Hall County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31079 · population 62,826 · 547 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 974 records for Hall County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 608 days; the most frequent are hail reports (319 records). The deadliest day on its record was June 3, 1980: tornado records filed for Hall County that day count 5 deaths across 3 records. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1967, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds” on September 6, 2021.
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
- 974on 608 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13224 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.6Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 80strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2021
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 Hall County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 319 since 1955. 59% of its hail reports since 1955 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 | 319 | 196 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $107M | 4 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 252 | 162 | 1959-2025 | 1 | 3 | $39M | 3 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 121 | 121 | 1996-2025 | 7 | 16 | $16M | 12 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 80 | 56 | 1953-2023 | 5 | 205 | $1.3B | 1 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 77 | 60 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 7 of 93 |
| Drought | 50 | 50 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $56M | 17 of 93 |
| Floods | 31 | 28 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $37M | 20 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 10 | 2007-2018 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 12 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 55 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 6 | 2000-2009 | 0 | 0 | $60K | 9 of 93 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2009-2023 | 0 | 0 | $275K | 35 of 93 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 52 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 Hall County had?
NOAA records 80 tornadoes in Hall County from 1953 to 2023, the strongest rated F4, with 5 deaths and 205 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 93 Nebraska counties and 34th of 3,080 U.S. 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 79 tornadoes whose track touched Hall County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 80: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 9 people, 5 of them in Hall County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-05-08 17:30, as SPC files it | Tilden to Wausa | F4 | 125.7 mi | 4 |
| 1980-06-03 21:16, as SPC files it | Grand Island | F4 | 1.1 mi | 3 |
| 1980-06-03 19:45, as SPC files it | Grand Island | F3 | 6.4 mi | 1 |
| 1980-06-03 20:05, as SPC files it | Grand Island | F3 | 2.3 mi | 1 |
| 1993-06-06 20:45, as SPC files it | Cairo | F3 | 50 mi | 0 |
| 1990-03-13 17:44, as SPC files it | Grand Island | F3 | 27 mi | 0 |
| 1990-03-13 17:00, as SPC files it | Minden to Cairo | F3 | 32 mi | 0 |
| 1984-06-11 20:20, as SPC files it | Cairo | F3 | 14 mi | 0 |
| 1977-05-16 18:50, as SPC files it | Grand Island | F3 | 47.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Hall County (80)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-12 | Doniphan, Hall County | EFU 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-07-03 | Grand Is, Hall County | EF1 3.69 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $353K |
| 2021-12-15 | Rosedale, Hall County | EF1 4.99 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $218K |
| 2018-05-01 | Doniphan, Hall County | EF0 1.96 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2015-05-06 | Alda, Hall County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-17 | Grand Is, Hall County | EF0 1.86 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2008-05-29 | Wood River, Hall County | EF0 9.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $377K |
| 2005-05-11 | Wood River, Hall County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $189K |
| 2005-05-07 | Wood River, Hall County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-02 | Wood River, Hall County | F1 1.5 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $177K |
| 1999-05-02 | Wood River, Hall County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-11 | Cairo, Hall County | F1 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 1997-06-11 | Doniphan, Hall County | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 1996-08-04 | Grand Is, Hall County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 1995-08-05 | Grand Island, Hall County | F0 1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 1993-05-07 | Prosser, Hall County | F2 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 1993-05-07 | Upland To, Hall County | F2 40 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 1992-06-15 | Hall County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-05-29 | Hall County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-07-25 | Hall County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-03-13 | Hall County | F3 17 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-03-13 | Hall County | F2 7 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Hall County | F3 12 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-08-17 | Hall County | F1 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1986-07-24 | Hall County | F1 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1986-07-11 | Hall County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-04-13 | Hall County | F1 1.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-04-13 | Hall County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1985-09-04 | Hall County | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-08-05 | Hall County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-06-11 | Hall County | F3 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-06-04 | Hall County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-06-24 | Hall County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-05-10 | Hall County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-10-16 | Hall County | F1 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-08-10 | Hall County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F2 3.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F2 | 0 | 18 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F4 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F4 1.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F4 | 3 | 110 | $250M step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F3 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F3 2.3 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 40 | $25M step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F1 0.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-03 | Hall County | F3 6.4 mi x 700 yd | 1 | 25 | $2.5M step |
| 1977-09-01 | Hall County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1977-05-19 | Hall County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1977-05-19 | Hall County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1977-05-19 | Hall County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1977-05-19 | Hall County | F2 20.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-05-19 | Hall County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1977-05-16 | Hall County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1973-10-09 | Hall County | F2 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1973-09-02 | Hall County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-07-03 | Hall County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1971-06-06 | Hall County | F0 | 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 Hall County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 4, 2025 winter weather (2 deaths).
Transient bands of at times heavier snow combined with strong north-northwest winds gusting over 50 MPH at times resulted in brief periods of near-blizzard conditions due to snow squalls. Overall snowfall amounts were less than one inch. Accidents were reported in the area, including one on Interstate 80 near Grand Island, which resulted in two fatalities.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1248788)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindHall County · forecast zone Hall | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-03 | DroughtHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindWood River, Hall County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindWood River, Hall County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindGrand Is Regional A, Hall County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-06 | DroughtHall County · forecast zone Hall | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-17 | HailAlda, Hall County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-17 | HailWood River, Hall County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | Thunderstorm WindGrand Is, Hall County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | HailGrand Is, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | HailGrand Is Regional A, Hall County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | HailCairo, Hall County | 0.88 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-06-03 | TornadoHall County | F4 | 3 | 110 | $250M step |
| 2025-03-04 | Winter WeatherHall County · forecast zone Hall Transient bands of at times heavier snow combined with strong north-northwest winds gusting over 50 MPH at times resulted in brief periods of near-blizzard conditions due to snow squalls. Overall snowfall amounts were less than one inch. Accidents were reported in the area, including one on Interstate 80 near Grand ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-03 | TornadoHall County | F3 2.3 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 40 | $25M step |
| 1980-06-03 | TornadoHall County | F3 6.4 mi x 700 yd | 1 | 25 | $2.5M step |
| 2004-02-04 | Winter StormHall County · forecast zone Hall A major winter storm dumped heavy snow across most of south-central Nebraska. The snow began early on the 4th and continued through about dawn on the 5th. Heavy snow fell in two separate bursts, with the second burst producing snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. The heaviest snow fell along the U.S. Highway 281 ... | 1 | 4 | $47K | |
| 2018-04-01 | Winter WeatherHall County · forecast zone Hall A snowfall total of 4.0 inches was measured one mile east southeast of Doniphan. Also, a public report of 2.7 inches occurred 3 miles west southwest of Grand Island. Snow and slick roads contributed to a fatal automobile accident in the morning in Grand Island. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-02-12 | Winter WeatherHall County · forecast zone Hall A winter storm moved through the Central Plains. This storm brought widespread snows to the region and wind gusts around 25 mph also added to the dangerous conditions. Most areas picked up two to five inches of snow. An area east of Hastings and south of York picked up 6 or 7 inches of snow. The most snow reported was ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2019-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindCairo, Hall County A 69 MPH wind gust was measured by a mesonet station located 1 mile south of Cairo. Wind gusts estimated to be at least 60 MPH were reported in Cairo. Approximately three miles south-southeast of Cairo, near the intersection of Airport Road and Burwick Road, a motorist struck a large tree that had been blown down and ... | 60 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-06-13 | HailGrand Is, Hall County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $12M |
| 2009-06-05 | HailWood River, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 2024-05-20 | HailGrand Is, Hall County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.7M |
| 1995-07-22 | HailCairo, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| 1995-07-22 | HailGrand Island, Hall County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.2M |
| 2024-06-29 | HailWood River, Hall County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
| 2022-06-07 | HailWood River, Hall County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.0M |
| 1995-08-05 | HailGrand Island, Hall County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 3, 1980 (tornado, Hall County, 3 killed).
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 Hall 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 | 2 | 7 | 27 | 30 | 48 | 93 | 73 | 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 15 | 30 | 44 | 45 | 73 | 41 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 34 | 40 | 30 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 12 | 12 | 26 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 34 | 26 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 15 | 33 |
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 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 47 · Mar 55 · Apr 94 · May 193 · Jun 202 · Jul 117 · Aug 92 · Sep 35 · Oct 26 · Nov 20 · Dec 48 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hall County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Hall County: 15 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2018-06-29 | DR-4375 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2008-06-20 | DR-1770 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1674 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2005-06-23 | DR-1590 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1997-11-01 | DR-1190 | Severe Storm | Severe Snow Storms, Rain, and Strong Winds |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-04-02 | DR-983 | Flood | Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1990-07-04 | DR-873 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1980-06-04 | DR-625 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1976-04-08 | DR-500 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storms & High Winds |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-228 | Flood | Severe 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 Hall County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 31 flood or flash flood records for Hall County from 1998 to 2024, on 28 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hall County ranks 1184th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $812,000 on 126 claims filed in Hall County; the most in one year was 33 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1982: 15 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 9 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1993: 16 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 3 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2005: 33 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 15 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 18 · 2020: 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 Hall County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hall County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $38.5 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 High | $7.1M | 7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $902K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $2.3M | 46 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.6M | 4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $793K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $8.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $480K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $15M | about once 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 Hall 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 Hall CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hall County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis