Garden County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31069 · population 1,874 · 1,705 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 672 records for Garden County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 444 days; the most frequent are hail reports (314 records). The deadliest single record is the June 21, 2023 lightning: 1 death. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 2001, 11 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires” on June 30, 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
- 672on 444 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $46Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 26strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 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 Garden County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 314 since 1961. 47% of its hail reports since 1961 fell in June and July. 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 | 314 | 177 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | 91 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 137 | 103 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | 79 of 93 |
| Drought | 69 | 69 | 2012-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 51 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 53 | 52 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $196K | 88 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 40 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $50K | 86 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 17 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 1 | $2.6M | 92 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 16 | 16 | 2008-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 84 of 93 |
| Floods | 9 | 9 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $490K | 83 of 93 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2019-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 24 of 93 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-2023 | 1 | 0 | $91K | 61 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2003-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 80 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 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 Garden County had?
NOAA records 26 tornadoes in Garden County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Garden County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 26: 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 Garden County (26)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-27 | Oshkosh, Garden County | EF2 18.96 mi x 2,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $750K |
| 2025-04-27 | Oshkosh, Garden County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-27 | Oshkosh, Garden County | EFU 2.06 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-23 | Oshkosh, Garden County | EFU 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-20 | Lewellen, Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $128K |
| 2003-06-20 | Lewellen, Garden County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2003-06-20 | Lewellen, Garden County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $173K |
| 2003-06-20 | Oshkosh, Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-03 | Mumper, Garden County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-29 | Lewellen, Garden County | F0 1 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-17 | Lewellen, Garden County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-17 | Lewellen, Garden County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-17 | Oshkosh, Garden County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-19 | Oshkosh, Garden County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-08 | Oshkosh, Garden County | F0 0.8 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-07-21 | Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-07-21 | Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1990-05-13 | Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1990-05-13 | Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-22 | Garden County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-10-15 | Garden County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-05-31 | Garden County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-06-18 | Garden County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-08-16 | Garden County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-04-12 | Garden County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-07-07 | Garden County | F1 10.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
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 Garden County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 26, 2026 wildfire ($80,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLewellen, Garden County | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLewellen, Garden County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | HailLewellen, Garden County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindLisco, Garden County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindLewellen, Garden County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-26 | WildfireGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 0 | 0 | $80K | |
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-21 | LightningOshkosh, Garden County An individual was struck by lightning resulting in death. Reported by the Garden County Sheriff's Department. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1953-07-07 | TornadoGarden County | F1 10.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireGarden County · forecast zone Garden | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2018-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindOshkosh, Garden County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
| 1999-06-27 | HailOshkosh, Garden County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2025-04-27 | TornadoOshkosh, Garden County | EF2 18.96 mi x 2,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $750K |
| 1996-07-25 | HailLisco, Garden County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 1998-06-21 | Flash FloodLisco, Garden County | 0 | 0 | $362K | |
| 2006-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindOshkosh, Garden County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $293K |
| 1998-06-21 | HailOshkosh, Garden County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $272K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 15, 1980 (tornado, Garden 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 Garden 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 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 66 | 103 | 100 | 31 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 56 | 36 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 24 | 45 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 22 | 15 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 14 | 14 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its hail reports since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 27 · Mar 30 · Apr 42 · May 106 · Jun 131 · Jul 126 · Aug 104 · Sep 19 · Oct 27 · Nov 17 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Garden County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Garden County: 9 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (5) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4920 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2026-03-13 | FM-5623 | Fire | Morrill-Cottonwood Fire |
| 2024-05-24 | DR-4786 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm 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 |
| 2011-08-12 | DR-4013 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-06-18 | EM-3323 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-07-31 | DR-1853 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1674 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1373 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
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 Garden County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Garden County from 1997 to 2024, on 9 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Garden County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4,926 on 2 claims filed in Garden County; the most in one year was 1 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2010: 1 · 2011: 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 Garden County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Garden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $858K | 77 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $493K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $431K | 5.7 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $127K | once in about 884 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $24K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $227K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $156K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $129K | 1.7 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 Garden 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 Garden CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Garden County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis