Johnson County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31097 · population 5,288 · 376 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 377 records for Johnson County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 276 days; the most frequent are hail reports (123 records). The deadliest single record is the November 25, 2018 blizzard, filed for the forecast zone Johnson, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1967, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds” on May 21, 2025.
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
- 377on 276 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 22strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2025
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 Johnson County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 123 since 1957. 42% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. 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 | 123 | 71 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 76 | 66 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $900K | 28 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 61 | 58 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $1.0M | 33 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 27 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 93 |
| Heat | 25 | 25 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 15 | 1954-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.7M | 45 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 15 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 of 93 |
| Floods | 13 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.3M | 32 of 93 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1999-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2008-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 93 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 43 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 Johnson County had?
NOAA records 22 tornadoes in Johnson County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 45th of 93 Nebraska 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 22 tornadoes whose track touched Johnson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 22, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Johnson County (22)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | Elk Creek, Johnson County | EF1 1.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-15 | Tecumseh, Johnson County | EFU 0.44 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-11 | Elk Creek, Johnson County | EF0 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Cook, Johnson County | EF0 0.18 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Cook, Johnson County | EF2 5.75 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Sterling, Johnson County | EF0 2.75 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-04-15 | Sterling, Johnson County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $732K |
| 2001-05-04 | Cook, Johnson County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-04 | Cook, Johnson County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-08 | W Brownville, Johnson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1995-05-08 | Sterling To, Johnson County | F0 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1995-05-08 | Northern Craborchard, Johnson County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-08 | Sterling, Johnson County | F1 0.75 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 1992-07-29 | Johnson County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Johnson County | F1 1.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Johnson County | F1 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-04-27 | Johnson County | F1 8 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1983-05-01 | Johnson County | F1 4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-04-15 | Johnson County | F2 3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-08-30 | Johnson County | F1 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-07-20 | Johnson County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-06-11 | Johnson 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 Johnson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 25, 2018 blizzard (1 death).
Blizzard conditions were observed by the COOP weather observer. Snow amounts up to 9 were reported in the county. An elderly Johnson county farmer passed away after running his vehicle into a ditch and not being rescued in time.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 786744)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | TornadoElk Creek, Johnson County | EF1 1.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindTecumseh, Johnson County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindCrab Orchard, Johnson County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Flash FloodElk Creek, Johnson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-16 | Flash FloodCrab Orchard, Johnson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-23 | HailElk Creek, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailCook, Johnson County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailTecumseh Airport, Johnson County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailTecumseh, Johnson County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailSt Mary, Johnson County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailTecumseh, Johnson County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailVesta, Johnson County | 1.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-25 | BlizzardJohnson County · forecast zone Johnson Blizzard conditions were observed by the COOP weather observer. Snow amounts up to 9 were reported in the county. An elderly Johnson county farmer passed away after running his vehicle into a ditch and not being rescued in time. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-05-23 | Flash FloodTecumseh, Johnson County | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 2008-04-25 | FloodVesta, Johnson County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 1996-10-22 | Winter StormJohnson County and Otoe County · forecast zone Johnson | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2000-07-20 | Thunderstorm WindCrab Orchard, Johnson County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $891K |
| 2006-04-15 | TornadoSterling, Johnson County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $732K |
| 1995-05-08 | TornadoSterling, Johnson County | F1 0.75 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 1995-05-08 | TornadoSterling To, Johnson County | F0 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 27, 1989 (tornado, Johnson 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 Johnson 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 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 53 | 35 | 21 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 24 | 21 | 7 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 14 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 24 · Mar 21 · Apr 51 · May 59 · Jun 64 · Jul 39 · Aug 32 · Sep 14 · Oct 8 · Nov 8 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Johnson County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Johnson County: 20 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4868 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4641 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2010-10-21 | DR-1945 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornado, and Straight-Lin |
| 2010-04-21 | DR-1902 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, and Flooding |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1878 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2009-12-16 | DR-1864 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-06-20 | DR-1770 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-05-30 | DR-1765 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-01-11 | DR-1739 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2007-06-06 | DR-1706 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1373 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1996-06-25 | DR-1123 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1992-08-19 | DR-954 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-10-20 | DR-406 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Johnson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Johnson County from 1996 to 2026, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Johnson County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1,972 on 3 claims filed in Johnson County; the most in one year was 1 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2019: 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 Johnson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Johnson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.3 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 Low | $469K | once in about 426 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $379K | 7.6 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $158K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $82K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $50K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $675K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $193K | 8.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Very Low | $426 | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Johnson 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 Johnson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Johnson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis