Camas County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16025 · population 1,059 · 1,074 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 236 records for Camas County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 179 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (192 records). 210 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 January 2, 2004 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Camas Prairie, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1964, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on August 27, 2017.
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
- 236on 179 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 42 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $259Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Camas County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 192 since 1996. 58% 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 | 192 | 142 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 12 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 35 of 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 8 | 7 | 1970-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 44 |
| Hail | 6 | 6 | 1961-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 44 |
| Floods | 5 | 5 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1961-1986 | 0 | 0 | $247K | 15 of 44 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2023-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 44 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2004-2010 | 4 | 2 | – | 23 of 44 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 44 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 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 Camas County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Camas County from 1961 to 1986, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 15th 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 4 tornadoes whose track touched Camas County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Camas County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-08-29 | Camas County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-06-08 | Camas County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-07-05 | Camas County | F1 5.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-06-02 | Camas County | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Camas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 30, 2010 avalanche (2 deaths).
Two Washington state men died in an avalanche while snowmobiling about 17 miles north of McCall, Idaho. The size of the avalanche was estimated to be between 5 and 6 acres.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 219973)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-17 | High WindBoise County and 2 more · forecast zone Boise Mountains | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindCamas County and Elmore County · forecast zone Camas Prairie | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindBoise County and 2 more · forecast zone Boise Mountains | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindSoldier, Camas County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindFairfield Airport, Camas County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-11 | Thunderstorm WindSoldier, Camas County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-13 | Strong WindBoise County and 2 more · forecast zone Boise Mountains | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-03-30 | AvalancheBoise County and 2 more · forecast zone Boise Mountains | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-01-02 | AvalancheCamas County and Elmore County · forecast zone Camas Prairie | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 1986-08-29 | TornadoCamas County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-06-08 | TornadoCamas County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-07-05 | TornadoCamas County | F1 5.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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; 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-01-02 | AvalancheCamas County and Elmore County · forecast zone Camas Prairie The Avalanche was located about 10 miles north of Fairfield and 1 mile south of the Soldier Mountain Ski Resort. The snow slide was 500 to 700 feet long. Snow from the Avalanche destroyed a two story cabin, filling the first floor with snow, and killing two occupants who were asleep. Five other occupants on the second ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2010-03-30 | AvalancheBoise County and 2 more · forecast zone Boise Mountains Two Washington state men died in an avalanche while snowmobiling about 17 miles north of McCall, Idaho. The size of the avalanche was estimated to be between 5 and 6 acres. | 2 | 0 | – |
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 Camas 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 | – | – | – | – | 38 | 85 | 35 | 34 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% 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 46 · Feb 39 · Mar 13 · Apr 7 · May 7 · Jun 8 · Jul 6 · Aug 9 · Sep 0 · Oct 2 · Nov 26 · Dec 73 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Camas County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Camas County: 4 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4534 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3467 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-08-27 | DR-4333 | Flood | Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2013-08-15 | FM-5045 | Fire | Beaver Creek Fire |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3244 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 1997-01-04 | DR-1154 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Landslides |
| 1977-05-05 | EM-3040 | Drought | Drought |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Camas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Camas County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.1 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 High | $2.1M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $408K | once in about 108 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $1 | once in about 2,500 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $35K | once in about 209 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $730 | 48 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $11K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $13K | 1.3 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Camas 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 Camas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Camas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis