Fillmore County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31059 · population 5,541 · 575 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 664 records for Fillmore County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 424 days; the most frequent are hail reports (219 records). The most damaging was the May 11, 2014 tornado ($9.3 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1967, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on August 3, 2026.
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
- 664on 424 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 07 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $299Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 2026
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 Fillmore County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 219 since 1956. 59% of its hail reports since 1956 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 219 | 129 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 1 | $34M | 32 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 160 | 98 | 1966-2025 | 0 | 3 | $29M | 32 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 119 | 117 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 18 of 93 |
| Drought | 42 | 42 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $56M | 33 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 27 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 3 | $155M | 31 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 35 | 32 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $166K | 40 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 12 | 2003-2019 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 10 of 93 |
| Floods | 13 | 13 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 49 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 63 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 2001-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 93 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2009-2023 | 0 | 0 | $550K | 38 of 93 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 55 of 93 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | $835K | 29 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 Fillmore County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Fillmore County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 31st 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 44 tornadoes whose track touched Fillmore County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 6 people, 0 of them in Fillmore County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-05-09 21:45, as SPC files it | Belvidere to Milford | F3 | 46.9 mi | 5 |
| 1957-04-25 18:00, as SPC files it | Omaha | F4 | 89.8 mi | 1 |
| 1990-03-13 17:05, as SPC files it | York | F4 | 131 mi | 0 |
| 2014-05-11 14:50, as SPC files it | Clay Center to Sutton | EF3 | 20.21 mi | 0 |
| 2014-05-11 15:57, as SPC files it | Cordova to Beaver Crossing | EF3 | 19.14 mi | 0 |
| 2001-09-22 18:42, as SPC files it | Edgar to Shickley | F3 | 10 mi | 0 |
| 1990-03-13 19:45, as SPC files it | Carleton | F3 | 25 mi | 0 |
| 1974-04-20 15:30, as SPC files it | Ruskin | F3 | 41.6 mi | 0 |
| 1965-05-08 16:40, as SPC files it | Hebron | F3 | 40.1 mi | 0 |
| 1957-04-25 19:00, as SPC files it | Edgar to Geneva | F3 | 34.7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Fillmore County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-18 | Shickley, Fillmore County | EF0 3.08 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2024-07-06 | Grafton, Fillmore County | EF1 0.69 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.4M |
| 2018-06-24 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | EF0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-24 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-24 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | EF0 0.66 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-24 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | EF0 0.68 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-16 | Exeter, Fillmore County | EF0 1.83 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2014-05-11 | Exeter, Fillmore County | EF3 1.2 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.3M |
| 2014-05-11 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | EF1 6.14 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $187K |
| 2014-05-11 | Grafton, Fillmore County | EF2 9.38 mi x 750 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| 2014-05-11 | Grafton, Fillmore County | EF0 0.04 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-11 | Grafton, Fillmore County | EF3 1.61 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2012-05-02 | Shickley, Fillmore County | EF1 0.37 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2005-04-18 | Grafton, Fillmore County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-22 | Ohiowa, Fillmore County | F1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2004-05-22 | Ohiowa, Fillmore County | F1 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $547K |
| 2001-09-22 | Shickley, Fillmore County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $208K |
| 2001-06-13 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-06-11 | Shickley, Fillmore County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $86K |
| 1999-04-05 | Exeter, Fillmore County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-15 | Fairmont, Fillmore County | F2 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 1994-05-05 | Henderson, Fillmore County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-04-26 | Fillmore County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Fillmore County | F3 23 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-03-13 | Fillmore County | F4 15 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1981-04-03 | Fillmore County | F0 6.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-07-04 | Fillmore County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1980-05-29 | Fillmore County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-29 | Fillmore County | F1 10 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-06-19 | Fillmore County | F0 3 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1978-06-19 | Fillmore County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step | |
| 1978-05-30 | Fillmore County | F2 3.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-06-11 | Fillmore County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1963-05-14 | Fillmore County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-04-25 | Fillmore County | F4 19.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1956-06-06 | Fillmore County | F2 16.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1953-05-09 | Fillmore County | F3 35.7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 Fillmore County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 9, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($6.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
The highest measured wind gusts near and along this path included the following: 91 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located three miles south-southeast of Fairmont; 86 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles northeast of Exeter; 75 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located four miles southeast of Sutton; 74 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles south of Exeter. There were several reports of tree damage along this path, including the Grafton and Fairmont areas. Power outages and line damage was also reported. In the Fairmont area, at least one grain bin was destroyed, and a semi was tipped over.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1298644)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-24 | DroughtFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-06 | HailOhiowa, Fillmore County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-10 | Thunderstorm WindOhiowa, Fillmore County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-10 | Thunderstorm WindOhiowa, Fillmore County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindShickley, Fillmore County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindGrafton, Fillmore County | 79 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.0M |
| 2025-05-18 | TornadoShickley, Fillmore County | EF0 3.08 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-05-13 | DroughtFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore | 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindFairmont, Fillmore County Early morning thunderstorms brought penny to golf ball sized hail from along the state line west of Bostwick in Nuckolls county to east of Exeter in Fillmore county. Two accidents occurred during the storms. The first was along US 81 at Fairmont when a thunderstorm wind gust blew a vehicle and trailer off the highway. ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $44K |
| 1956-06-06 | TornadoFillmore County | F2 16.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 2005-04-18 | HailGeneva, Fillmore County Baseball size hail pounded the vehicle of the Fillmore County Emergency Manager. The windshield was shattered and glass flew into the eyes of the Emergency Manager. He was able to drive to the local hospital to receive treatment and was released. | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | $151K |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-05-11 | TornadoExeter, Fillmore County | EF3 1.2 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.3M |
| 2004-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Fillmore County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7.8M |
| 2014-06-03 | HailExeter, Fillmore County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6.4M |
| 2016-05-27 | Flash FloodStrang, Fillmore County | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindGrafton, Fillmore County | 79 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.0M |
| 2005-05-11 | Flash FloodCountywide, Fillmore County | 0 | 0 | $4.5M | |
| 2014-05-11 | TornadoGrafton, Fillmore County | EF2 9.38 mi x 750 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| 2024-07-06 | TornadoGrafton, Fillmore County | EF1 0.69 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.4M |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 13, 1990 (tornado, Fillmore 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 Fillmore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 2 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 26 | 88 | 59 | 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 43 | 25 | 55 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 35 | 38 | 28 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 13 | 27 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 9 | 7 | 16 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
59% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 43 · Feb 43 · Mar 38 · Apr 71 · May 116 · Jun 138 · Jul 71 · Aug 38 · Sep 22 · Oct 25 · Nov 13 · Dec 46 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fillmore County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Fillmore County: 23 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | DR-4928 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-10-22 | DR-4896 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4868 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4822 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4808 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4641 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-09-06 | DR-4616 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4521 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3483 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-03-21 | DR-4420 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2018-06-29 | DR-4375 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2017-08-01 | DR-4325 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-06-17 | DR-4179 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1878 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2008-06-20 | DR-1770 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1674 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2005-06-23 | DR-1590 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1997-11-01 | DR-1190 | Severe Storm | Severe Snow Storms, Rain, and Strong Winds |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1984-07-03 | DR-716 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-04-08 | DR-500 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storms & High Winds |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-228 | Flood | Severe 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 Fillmore County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Fillmore County from 1996 to 2019, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fillmore County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $44,000 on 3 claims filed in Fillmore County; the most in one year was 1 in 1983. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 1 · 1984: 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 Fillmore County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fillmore County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | 8 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 28 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $183K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $81K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $21K | once in about 2,610 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $109K | 44 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 Fillmore 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 NebraskaEvery Nebraska tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in NebraskaThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Nebraska recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Fillmore CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fillmore County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis