Benton County, Oregon
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 41003 · population 94,807 · 675 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 347 records for Benton County, Oregon from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 273 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (138 records). 298 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 February 6, 1996 flood, filed for the forecast zone Central Coast Range Of W Oregon, which covers the county: 7 deaths and $753 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1964, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 13, 2024.
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
- 347on 273 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1915 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $951Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F0
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2024
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 Benton County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 138 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Oregon'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 138 | 123 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 6 | $11M | 10 of 36 |
| Winter storms | 113 | 80 | 1996-2025 | 4 | 0 | $50M | 9 of 36 |
| Floods | 40 | 35 | 1996-2022 | 9 | 1 | $888M | 5 of 36 |
| Heat | 11 | 9 | 1998-2022 | 4 | 1 | – | 10 of 36 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 10 | 2001-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 36 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 9 | 6 | 1996-2012 | 1 | 0 | $78K | 7 of 36 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 36 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 7 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 7 | $2.0M | 4 of 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 6 | 1982-2009 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 5 of 36 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 36 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 14 of 36 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 36 |
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 Benton County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Benton County from 1997 to 2025, the strongest rated F0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 10th of 36 Oregon 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Benton 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 Oregon.
Every tornado record filed for Benton County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-06 | Bruce, Benton County | EFU 0.09 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-01 | Albany, Benton County | F0 1.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Benton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 16, 2024 ice storm (1 death).
Nearly one-half on an inch of ice accumulated at the Corvallis AWOS, with up to 1 inch reported by the Public. This only added to the ice that had fallen on the 12th and 13th with continued disruptions to transportation and power. Also the persistent freezing temperatures over several days resulted in a suspected hypothermia fatality.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1164396)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-05 | High WindLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range | 73 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-25 | High WindLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-06 | TornadoBruce, Benton County | EFU 0.09 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-24 | High WindLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range | 72 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-13 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton County Lowlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | Ice StormLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range Lowlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | Ice StormLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-01-16 | Ice StormBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-01-13 | Ice StormBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2022-10-19 | Dense FogBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 1 | 4 | $2.0M | |
| 2021-08-11 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-02-06 | FloodBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Coast Range Of W Oregon Runoff from heavy rains and melting mountain snow caused major floods upon many northern Oregon rivers. The first rivers reached flood stage on the morning of February 6th while the heaviest rain was still falling. flooding was measured on twenty one rivers in northwestern Oregon. Six rivers set all time high river ... | 7 | 0 | $753M | |
| 1998-03-21 | FloodBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Josephine T X Se/Jackson T X S Warm air ahead of a strong Pacific cold front led to heavy rainfall on top of existing snowpack in southern Oregon March 21-22. Ensuing runoff caused localized flooding along streams and small rivers in southern Lake county and all of Josephine county. Bullard Creek in Lake county caused minor street flooding in ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-12-20 | Winter WeatherBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley A cold, unstable airmass settled over the area in the wake of a cold frontal passage. An automobile accident occurred on icy roadways when a hailstorm covered roadways with a few inches of hail in the Brownsville area. The accident occurred after a car slid into another lane and collided with a logging semi-truck. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-10-19 | Dense FogBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley Dense fog developed early in the morning, with an inversion in place and enhanced by wildfire smoke in the area. Around 60 to 65 vehicles piled up on I-5 southbound, roughly 20 miles north of Eugene, near Harrisburg, in Linn County. At least one confirmed dead, and four others taken to the hospital. I-5 was closed for ... | 1 | 4 | $2.0M | |
| 2015-07-01 | HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley High Temperatures were in the upper 90s to low 100s July 1 through July 5th in the South Willamette Valley which is around 15 degrees higher than the seasonal normal. The daily high temperature at Eugene broke the previous daily high temperature records for three consecutive days. There is one known indirect fatality ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2024-01-16 | Ice StormBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley Nearly one-half on an inch of ice accumulated at the Corvallis AWOS, with up to 1 inch reported by the Public. This only added to the ice that had fallen on the 12th and 13th with continued disruptions to transportation and power. Also the persistent freezing temperatures over several days resulted in a suspected ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-08-11 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley A 22-year-old woman drowned Wednesday August 11th after being swept away while wading in the the Willamette River near the pedestrian bridge between the University of Oregon campus and Autzen Stadium. The high temperature at Eugene (KEUG) was 102 degrees on the 11th and 104 degrees on the 12th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley There were two consecutive days with maximum temperatures greater than 100 degrees. The hottest day was June 27 where temperatures in the area peaked around 112 degrees. Record breaking temperatures up to 111 degrees F in Eugene, OR. There were one heat related deaths reported. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-02-06 | FloodBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Coast Range Of W Oregon | 7 | 0 | $753M | |
| 1997-01-01 | FloodBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Rogue Basin | 0 | 0 | $130M | |
| 2024-01-13 | Ice StormBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2019-02-24 | Heavy SnowBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2002-02-07 | High WindBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 61 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $9.8M |
| 2022-10-19 | Dense FogBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 1 | 4 | $2.0M | |
| 1998-01-12 | Ice StormBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Columbia/C & W Multnomah/Washington/Nw Clackamas | 1 | 0 | $1.8M |
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 Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 30 | 70 | 18 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 32 | 40 | 22 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 15 | 9 | 12 | 4 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Benton County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 75 · Feb 58 · Mar 38 · Apr 18 · May 8 · Jun 7 · Jul 7 · Aug 8 · Sep 7 · Oct 13 · Nov 34 · Dec 74 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Benton County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Benton County: 13 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-13 | DR-4768 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-05-04 | DR-4599 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-09-15 | DR-4562 | Fire | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4499 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3429 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014-04-04 | DR-4169 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2012-03-02 | DR-4055 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2007-02-22 | DR-1683 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2006-03-20 | DR-1632 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3228 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-19 | DR-1510 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1996-03-19 | DR-1107 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and High Winds |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1099 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-413 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1964-12-24 | DR-184 | 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 Benton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 40 flood or flash flood records for Benton County from 1996 to 2022, on 35 days, with 9 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Benton County ranks 1488th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $544,000 on 70 claims filed in Benton County; the most in one year was 23 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1996: 23 · 1997: 5 · 1998: 4 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 5 · 2007: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 14 · 2015: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 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 Benton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benton County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $63.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $503K | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $41M | once in about 58 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | 5.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $19M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $138K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $66K | 7.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $203K | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $26K | once in about 15,363 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Benton 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 OregonEvery Oregon tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- High wind and dust storms in OregonThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Oregon recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Benton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Benton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis