was killed in the accident ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2014-12-17 | Freezing FogBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain A 23 year old Washington man was killed in a one vehicle rollover on interstate 86 near milepost 56 and the Pocatello Regional Airport in Power County on December 17th at around 6:30 am. Some ice was reported to have formed in the dense freezing fog on the interstate along with very low visibility. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain A 45 year old man was found dead near the WinCo grocery store on January 24th on the 1000 block of Yellowstone. Temperatures were in the teens and it is believed extended exposure to cold temperatures contributed to his death. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-11-13 | Winter WeatherBannock County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Snake River Plain Icy roads were believed to contribute to a tractor trailer single vehicle crash which led to the death of a 68 year old man. It occurred on interstate 86 west of American Falls near milepost 33 at 11:12 AM on November 13th. The vehicle was travelling west bound and slid across the median into the east bound lane and ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-28 | WildfireBannock County and 3 more · forecast zone Caribou Highlands | 0 | 0 | $607M | |
| 2014-08-01 | Heavy RainDowney, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 1997-08-12 | HailPocatello, Bannock County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 1997-06-17 | LightningPocatello, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2009-06-26 | Flash FloodPocatello, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | $963K | |
| 2013-09-03 | Flash FloodChubbuck, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | $887K | |
| 2004-07-18 | Flash FloodPocatello, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | $836K | |
| 2003-07-21 | WildfireMc Cammon, Bannock County | 0 | 0 | $802K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 15, 1988 (tornado, Bannock 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 Bannock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 26 | 105 | 122 | 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 27 | 17 | 43 |
| Hail | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 16 | 42 | 18 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 25 | 29 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 23 | 18 | 21 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 87 · Feb 97 · Mar 60 · Apr 47 · May 68 · Jun 75 · Jul 85 · Aug 99 · Sep 48 · Oct 21 · Nov 47 · Dec 128 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bannock County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Bannock County: 3 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and hurricane (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4534 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3467 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3244 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2000-09-01 | DR-1341 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1964-12-31 | DR-186 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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.
How many floods has Bannock County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 68 flood or flash flood records for Bannock County from 1997 to 2025, on 59 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bannock County ranks 1766th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $115,000 on 40 claims filed in Bannock County; the most in one year was 8 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 2 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 4 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2009: 8 · 2011: 2 · 2013: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Bannock County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bannock County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $31.3 million. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $997K | 24 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $8.6M | once in about 73 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $7.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $870K | 33 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 2.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.6M | once in about 92 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.4M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $217K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bannock 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 IdahoEvery Idaho tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in IdahoThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Idaho recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Bannock CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bannock County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis