Bear Lake County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16007 · population 6,369 · 976 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 328 records for Bear Lake County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 240 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (211 records). 244 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 June 1, 2015 thunderstorm wind: 4 deaths, 3 injuries and $3,735 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 4 declarations naming the county since 1977, 2 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
- 328on 240 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 83 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 4latest 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 Bear Lake County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 211 since 1998. 49% of its winter storm records since 1998 fell in January and February. 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 | 211 | 158 | 1998-2026 | 1 | 0 | $278K | 12 of 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 60 | 39 | 1989-2026 | 4 | 3 | $208K | 14 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 15 | 2008-2026 | 2 | 0 | $17K | 32 of 44 |
| Hail | 12 | 7 | 1970-2017 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 30 of 44 |
| Floods | 9 | 9 | 2011-2018 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 24 of 44 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 8 | 7 | 2020-2025 | 1 | 0 | $19K | 11 of 44 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 4 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1998-2013 | 0 | 0 | $54K | 30 of 44 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2012-2019 | 0 | 0 | $643K | 33 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 Bear Lake County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Bear Lake County from 1998 to 2013, the strongest rated EF0, 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Bear Lake County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Bear Lake County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-07 | Wardboro, Bear Lake County | EF0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-10 | Montpelier, Bear Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
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 Bear Lake County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 10, 2026 high wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | High WindBear Lake County · forecast zone Bear Lake Valley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMontpelier, Bear Lake County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindLiberty, Bear Lake County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindGeorgetown, Bear Lake County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindGeorgetown, Bear Lake County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindMontpelier, Bear Lake County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Bear River Range | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBear Lake County · forecast zone Bear Lake Valley | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Caribou Range | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $200 |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindBear Lake County · forecast zone Bear Lake Valley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-04 | Heavy SnowBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Bear River Range | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter StormBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Bear River Range | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindSt Charles, Bear Lake County Winds from a severe thunderstorm of 70 mph or greater caused large waves and capsized a ski boat with 7 people on board on Bear Lake on the Idaho portion of the lake. There were 4 fatalities with 3 survivors from the accident. | 61 kt wind | 4 | 3 | $4K |
| 2016-08-03 | Strong WindBear Lake County and Franklin County · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains/Iadho Portion A 37 year old woman and her 11 year daughter died in accidents near Fish Haven on Bear Lake. Winds allegedly played a factor in causing flotation devices to drift from shore. Highest recorded wind speeds at the Bear Lake airport near the time of accident were 29 mph. | 25 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2021-02-20 | AvalancheBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Bear River Range A 48 year old male snow mobile operator was killed in an avalanche near Sherman Peak in between Grace and Montpelier after causing an avalanche. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-03-17 | Winter StormBear Lake County and Franklin County · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains/Iadho Portion A strong cold frontal brought light snow and wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. 1 to 3 inches of snow was common but blowing and drifting snow caused reduced visibilities and a three car collision claimed the life of a 12 year old girl on route 89 near Paris, Idaho. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-02-05 | FloodNounan, Bear Lake County | 0 | 0 | $973K | |
| 2012-08-28 | WildfireBear Lake County and Franklin County · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains/Iadho Portion | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2025-03-21 | Winter WeatherBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Caribou Range | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 1998-06-10 | TornadoMontpelier, Bear Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 2006-03-25 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Bear Lake County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Caribou Range | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2015-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindSt Charles, Bear Lake County | 61 kt wind | 4 | 3 | $4K |
| 2026-02-11 | Winter WeatherBear Lake County and 2 more · forecast zone Caribou Range | 0 | 0 | $2K |
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 Bear Lake 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 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 30 | 75 | 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 26 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its winter storm records since 1998 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 52 · Feb 65 · Mar 33 · Apr 12 · May 17 · Jun 25 · Jul 16 · Aug 13 · Sep 7 · Oct 10 · Nov 21 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bear Lake County
FEMA's register lists 4 declarations that include Bear Lake County: one major disaster, 3 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 |
| 1977-05-05 | EM-3040 | Drought | Drought |
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 Bear Lake County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bear Lake County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $29K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $479K | once in about 443 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.0M | once in about 48 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $106K | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $133K | 34 a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $1 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $274K | about once a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bear Lake 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 Bear Lake CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bear Lake County's FEMA declarations (CSV)4 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis