Eureka County, Nevada
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 32011 · population 1,793 · 4,176 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 390 records for Eureka County, Nevada from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 268 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (191 records). 292 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 most damaging was the March 10, 2023 flood ($3.9 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1977, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 27, 2023.
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
- 390on 268 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 05 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 2023
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 Eureka County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 191 since 1999. The rank column places the county among Nevada'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 | 191 | 136 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 2 | $19K | 6 of 17 |
| High wind and dust storms | 94 | 56 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 1 | $54K | 13 of 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 41 | 40 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 5 of 17 |
| Floods | 40 | 27 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $6.9M | 7 of 17 |
| Hail | 14 | 12 | 1967-2021 | 0 | 0 | $792K | 7 of 17 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2008-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 17 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1983-2014 | 0 | 0 | $89 | 9 of 17 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 17 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 17 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 2 | – | 10 of 17 |
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 Eureka County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Eureka County from 1983 to 2014, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 9th of 17 Nevada 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Eureka County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nevada.
Every tornado record filed for Eureka County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-31 | Dunphy, Eureka County | EF0 0.48 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-06-09 | Eureka Airport, Eureka County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-08-21 | Eureka County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 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 Eureka County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 21, 2026 high wind ($17,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-15 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-15 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindTonkin, Eureka County | 73 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-29 | Winter WeatherEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka Winter Weather caused a Multi-Vehicle crash on I-80 near MM268 (Emigrant Pass). The Crash initially involved 2 semis. The fuel cell of one of the semis became breached, spilling over 25 gallons of Diesel onto the highway, and into a water catch basin. At least 3 additional accidents occurred after the initial crash ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2018-08-18 | WildfireEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka The fire burned 59,789 acres across the Sheep Creek Range. Two firefighters were burned over sustaining injuries. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2007-08-30 | Dust StormEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka Outflow winds from a line of thunderstorms picked up dust and ash from a recent burn area south of Interstate 80 which caused visibility to drop to near zero near the Beowawe ramps. This led to 2 auto accidents sending 1 person to the hospital with moderate head injuries. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-10 | FloodEureka County | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2023-03-10 | FloodEureka County | 0 | 0 | $775K | |
| 2021-05-15 | HailEureka County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $545K |
| 2023-03-10 | FloodEureka County | 0 | 0 | $484K | |
| 2007-08-01 | Flash FloodEureka County | 0 | 0 | $423K | |
| 2023-03-10 | FloodTonkin, Eureka County | 0 | 0 | $291K | |
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $17K |
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 $30, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 21, 1983 (tornado, Eureka 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 Eureka 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 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 59 | 53 | 77 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 13 | 74 z |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 18 | 10 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 74 records against 13 in the decade before, 74 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Eureka County days with a record above.
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 Eureka County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 47 · Feb 40 · Mar 58 · Apr 45 · May 36 · Jun 28 · Jul 29 · Aug 25 · Sep 13 · Oct 9 · Nov 17 · Dec 43 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Eureka County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Eureka County: 2 major disasters, 5 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for biological (2) and snowstorm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-27 | DR-4708 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4523 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3443 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3243 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-07-16 | FM-2568 | Fire | Carlin Fire |
| 2005-02-23 | EM-3204 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3202 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 1977-06-11 | EM-3041 | 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.
How many floods has Eureka County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 40 flood or flash flood records for Eureka County from 1998 to 2023, on 27 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Eureka County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $588 on 1 claim filed in Eureka County; the most in one year was 1 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2005: 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 Eureka County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Eureka County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | once in about 128 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $359K | 125 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $36K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $225K | once in about 84 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $565 | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $162 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $0 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $22K | 2.9 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 Eureka 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 NevadaEvery Nevada tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in NevadaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Nevada recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Eureka CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Eureka County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis