Dodge County, Nebraska

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31053 · population 37,166 · 529 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 834 records for Dodge County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 502 days; the most frequent are hail reports (277 records). The deadliest single record is the March 5, 2026 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone Dodge, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1967, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds” on May 21, 2025.

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
834on 502 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
519 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$96Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
31strongest EF2
FEMA declarations
21latest 2025

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 Dodge County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 277 since 1955. 49% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. 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.

Dodge County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 277 154 1955-2026 0 0 $60M 9 of 93
Severe thunderstorm wind 227 143 1964-2026 0 5 $164K 6 of 93
Winter storms 91 85 1996-2026 2 0 – 31 of 93
Floods 83 56 1996-2024 0 1 $22M 6 of 93
Extreme cold 46 46 1996-2026 1 0 – 12 of 93
Tornadoes 31 27 1953-2025 0 12 $14M 21 of 93
High wind and dust storms 29 29 1996-2026 0 1 $16K 41 of 93
Heat 23 23 1999-2025 1 0 – 14 of 93
Drought 14 14 1999-2026 0 0 – 70 of 93
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 7 6 1996-2026 1 0 – 8 of 93
Heavy rain 3 3 2006-2011 0 0 – 37 of 93
Lightning 3 3 1999-2011 0 0 $285K 8 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 Dodge County had?

NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Dodge County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 12 injuries recorded in the county. That is 21st of 93 Nebraska 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 33 tornadoes whose track touched Dodge County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: 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 Nebraska.

Every tornado record filed for Dodge County (31)
Every tornado recorded in Dodge County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-05-19 Bay State, Dodge County EF1 1.69 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
2024-05-24 Snyder, Dodge County EF0 1.07 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2023-08-05 Crowell, Dodge County EFU 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2023-05-12 Scribner Airport, Dodge County EF0 2.49 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2023-05-12 Ames, Dodge County EF2 5.5 mi x 800 yd 0 0 –
2023-05-12 Scribner Airport, Dodge County EF2 8.93 mi x 1,600 yd 0 0 –
2017-06-16 Winslow, Dodge County EF1 1.44 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2012-08-08 Dodge County EF0 1.88 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2011-06-20 Fremont, Dodge County EF1 6.45 mi x 700 yd 0 0 $367K
2011-06-17 North Bend, Dodge County EF0 2.96 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2007-09-06 Uehling, Dodge County EF0 3.16 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2007-08-28 Uehling, Dodge County EF1 4.5 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $427K
2004-05-22 Fremont, Dodge County F1 2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2000-06-13 Scribner, Dodge County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1999-04-08 North Bend, Dodge County F1 1.5 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $221K
1998-06-23 Snyder, Dodge County F1 2.8 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $905K
1997-06-29 Ames, Dodge County F0 6.5 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1996-06-20 Scribner, Dodge County F1 0.5 mi x 60 yd 0 0 $564K
1996-06-20 Fremont, Dodge County F1 3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $94K
1989-06-07 Dodge County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250 step
1982-05-20 Dodge County F2 2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $3K step
1980-05-29 Dodge County F1 3.3 mi x 33 yd 0 2 $2.5M step
1977-07-24 Dodge County 0 0 $250K step
1977-04-16 Dodge County 0 0 $25K step
1972-05-27 Dodge County F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –
1963-06-05 Dodge County F1 1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1962-05-07 Dodge County F2 1 mi x 33 yd 0 5 $25K step
1959-05-20 Dodge County F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1959-05-20 Dodge County F1 0 0 $25K step
1953-07-26 Dodge County 0 0 $250 step
1953-06-07 Dodge County F0 1 mi x 33 yd 0 5 –

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 Dodge County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 5, 2026 dense fog (1 death).

Dense fog developed during the early morning hours, reducing visibility to near zero across portions of Dodge County. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office reported that these conditions contributed to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 30 and County Road 4 west of North Bend at 0715CST. The driver of a southbound SUV entered the highway and was struck by a westbound straight truck. The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene (indirect fatality).
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1309606)
The 12 most recent records kept for Dodge County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindFremont, Dodge County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-13 HailFremont, Dodge County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-13 HailFremont, Dodge County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-05-17 Thunderstorm WindFremont Airport, Dodge County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-17 Thunderstorm WindNorth Bend, Dodge County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-15 HailFremont, Dodge County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-23 HailUehling, Dodge County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-15 HailWinslow, Dodge County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 0 0 –
2026-03-24 DroughtDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 0 0 –
2026-03-05 Dense FogDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 1 0 –
2026-02-19 Winter StormDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Dodge County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-05 Dense FogDodge County · forecast zone Dodge Dense fog developed during the early morning hours, reducing visibility to near zero across portions of Dodge County. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office reported that these conditions contributed to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 30 and County Road 4 west of North Bend at 0715CST. The driver of a ... 1 0 –
2013-03-10 BlizzardDodge County · forecast zone Dodge Area automated observations indicated winds of 35 to 40 mph were common from late morning and into the afternoon hours on the 10th. The combination of the winds and heavy falling snow resulted in considerable blowing and drifting snow and very low visibilities for several hours. 1 0 –
2010-02-14 Winter WeatherDodge County · forecast zone Dodge Snow, mostly light, combined with northwest winds which increased to 25 to 35 mph. A peak wind gust of 36 mph was measured by the Awos in Fremont. The strong winds and snow caused widespread blowing and drifting snow and poor visibilities beginning on 2/14. After a temporary break in the afternoon and early evening on ... 1 0 –
2003-01-22 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDodge County · forecast zone Dodge Bitter cold wind chills spread over eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa during late Wednesday afternoon 1/22/03 continuing into late Thursday morning the 23rd. Temperatures fell into the single digits below zero by Wednesday evening as north winds of 10 to 20 mph prevailed over the area. This combination resulted in ... 1 0 –
2001-07-28 HeatDodge County · forecast zone Dodge A heat wave of which lasted over 1 week affected much of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa from late July into early August. The heat was finally broken by a cold front that pushed afternoon temperatures down into the 80s on 8/09/01. During the heat wave, high temperatures were consistently in the mid to upper 90s ... 1 0 –
1962-05-07 TornadoDodge County F2 1 mi x 33 yd 0 5 $25K step
1953-06-07 TornadoDodge County F0 1 mi x 33 yd 0 5 –
2013-04-09 Thunderstorm WindBay State, Dodge County A NWS storm survey estimated that straight line winds reached an estimated 100 mph near North Bend. Twenty-one cars of a 138-car empty coal train derailed west of town and an unsecured mobile home was destroyed injuring 2 people. Trees were snapped in the area and center pivots were flipped along the path of the storm ... 87 kt wind 0 2 –

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.

The costliest records in Dodge County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1996-06-20 HailHooper, Dodge County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $41M
1996-06-20 HailWinslow, Dodge County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $19M
1996-08-04 FloodDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 0 0 $13M
1996-06-22 FloodDodge County · forecast zone Dodge 0 0 $6.8M
1998-06-23 TornadoSnyder, Dodge County F1 2.8 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $905K
1996-06-20 TornadoScribner, Dodge County F1 0.5 mi x 60 yd 0 0 $564K
2021-02-25 FloodFremont Airport, Dodge County 0 0 $545K
2021-03-01 FloodFremont Airport, Dodge County 0 0 $545K

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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 29, 1980 (tornado, Dodge 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 Dodge 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).

Dodge County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail3342440855959
Severe thunderstorm wind0274534574141
Winter storms––––11362717
Floods––––14203910
Extreme cold––––1115146
Tornadoes42335446

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 hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 50 · Feb 50 · Mar 62 · Apr 84 · May 130 · Jun 190 · Jul 115 · Aug 61 · Sep 34 · Oct 12 · Nov 11 · Dec 35 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Dodge County

FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Dodge County: 19 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (7).

Declarations including Dodge County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2025-05-21DR-4868Winter StormSevere Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds
2024-08-20DR-4808Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2020-04-04DR-4521BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3483BiologicalCovid-19
2019-03-21DR-4420FloodSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2017-08-01DR-4325Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds
2011-08-12DR-4014Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding
2010-07-15DR-1924Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2010-02-25DR-1878Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Snowstorm
2008-07-18DR-1779Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2005-09-13EM-3245HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuees
2004-05-25DR-1517Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
1997-11-01DR-1190Severe StormSevere Snow Storms, Rain, and Strong Winds
1993-07-19DR-998FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
1993-04-02DR-983FloodIce Jams & Flooding
1991-05-28DR-908FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1990-07-04DR-873Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1984-07-03DR-716TornadoTornadoes & Flooding
1978-03-24DR-552FloodStorms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding
1971-02-23DR-303FloodFloods
1967-07-18DR-228FloodSevere 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.

How many floods has Dodge County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 83 flood or flash flood records for Dodge County from 1996 to 2024, on 56 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Dodge County ranks 379th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $11.8 million on 809 claims filed in Dodge County; the most in one year was 285 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 29 · 1979: 11 · 1980: 9 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 19 · 1983: 29 · 1984: 81 · 1985: 37 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 7 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 17 · 1991: 14 · 1993: 33 · 1996: 35 · 1997: 20 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 3 · 2001: 4 · 2004: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 7 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 65 · 2011: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 66 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 285 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2024: 3; 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 Dodge County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dodge County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $33.8 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Dodge County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Strong WindRelatively High$2.0M4.3 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$2.7M6.8 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$6.4Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$5.1M5.2 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$1.1M47 modeled event-days a year
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$323Kabout once a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$148K14 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$226Konce in about 717 years (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Dodge County

  1. Douglas County 1,272
  2. Saunders County 967
  3. Dodge County 834
  4. Washington County 699
  5. Butler County 564
  6. Cuming County 512
  7. Burt County 492
  8. Colfax County 445

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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