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.

Fillmore County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Fillmore County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1953-05-09 21:45, as SPC files itBelvidere to MilfordF346.9 mi5
1957-04-25 18:00, as SPC files itOmahaF489.8 mi1
1990-03-13 17:05, as SPC files itYorkF4131 mi0
2014-05-11 14:50, as SPC files itClay Center to SuttonEF320.21 mi0
2014-05-11 15:57, as SPC files itCordova to Beaver CrossingEF319.14 mi0
2001-09-22 18:42, as SPC files itEdgar to ShickleyF310 mi0
1990-03-13 19:45, as SPC files itCarletonF325 mi0
1974-04-20 15:30, as SPC files itRuskinF341.6 mi0
1965-05-08 16:40, as SPC files itHebronF340.1 mi0
1957-04-25 19:00, as SPC files itEdgar to GenevaF334.7 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.

Every tornado record filed for Fillmore County (37)
Every tornado recorded in Fillmore County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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)
The 12 most recent records kept for Fillmore County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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

Records with deaths or injuries in Fillmore County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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.

The costliest records in Fillmore County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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).

Fillmore County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail2771026885920
Severe thunderstorm wind015427432555
Winter storms––––18353828
Drought––––021327
Tornadoes323466112
High wind and dust storms––––39716

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).

Declarations including Fillmore County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-08-03DR-4928Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2025-10-22DR-4896Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2025-05-21DR-4868Winter StormSevere Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds
2024-09-24DR-4822Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2024-08-20DR-4808Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2022-02-23DR-4641Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2021-09-06DR-4616Severe StormSevere Storms and Straight-Line Winds
2020-04-04DR-4521BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3483BiologicalCovid-19
2019-03-21DR-4420FloodSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2018-06-29DR-4375SnowstormSevere Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds
2017-08-01DR-4325Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds
2015-06-25DR-4225Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2014-06-17DR-4179TornadoSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2010-02-25DR-1878Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Snowstorm
2008-06-20DR-1770Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2007-01-07DR-1674Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2005-09-13EM-3245HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuees
2005-06-23DR-1590Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
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
1984-07-03DR-716TornadoTornadoes & Flooding
1976-04-08DR-500Severe Ice StormIce Storms & High Winds
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 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Fillmore County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
HailRelatively Moderate$3.6M8 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$2.0M28 modeled event-days a year
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$1.5M4.6 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$183Kabout once a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$81K13 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Low$1.4Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
WildfireVery Low$21Konce in about 2,610 years (modeled)
LightningVery Low$109K44 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

  1. Clay County 844
  2. Thayer County 802
  3. Saline County 737
  4. York County 730
  5. Jefferson County 711
  6. Fillmore County 664
  7. Seward County 611
  8. Nuckolls County 605

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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