Greeley County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31077 · population 2,188 · 570 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 455 records for Greeley County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 362 days; the most frequent are hail reports (134 records). The most damaging was the July 22, 1995 hail ($13.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1966, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on May 3, 2024.
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
- 455on 362 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 012 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $150Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 24strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 2024
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 Greeley County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 134 since 1968. 48% of its hail reports since 1968 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 | 134 | 90 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 0 | $58M | 82 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 112 | 110 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 25 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 71 | 55 | 1963-2024 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 68 of 93 |
| Drought | 53 | 53 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $56M | 15 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 30 | 29 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 52 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 22 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 12 | $4.3M | 48 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $36K | 58 of 93 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | $6.9M | 65 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 5 | 2011-2013 | 0 | 0 | $317K | 25 of 93 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 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 Greeley County had?
NOAA records 24 tornadoes in Greeley County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 12 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Greeley County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 24: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 0 of them in Greeley County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-05-08 17:30, as SPC files it | Tilden to Wausa | F4 | 125.7 mi | 4 |
| 1965-05-08 16:25, as SPC files it | Greeley Center to Orchard | F4 | 78.9 mi | 0 |
| 1964-05-05 15:25, as SPC files it | Wolbach to Petersburg | F4 | 51.2 mi | 0 |
| 1979-04-19 17:50, as SPC files it | Spalding | F3 | 10.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Greeley County (24)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-26 | Wolbach, Greeley County | EF2 7.15 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2024-04-26 | Wolbach, Greeley County | EF2 4.88 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 2023-05-12 | Spalding, Greeley County | EF1 13.64 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $291K |
| 2014-06-03 | Greeley County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-19 | Wolbach, Greeley County | EF1 0.23 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2012-05-27 | Greeley County | EF0 0.06 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-02-28 | Greeley County | EF0 0.28 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2003-04-18 | Spalding, Greeley County | F0 3.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2003-04-18 | Greeley County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2001-10-09 | Wolbach, Greeley County | F0 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $67K |
| 1984-04-25 | Greeley County | F1 0.2 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1979-07-14 | Greeley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-04-19 | Greeley County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1975-04-08 | Greeley County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1974-04-20 | Greeley County | F2 24 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-05 | Greeley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-06-14 | Greeley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-07-07 | Greeley County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-06-14 | Greeley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-05-05 | Greeley County | F4 11.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 11 | $25K step |
| 1960-08-05 | Greeley County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-05-28 | Greeley County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-08-09 | Greeley County | F1 2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-06-07 | Greeley County | F2 20.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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 Greeley County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 21, 2024 flash flood ($3.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Based on radar estimation and various measured totals from NWS/NeRAIN/CoCoRaHS observers, widespread rainfall of 2-6 inches fell within primarily the southern two-thirds of the county mainly between 7 p.m. CDT on the 21st and 1 a.m. CDT on the 22nd.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1182829)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | Winter WeatherGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-03 | DroughtGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-16 | High WindGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-01 | DroughtGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-22 | DroughtGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-07 | Winter WeatherGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-17 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-17 | Winter WeatherGreeley County · forecast zone Greeley | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-05-05 | TornadoGreeley County | F4 11.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 11 | $25K step |
| 1953-06-07 | TornadoGreeley County | F2 20.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-07-22 | HailWolbach, Greeley County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 2004-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Greeley County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1998-06-17 | HailScotia, Greeley County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.4M |
| 1998-06-17 | HailScotia, Greeley County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.4M |
| 2012-04-14 | HailSpalding, Greeley County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.1M |
| 1997-08-21 | HailGreeley County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| 2018-07-28 | HailScotia, Greeley County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.6M |
| 1998-06-17 | HailGreeley County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.6M |
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: April 20, 1974 (tornado, Greeley County); April 19, 1979 (tornado, Greeley 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 Greeley 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 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 30 | 33 | 51 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 28 | 41 | 27 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 18 | 33 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 9 | 5 | 13 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its hail reports since 1968 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 31 · Mar 26 · Apr 43 · May 55 · Jun 74 · Jul 52 · Aug 39 · Sep 19 · Oct 27 · Nov 18 · Dec 38 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Greeley County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Greeley County: 18 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-03 | DR-4778 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2022-07-27 | DR-4662 | 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 |
| 2013-11-26 | DR-4156 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Winter Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-04-21 | DR-1902 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, 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 |
| 2007-07-24 | DR-1714 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1674 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-01-26 | DR-1627 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2003-07-21 | DR-1480 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-228 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1966-08-31 | DR-221 | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Greeley County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Greeley County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.6 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 | $3.1M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 34 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $956K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $70K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $63K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $58K | once in about 1,155 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $494K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $136 | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Greeley 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 Greeley CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Greeley County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis