Jefferson County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16051 · population 30,825 · 1,094 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 632 records for Jefferson County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 464 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (181 records). 387 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 27, 2004 heavy snow, filed for the forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1976, 4 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms and Flooding” on April 21, 2017.
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
- 632on 464 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1119 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 6latest 2020
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 Jefferson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 181 since 1964. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 fell in May and June. The rank column places the county among Idaho'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 181 | 90 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M | 3 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 156 | 123 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 11 | $6.4M | 2 of 44 |
| Winter storms | 155 | 138 | 1996-2026 | 8 | 7 | $1.8M | 21 of 44 |
| Wildfires | 30 | 30 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $37K | 11 of 44 |
| Hail | 29 | 23 | 1970-2024 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 11 of 44 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 24 | 2002-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 3 of 44 |
| Floods | 18 | 18 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | 11 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 17 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $339K | 1 of 44 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 2002-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 3 of 44 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 2016-2024 | 1 | 0 | $15K | 13 of 44 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 44 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | 37 of 44 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 17 of 44 |
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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Jefferson County from 1980 to 2025, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 44 Idaho 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Jefferson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Jefferson County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-27 | Rigby, Jefferson County | EF0 0.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2018-05-31 | Monteview, Jefferson County | EF0 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-11 | Terreton, Jefferson County | EF0 7.44 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-10 | Monteview, Jefferson County | EF0 0.02 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-07 | Monteview, Jefferson County | EF0 1.17 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-04-04 | Monteview, Jefferson County | F0 0.4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-04 | Terreton, Jefferson County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2002-06-01 | Roberts, Jefferson County | F1 2.5 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2000-07-17 | Roberts, Jefferson County | F0 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-31 | Terreton, Jefferson County | F1 4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-02 | Jefferson County | F1 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-06-04 | Jefferson County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1988-04-17 | Jefferson County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1988-04-17 | Jefferson County | F1 2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1988-03-23 | Jefferson County | F1 15 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1987-06-29 | Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1985-04-11 | Jefferson County | F1 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-07-08 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $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 Jefferson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 14, 2026 high wind ($30,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | High WindBingham County and 3 more · forecast zone Arco-Mud Lake Desert | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | High WindBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | High WindBingham County and 3 more · forecast zone Arco-Mud Lake Desert | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | High WindBingham County and 3 more · forecast zone Arco-Mud Lake Desert | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindRoberts, Jefferson County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindTerreton, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindRoberts, Jefferson County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCamas, Jefferson County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCamas, Jefferson County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindTerreton, Jefferson County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindRigby, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMenan, Jefferson County | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-11-27 | Heavy SnowBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain Widespread snow of generally between 2 and 5 inches fell in the Snake River Plain in the first significant snowfall of the season. One fatal accident occurred around 12 pm near American Falls on interstate 86 when a truck crossed from the west bound lane into the east bound lane killing an elderly couple. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-11-28 | Winter StormBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain Two to 4 inches of snow fell in the region creating extremely icy road conditions the morning of the 28th. A rollover caused one fatality on Highway 20 near Rexburg at around 8 am. Several other crashes and slideoffs were also reported. One rollover on interstate 15 near Shelley caused several to be taken to a local ... | 1 | 3 | $25K | |
| 2023-12-04 | Winter WeatherBingham County and 2 more · forecast zone Arco-Mud Lake Desert A two vehicle collision resulted in the death of one of the passengers. Idaho State Police investigaed a vehicle fatality collision which occurred on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 7:05 A.M. on State Highway 33 at mile marker 57 east of Terreton. A 2008 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling eastbound on SH33. A 2018 Volvo ... | 1 | 1 | $15K | |
| 2022-12-17 | Freezing FogBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain A fatal accident occurred on December 17th at 715 Pm MST on S 15th St E in Idaho Falls near Sandy Downs. It was suspected weather may have been a factor as low visibility in fog and icy roads may have occurred. A car slid off the road and a second vehicle was attempting to get the vehicle out of the snow. A third ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-12-25 | Cold/Wind ChillBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain A 30 year old man was found dead in a field near Parker Idaho. The cause was believed to be extended exposure to cold air. At the time of death wind chill temperatures were in the teens. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-04-06 | Winter WeatherBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain Two to 4 inches of snow fell in the Idaho Falls and Rigby area and several slide offs occurred on interstate 15. One of the slide offs resulted in an unfortunate indirect accident. An indirect death occurred on interstate 15 in Idaho Falls when a car slid off the highway into the median and a pedestrian walking across ... | 1 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2019-02-21 | Winter WeatherBingham County and 2 more · forecast zone Arco-Mud Lake Desert Icy roads may have been a factor in a fatal auto accident on State Highway 33 at milepost 49 east of Terreton. A 25 year old man was killed when it slid into the opposing lane into a semi pulling two flatbed trailers. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-12-20 | Winter WeatherBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain A fatality occurred on the evening of December 20th on interstate 15 northbound just north of the Shelley exit during a light snowfall which caused icy road conditions. | 1 | 0 | $19K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-23 | High WindBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.9M |
| 2017-02-05 | FloodCamas, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | |
| 2000-01-18 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $960K | |
| 2017-10-14 | Heavy SnowBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 0 | 0 | $752K | |
| 2000-07-18 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $617K | |
| 2017-03-01 | FloodCamas, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $524K | |
| 2004-01-01 | BlizzardBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 0 | 1 | $344K | |
| 2020-09-07 | High WindBingham County and 2 more · forecast zone Arco-Mud Lake Desert | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $342K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 8, 1980 (tornado, Jefferson County); June 4, 1991 (tornado, Jefferson County); June 2, 1992 (tornado, Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 30 | 22 | 109 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 17 | 44 | 89 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 28 | 47 | 73 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 22 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 61 · Mar 40 · Apr 73 · May 76 · Jun 82 · Jul 52 · Aug 65 · Sep 25 · Oct 31 · Nov 25 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jefferson County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Jefferson County: 4 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4534 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3467 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-04-21 | DR-4310 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3244 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 1997-06-13 | DR-1177 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Snowmelt, Land/Mud Slides, Flooding |
| 1976-06-06 | DR-505 | Flood | Dam Collapse, 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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for Jefferson County from 1997 to 2023, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Jefferson County ranks 2128th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $116,000 on 18 claims filed in Jefferson County; the most in one year was 9 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1996: 1 · 1997: 9 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 1 · 2015: 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 Jefferson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $329K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.6M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 1.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.4M | once in about 84 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $381K | 31 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.0M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $138K | once in about 391 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $37 | once in about 2,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Jefferson 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 IdahoEvery Idaho tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in IdahoThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Idaho recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Jefferson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jefferson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis