Lewis County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16061 · population 3,530 · 479 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 164 records for Lewis County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 134 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (81 records). 113 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 July 3, 2024 wildfire ($6.6 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1964, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Straight-Line Winds” 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
- 164on 134 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 03 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 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 Lewis County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 81 since 1998. 43% of its winter storm records since 1998 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 81 | 75 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 44 |
| Hail | 24 | 17 | 1970-2022 | 0 | 0 | $110K | 3 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 19 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $32K | 16 of 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 14 | 12 | 1970-2024 | 0 | 0 | $103K | 24 of 44 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 5 | 2011-2024 | 0 | 0 | $201K | 7 of 44 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 2011-2024 | 0 | 3 | $14M | 22 of 44 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 2 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $95K | 12 of 44 |
| Floods | 4 | 4 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | $118K | 27 of 44 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 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 Lewis County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Lewis County from 2010 to 2010, 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 1 tornado whose track touched Lewis County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Lewis County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-10-07 | Harris Siding, Lewis County | EF0 0.39 mi x 30 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 Lewis County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 17, 2025 high wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-17 | High WindLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-02-04 | Heavy SnowLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-03 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2017-08-30 | Thunderstorm WindNezperce, Lewis County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2014-08-02 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 3 | $2.8M | |
| 2011-09-02 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | |
| 2010-10-07 | TornadoHarris Siding, Lewis County | EF0 0.39 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-07-14 | HailLewis County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-07-14 | HailLewis County | 2.50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-02 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce Three firefighters were injured fighting the blaze. One firefighter received a three inch gash on his right leg from a chain saw and required stitches. Another firefighter suffered heat related problems and a third sustained a scratched cornea. Two hundred homes were threatened from the fire with only nine structures ... | 0 | 3 | $2.8M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-03 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2011-09-02 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | |
| 2014-08-02 | WildfireLewis County and Nez Perce County · forecast zone Lewis And Southern Nez Perce | 0 | 3 | $2.8M | |
| 2017-08-30 | Thunderstorm WindNezperce, Lewis County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $24K |
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 Lewis 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 | – | – | – | – | 4 | 40 | 29 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its winter storm records since 1998 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 20 · Mar 14 · Apr 16 · May 6 · Jun 13 · Jul 17 · Aug 11 · Sep 6 · Oct 3 · Nov 18 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lewis County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Lewis County: 9 major disasters, 2 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (3) and fire (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4905 | Straight-Line Winds | Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024-06-10 | DR-4789 | Flood | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4534 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3467 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-06-12 | DR-4443 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-08-14 | FM-5099 | Fire | Clearwater Lawyer Branch Fire Complex |
| 2010-07-27 | DR-1927 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3244 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2000-09-01 | DR-1341 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1996-02-11 | DR-1102 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1967-08-30 | DR-231 | Fire | Forest Fires |
| 1964-12-31 | DR-186 | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Lewis County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lewis County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.0 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 | $628K | once in about 151 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $2K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $519 | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $31K | once in about 723 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $47K | 3.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Very Low | $608 | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $1.2M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $56K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lewis 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
- Winter storms in IdahoThe state's winter storm records, 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 Lewis CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lewis County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis