Harney County, Oregon
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 41025 · population 7,472 · 10,134 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 122 records for Harney County, Oregon from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 104 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (39 records). The most damaging was the August 4, 2021 thunderstorm wind ($1.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1964, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Falls Fire” on July 18, 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
- 122on 104 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Harney County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 39 since 1999. 72% of its winter storm records since 1999 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 39 | 38 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 25 | 21 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 32 of 36 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 7 | 2022-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 13 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 36 |
| Floods | 11 | 11 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 35 of 36 |
| Hail | 11 | 10 | 1998-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 36 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 6 | 1995-2023 | 0 | 0 | $28K | 23 of 36 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 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 Harney County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Harney County from 1995 to 2023, the strongest rated EF0, 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Harney County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oregon.
Every tornado record filed for Harney County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-27 | Riley, Harney County | EF0 2.13 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-01 | Blitzen, Harney County | EF0 1.29 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-06-13 | Wagontire, Harney County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-08-09 | Burns, Harney County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-08-09 | Burns, Harney County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-09-15 | Burns, Harney County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1995-03-11 | Near Happy Valley, Harney County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Harney County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 25, 2025 flood ($1.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Hundreds of homes were impacted by flood waters, many with major damage and some were uninhabitable. Numerous residents were evacuated during the height of the flooding with some sheltering in hotels and Red Cross mass care facilities. There was extensive damage to sewer system.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1246569)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindFrenchglen Airport, Harney County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindBurns, Harney County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindFields, Harney County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | FloodBurns, Harney County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-25 | FloodBurns, Harney County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2025-03-16 | High WindHarney County · forecast zone Harney | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-06-27 | TornadoRiley, Harney County | EF0 2.13 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindDrewsey, Harney County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2019-06-01 | TornadoBlitzen, Harney County | EF0 1.29 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-20 | Thunderstorm WindCrane, Harney County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $271K |
| 2006-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindBurns, Harney County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-06-13 | TornadoWagontire, Harney County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindDrewsey, Harney County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2025-03-25 | FloodBurns, Harney County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2010-04-20 | Thunderstorm WindCrane, Harney County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $271K |
| 1997-09-15 | TornadoBurns, Harney County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
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 Harney 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 16 | 18 | 4 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
72% of its winter storm records since 1999 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 11 · Feb 7 · Mar 16 · Apr 3 · May 12 · Jun 17 · Jul 10 · Aug 16 · Sep 4 · Oct 0 · Nov 6 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Harney County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Harney County: 3 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (2) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-18 | FM-5512 | Fire | Falls Fire |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4499 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3429 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2007-07-12 | FM-2712 | Fire | Egley Fire Complex |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3228 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-19 | DR-1510 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1977-04-29 | EM-3039 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Harney County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 11 flood or flash flood records for Harney County from 1997 to 2025, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Harney County ranks 1612th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $564,000 on 56 claims filed in Harney County; the most in one year was 29 in 1984. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1982: 4 · 1983: 6 · 1984: 29 · 1985: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 9 · 2017: 2 · 2025: 2; 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 Harney County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Harney County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $3.5M | once in about 68 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $7K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $5K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $70K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $110K | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $104 | once in about 357 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $72K | once in about 130 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.7M | 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 Harney 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
- Winter storms in OregonThe state's winter storm 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 Harney CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Harney County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis