Lander County, Nevada
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 32015 · population 5,714 · 5,519 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 371 records for Lander County, Nevada from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 262 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (191 records). 292 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 most damaging was the March 10, 2023 flood ($5.3 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1977, 4 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 13, 2005.
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
- 371on 262 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 06 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $5.9Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest 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 Lander County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 191 since 1999. The rank column places the county among Nevada'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 | 191 | 136 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 2 | $19K | 8 of 17 |
| High wind and dust storms | 94 | 56 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 1 | $54K | 16 of 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 43 | 42 | 1965-2023 | 0 | 0 | $77K | 8 of 17 |
| Floods | 17 | 16 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 13 of 17 |
| Hail | 17 | 14 | 1970-2017 | 0 | 1 | $995 | 8 of 17 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2008-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 17 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1994-2018 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 12 of 17 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2018-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 17 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 2 | – | 13 of 17 |
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 Lander County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Lander County from 1994 to 2018, the strongest rated F1, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Lander County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nevada.
Every tornado record filed for Lander County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-03 | Austin, Lander County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-21 | Gold Acres, Lander County | EF0 0.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-05 | Lander County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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 Lander County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 21, 2026 high wind ($17,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-15 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-15 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-01 | Heavy SnowEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-03-29 | Winter WeatherEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka | 0 | 2 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-29 | Winter WeatherEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka Winter Weather caused a Multi-Vehicle crash on I-80 near MM268 (Emigrant Pass). The Crash initially involved 2 semis. The fuel cell of one of the semis became breached, spilling over 25 gallons of Diesel onto the highway, and into a water catch basin. At least 3 additional accidents occurred after the initial crash ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2018-08-18 | WildfireEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka The fire burned 59,789 acres across the Sheep Creek Range. Two firefighters were burned over sustaining injuries. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2007-08-30 | Dust StormEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone N Lander & N Eureka Outflow winds from a line of thunderstorms picked up dust and ash from a recent burn area south of Interstate 80 which caused visibility to drop to near zero near the Beowawe ramps. This led to 2 auto accidents sending 1 person to the hospital with moderate head injuries. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-06-23 | HailArgenta Siding, Lander County A severe thunderstorm dropped dime size hail on Interstate 80 at the Argenta exit east of Battle Mountain. The hail accumulated to a depth of several inches causing an injury accident. | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-10 | FloodPeterson Station, Lander County | 0 | 0 | $5.3M | |
| 2023-03-10 | FloodCortez, Lander County | 0 | 0 | $387K | |
| 2015-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindKingston Canyon, Lander County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2026-04-21 | High WindEureka County and Lander County · forecast zone S Lander & S Eureka | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 1994-05-05 | TornadoLander County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2002-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindBattle Mtn, Lander County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1994-05-05 | HailLander County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $995 |
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 Lander 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 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 59 | 53 | 77 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 13 | 74 z |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 74 records against 13 in the decade before, 74 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Lander County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Lander County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 47 · Feb 40 · Mar 50 · Apr 44 · May 34 · Jun 31 · Jul 18 · Aug 22 · Sep 15 · Oct 10 · Nov 17 · Dec 43 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lander County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Lander County: one major disaster, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and snowstorm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4523 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3443 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3243 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-23 | EM-3204 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3202 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 1977-06-11 | EM-3041 | Drought | Drought |
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 Lander County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 17 flood or flash flood records for Lander County from 1997 to 2023, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lander County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1,058 on 3 claims filed in Lander County; the most in one year was 1 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1998: 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 Lander County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lander County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.1 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 | $1.8M | once in about 182 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $435K | 149 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $73K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $469K | once in about 39 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $964 | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $395 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $1 | once in about 3,333 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $79K | 3 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lander 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 NevadaEvery Nevada tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in NevadaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Nevada recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Lander CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lander County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis