Gilliam County, Oregon
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 41021 · population 1,988 · 1,205 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 290 records for Gilliam County, Oregon from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 208 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (96 records). 267 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 deadliest single record is the November 24, 2000 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin, which covers the county: 1 death, 3 injuries and $26,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1964, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires” on January 1, 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
- 290on 208 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 218 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $100Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F0
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 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 Gilliam County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 96 since 1999. The rank column places the county among Oregon'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 96 | 67 | 1999-2024 | 1 | 8 | $1.4M | 16 of 36 |
| Winter storms | 91 | 61 | 2000-2024 | 1 | 4 | $26K | 18 of 36 |
| Heat | 26 | 18 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 36 |
| Wildfires | 26 | 26 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 3 | $1.2M | 10 of 36 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 15 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 36 |
| Hail | 11 | 10 | 1991-2019 | 0 | 0 | $97M | 12 of 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 6 | 5 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 36 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 4 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 3 | $17K | 12 of 36 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 2003-2012 | 0 | 0 | $75K | 34 of 36 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 36 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 36 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1957-1957 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 21 of 36 |
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 Gilliam County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Gilliam County from 1957 to 1957, the strongest rated F0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries 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 1 tornado whose track touched Gilliam County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oregon.
Every tornado record filed for Gilliam County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-12 | Gilliam County | F0 16.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Gilliam County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 17, 2015 dust storm (1 death).
A multi-car pile up from a dust storm on I-84 resulted in some injuries and a fatality.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 603455)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-18 | Frost/FreezeGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Columbia River Gorge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-11 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Columbia River Gorge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-12 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGilliam County and 5 more · forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-11-17 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-05-03 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2006-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindCondon, Gilliam County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-01-11 | Winter WeatherGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2002-11-27 | Dense FogGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2002-06-09 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | $266K | |
| 2001-12-01 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 54 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $167K |
| 2001-09-25 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 0 | 5 | $250K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-11-24 | Winter StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Snow and ice covered roads contributed to a two car accident that lead to one fatality. This accident occurred at 2:45 pm at a location 2 miles east of Irrigon on Highway 730. | 1 | 3 | $26K | |
| 2015-11-17 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin A multi-car pile up from a dust storm on I-84 resulted in some injuries and a fatality. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-09-25 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains Blowing dust contributed to an eight vehicle accident on State Highway 11 ten miles northeast of Pendleton. Windy conditions, combined with loose topsoil from a freshly plowed field, created blowing dust that locally reduced visibilities to less than 100 feet. A series of chain reaction collisions occurred as vehicles ... | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin On the east side of Arlington, a person operating a weed trimmer fell and the hot exhaust from the weed trimmer touched and ignited dry vegetation. West winds gusting 25 to 30 mph helped spread the resulting wildfire across 1500 acres. Two homes and 3 vehicles were destroyed and two fire engines were damaged. Three ... | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2002-11-27 | Dense FogGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Freezing fog created icy road conditions on Interstate 84 near Stanfield, which led to a roll-over accident. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2010-05-03 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin A tight pressure gradient combined with a cold frontal passage to produce widespread high winds and damage. Blowing dust in the Columbia Basin reduced visibility to near zero around Stanfield, Pendleton, and between Lexington and Hermiston. The blowing dust caused traffic accidents with an injury near Stanfield on ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2005-01-11 | Winter WeatherGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains Light freezing drizzle in the Blue Mountain Foothills of Oregon led to extremely icy roadways on interstate 84. The icy roadways led to nine ice-related crashes. One car spun out of control on an icy stretch, and struck an officer attending to a rollover accident, resulting in one direct injury. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-12-01 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains High winds along the foothills of the Blue Mountains brought reports of tree damage and scattered power outages. A tractor trailer overturned after having been blown off Highway 11 near Athena. The driver reported only minor injuries. Sustained winds over 40 mph were reported during the morning hours by several ... | 54 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $167K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-07-09 | HailGilliam County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $97M |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2000-12-14 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 2002-06-09 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | $266K | |
| 2001-09-25 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| 2001-12-01 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 54 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $167K |
| 2000-11-24 | Winter StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 1 | 3 | $26K | |
| 2001-01-10 | Dense FogGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 0 | 1 | $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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 12, 1957 (tornado, Gilliam 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 Gilliam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 49 | 26 | 20 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 30 | 42 | 19 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 2 | 17 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 2 | 15 | 6 | 3 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 4 | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
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 Gilliam County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 50 · Feb 40 · Mar 14 · Apr 11 · May 10 · Jun 13 · Jul 29 · Aug 24 · Sep 3 · Oct 17 · Nov 35 · Dec 44 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Gilliam County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Gilliam County: 8 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (3) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | DR-4854 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2024-07-18 | FM-5511 | Fire | Lone Rock Fire |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4499 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3429 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2006-03-20 | DR-1632 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3228 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-19 | DR-1510 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1997-01-23 | DR-1160 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land and Mudslides, Flooding |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1099 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1977-04-29 | EM-3039 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-413 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1964-12-24 | DR-184 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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 Gilliam County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 2 flood or flash flood records for Gilliam County from 2003 to 2012, on 2 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Gilliam County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1,156 on 1 claim filed in Gilliam County; the most in one year was 1 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 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 Gilliam County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gilliam County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.9 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 Low | $854K | once in about 71 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $79K | 8.8 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $2K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $11 | once in about 79 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $49K | once in about 251 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $711 | 48 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $6K | once in about 62 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Gilliam 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 OregonEvery Oregon tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- High wind and dust storms in OregonThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Oregon recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Gilliam CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Gilliam County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis