Lane County, Oregon
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 41039 · population 382,865 · 4,554 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,115 records for Lane County, Oregon from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 658 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (554 records). 1,003 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 February 6, 1996 flood, filed for the forecast zone Central Coast Range Of W Oregon, which covers the county: 7 deaths and $753 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1964, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 7, 2026.
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
- 1,115on 658 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 4355 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.3Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2026
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 Lane County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 554 since 1996. 44% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in November and December. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 554 | 365 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 7 | $379M | 13 of 36 |
| Winter storms | 305 | 180 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 7 | $57M | 26 of 36 |
| Floods | 69 | 48 | 1996-2025 | 10 | 1 | $896M | 16 of 36 |
| Wildfires | 37 | 29 | 1996-2023 | 3 | 17 | $6.6M | 24 of 36 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 31 | 31 | 2003-2025 | 15 | 11 | $193K | 7 of 36 |
| Heat | 22 | 11 | 1998-2022 | 7 | 2 | – | 29 of 36 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 14 | 2001-2020 | 0 | 0 | $25K | 16 of 36 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 17 | 11 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 2 | $402K | 15 of 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 17 | 17 | 1982-2024 | 0 | 0 | $418K | 23 of 36 |
| Hail | 15 | 13 | 1962-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 36 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 9 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 36 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 9 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 7 | $2.0M | 16 of 36 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 7 | 1951-2015 | 0 | 1 | $275K | 18 of 36 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 36 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | $146K | 5 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 Lane County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Lane County from 1951 to 2015, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 18th of 36 Oregon 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Lane 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 Lane County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-04-14 | Eugene, Lane County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 1999-12-02 | Creswell, Lane County | F0 2.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 1 | $19K |
| 1996-12-05 | Eugene, Lane County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 1989-11-24 | Lane County | F1 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-05-14 | Lane County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-08-18 | Lane County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1951-12-06 | Lane County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Lane County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 19, 2025 sneakerwave (1 death and 1 injury).
A person was walking on the sand near the mouth of Siletz Bay when a sneaker wave knocked them off of their feet and dragged them into the ocean. Once in the water, a strong rip current quickly swept them out to sea. They were swept out far enough that the people on the beach could not see them. The person did not survive, and their body was found on the beach around 4 miles south from where they were swept in. The 3 pm buoy observation from buoy 46050 reported a west swell of 11ft with a 16 second period.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1298751)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-06 | Heavy SnowLane County · forecast zone Cascades Of Lane County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-05 | High WindLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range | 73 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-05 | High WindLincoln County and Lane County · forecast zone Central Coast Of Oregon | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-25 | High WindLane County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Range | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-25 | High WindLincoln County and Lane County · forecast zone Central Coast Of Oregon | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-19 | SneakerwaveLincoln County and Lane County · forecast zone Central Coast Of Oregon | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-05-12 | Funnel CloudMeadow View, Lane County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-16 | FloodLatham, Lane County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2025-03-16 | FloodCreswell Municipal Airport, Lane County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-16 | FloodEugene, Lane County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-16 | FloodGoshen, Lane County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-16 | Debris FlowWalden, Lane County | 0 | 0 | $2K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-02-06 | FloodBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Coast Range Of W Oregon Runoff from heavy rains and melting mountain snow caused major floods upon many northern Oregon rivers. The first rivers reached flood stage on the morning of February 6th while the heaviest rain was still falling. flooding was measured on twenty one rivers in northwestern Oregon. Six rivers set all time high river ... | 7 | 0 | $753M | |
| 2019-01-08 | High SurfLane County and Lincoln County · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Seas were building ahead of a frontal system approaching on Tuesday night. Seas were up around 12 to 14 feet in the Yaquina Bay Bar when the boat the Mary B II tried to cross. Three fisherman died. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-03-21 | FloodBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Josephine T X Se/Jackson T X S Warm air ahead of a strong Pacific cold front led to heavy rainfall on top of existing snowpack in southern Oregon March 21-22. Ensuing runoff caused localized flooding along streams and small rivers in southern Lake county and all of Josephine county. Bullard Creek in Lake county caused minor street flooding in ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2018-09-09 | SneakerwaveLane County and Lincoln County · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast A couple and their young daughter took a trail down to rocks which overlook the ocean. A large wave washed over the rocks and swept the couple off the rocks and into the ocean. Both were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-11-18 | High SurfLane County and Lincoln County · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast Two fishermen were reported missing late Wednesday night when they did not return from a fishing trip. Coast Guard searched for the men both on land and sea, but the search was called of late Thursday. Both high winds and rough seas were occurring at the time due to an incoming storm. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-12-20 | Winter WeatherBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley A cold, unstable airmass settled over the area in the wake of a cold frontal passage. An automobile accident occurred on icy roadways when a hailstorm covered roadways with a few inches of hail in the Brownsville area. The accident occurred after a car slid into another lane and collided with a logging semi-truck. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-09-07 | WildfireLane County · forecast zone Cascade Foothills In Lane County The Holiday Farm wildfire started around 2020PDT on September 7, 2020 in Lane county, OR at coordinates 44.172, -122.231. The fire grew to approximately 173,400 acres before being officially declared under control on January 6, 2021. Destroyed were 431 residences, 24 non-residential commercial properties, 313 other ... | 1 | 6 | – | |
| 2020-09-07 | WildfireLane County · forecast zone Cascades In Lane County The Holiday Farm wildfire started around 2020PDT on September 7, 2020 in Lane county, OR. The fire grew to approximately 173,400 acres before being brought under control on January 6, 2021. Destroyed were 431 residences, 24 non-residential commercial properties, 313 other minor structures. Damaged were 65 structures. ... | 1 | 6 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-02-06 | FloodBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Coast Range Of W Oregon | 7 | 0 | $753M | |
| 2020-09-07 | Strong WindLane County · forecast zone Cascades In Lane County | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $228M |
| 2020-09-08 | High WindLane County and Lincoln County · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $137M |
| 1997-01-01 | FloodBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Rogue Basin | 0 | 0 | $130M | |
| 2024-01-13 | Ice StormBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2019-02-24 | Heavy SnowBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2002-02-07 | High WindBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Willamette Valley | 61 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $9.8M |
| 2019-02-24 | Heavy SnowLane County · forecast zone Cascade Foothills In Lane County | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
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: May 14, 1984 (tornado, Lane County); November 24, 1989 (tornado, Lane 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 Lane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 97 | 178 | 205 | 74 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 67 | 109 | 68 | 61 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 29 | 10 | 18 | 12 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 8 | 20 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 12 | 13 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 4 | 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in November and December. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 209 · Feb 170 · Mar 119 · Apr 51 · May 15 · Jun 22 · Jul 14 · Aug 35 · Sep 30 · Oct 46 · Nov 150 · Dec 254 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lane County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Lane County: 19 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4907 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2024-04-13 | DR-4768 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-01-27 | FM-5457 | Fire | Cedar Creek Fire |
| 2020-09-15 | DR-4562 | Fire | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-09-10 | EM-3542 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020-09-08 | FM-5357 | Fire | Holiday Farm Fire |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4499 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3429 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-05-02 | DR-4432 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2017-01-25 | DR-4296 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2016-02-17 | DR-4258 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2014-04-04 | DR-4169 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2012-03-02 | DR-4055 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3228 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-19 | DR-1510 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2002-03-12 | DR-1405 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm With High Winds |
| 1997-01-23 | DR-1160 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land and Mudslides, Flooding |
| 1996-12-23 | DR-1149 | Flood | Flooding, Land, Mud Slides, High Winds,Severe Storms |
| 1996-03-19 | DR-1107 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and High Winds |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1099 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-08-02 | DR-1036 | Fishing Losses | The El Nino (the Salmon Industry) |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-413 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1972-01-21 | DR-319 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Lane County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 69 flood or flash flood records for Lane County from 1996 to 2025, on 48 days, with 10 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lane County ranks 549th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.2 million on 454 claims filed in Lane County; the most in one year was 229 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 14 · 1981: 7 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 7 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 2 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 4 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 9 · 1996: 229 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 17 · 1999: 7 · 2000: 4 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 2 · 2005: 17 · 2006: 7 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 58 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2019: 19 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 6; 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 Lane County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lane County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $221 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $95M | once in about 61 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $117M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 7.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $313K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $505K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | $197K | once in about 86 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.6M | 4.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $45K | 5.5 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 Lane 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
- High wind and dust storms in OregonThe state's high wind and dust 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 Lane CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lane County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis