Grant County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31075 · population 610 · 777 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 418 records for Grant County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 319 days; the most frequent are hail reports (191 records). The most damaging was the March 26, 2026 wildfire ($3.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 2005, 5 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
- 418on 319 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 02 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $9.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 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 Grant County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 191 since 1965. 61% of its hail reports since 1965 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 | 191 | 129 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 0 | $414K | 72 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 60 | 58 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $59K | 72 of 93 |
| Drought | 52 | 51 | 2012-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 38 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 45 | 35 | 1978-2026 | 0 | 0 | $90K | 88 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 30 | 30 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $46K | 70 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 15 | 2008-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 14 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 2 | $3.0M | 83 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2003-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 93 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 2 | 2026-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | 15 of 93 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 2002-2011 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 90 of 93 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 60 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 Grant County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Grant County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 2 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Grant County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-25 20:47, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 40.01 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Grant County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-25 | Whitman, Grant County | EF3 16.79 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Ashby, Grant County | EF1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $712 |
| 1996-05-15 | Hyannis, Grant County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1994-07-06 | Hyannis, Grant County | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-23 | Hyannis, Grant County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-23 | Hyannis, Grant County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-09-07 | Grant County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-28 | Grant County | F0 4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-07-18 | Grant County | F0 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-06-21 | Grant County | F1 7.3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-06 | Grant County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-05-18 | Grant County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1975-05-10 | Grant County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-06-06 | Grant County | F1 5.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1953-06-02 | Grant County | 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 Grant County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 26, 2026 wildfire ($517,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Fire initiated shortly after midnight on March 26th. Aided by strong northerly winds, the fire raced south. By the time the fire was contained, it had consumed 14,082 acres of rangeland.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1323686)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | HailAshby, Grant County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindWhitman, Grant County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-26 | WildfireGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $517K | |
| 2026-03-26 | WildfireGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $63K | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 64 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-25 | TornadoWhitman, Grant County Emergency manager reported a tornado half mile north of Whitman. The approximate starting point of the tornado was just south of the Cherry County line, several miles north of Whitman. EF-3 damage was observed at a farm house just south of Whitman. | EF3 16.79 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1954-06-06 | TornadoGrant County | F1 5.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-26 | WildfireGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2012-07-01 | DroughtGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2026-03-26 | WildfireGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $517K | |
| 2026-03-12 | WildfireGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | $63K | |
| 2004-07-08 | Thunderstorm WindHyannis, Grant County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 1996-05-15 | TornadoHyannis, Grant County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2009-07-20 | HailAshby, Grant County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2003-05-03 | HailAshby, Grant County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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: June 6, 1954 (tornado, Grant 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 Grant 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 | 2 | 12 | 38 | 86 | 34 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 22 | 20 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 25 | 27 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 9 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
61% of its hail reports since 1965 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 19 · Mar 23 · Apr 37 · May 47 · Jun 86 · Jul 76 · Aug 41 · Sep 12 · Oct 15 · Nov 19 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Grant County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Grant County: 4 major disasters, 2 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for fire (2) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4920 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2026-03-13 | FM-5623 | Fire | Morrill-Cottonwood Fire |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Grant County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grant County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $647,000. 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 Low | $45K | 59 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $129K | once in about 419 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $212 | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $58K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $10K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $68K | 5.9 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $29K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $39K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Grant 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 Grant CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Grant County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis