Madison County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16065 · population 52,900 · 469 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 796 records for Madison County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 590 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (423 records). 679 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 December 17, 2021 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Big Hole Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 1976, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina” 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
- 796on 590 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2319 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $18Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 5latest 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 Madison County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 423 since 1996. 47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 | 423 | 325 | 1996-2026 | 8 | 6 | $2.1M | 1 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 142 | 109 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 11 | $8.5M | 1 of 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 55 | 33 | 1979-2026 | 0 | 0 | $852K | 4 of 44 |
| Extreme cold | 46 | 27 | 2002-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 of 44 |
| Wildfires | 35 | 35 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | $39K | 1 of 44 |
| Floods | 26 | 26 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | 1 of 44 |
| Hail | 20 | 14 | 1967-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 44 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 12 | 12 | 1998-2024 | 12 | 2 | $2K | 2 of 44 |
| Heat | 9 | 7 | 2002-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 of 44 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 7 | 1998-2022 | 1 | 0 | $6K | 2 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1955-1987 | 0 | 0 | $326K | 2 of 44 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 3 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 5 of 44 |
| Drought | 4 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 44 |
| Lightning | 4 | 3 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 4 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 Madison County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Madison County from 1955 to 1987, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Madison County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Madison County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-04-27 | Madison County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-05-15 | Madison County | F1 3 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-07-22 | Madison County | F0 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1962-09-21 | Madison County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-09-26 | Madison County | F2 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-08-25 | Madison County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 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 Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | High WindBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | High WindBonneville County and 2 more · forecast zone Big Hole Mountains | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSugar City, Madison County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindRexburg Mdsn Co Airport, Madison County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSugar City, Madison County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindRexburg, Madison County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMoody, Madison County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | High WindBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | High WindFremont County and 2 more · forecast zone Teton Valley | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | High WindBonneville County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBonneville County and 2 more · forecast zone Big Hole Mountains | 63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-17 | AvalancheBonneville County and 2 more · forecast zone Big Hole Mountains An avalanche near Driggs and Relay Ridge killed two teenage boys at around 2:45 PM on December 17th. It was in a backcountry area with one snow mobiler and one skier killed in the avalanche. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 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 | – | |
| 1998-01-03 | AvalancheClark County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake Highlands During the first week of January, dangerous avalanche conditions prevailed in the mountainous regions of central and eastern Idaho. On January 3rd one avalanche killed a snowmobiler near Island Park. In the same area and at roughly the same time, a second snow snowmobiler was reported missing and presumed dead due to ... | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 2020-04-03 | AvalancheBonneville County and 2 more · forecast zone Big Hole Mountains A 46 year old back country snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche during the afternoon of April 3rd. It occurred in the Austin Canyon area north of Mount Baird and Palisades Reservoir. The individual was wearing a rescue beacon but it was not activated. | 1 | 0 | – |
| 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 |
| 2002-04-23 | High WindClark County and 3 more · forecast zone Upper Snake Highlands | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2018-03-14 | FloodEdmonds, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2017-10-14 | Heavy SnowBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 0 | 0 | $752K | |
| 2014-07-15 | Flash FloodRexburg, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $748K | |
| 2024-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindMoody, Madison County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $706K |
| 2006-02-28 | Flash FloodCountywide, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $523K | |
| 2004-01-01 | BlizzardBingham County and 4 more · forecast zone Upper Snake River Plain | 0 | 1 | $344K |
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: September 26, 1959 (tornado, Madison County); May 15, 1984 (tornado, Madison 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 Madison 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 | – | – | – | – | 38 | 135 | 127 | 123 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 22 | 50 | 64 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 22 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 19 | 16 | 11 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 23 z | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 4 | 12 | 3 |
Wildfires in the 2010s: 23 records against 7 in the decade before, 23 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 Madison 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?
47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 109 · Feb 125 · Mar 68 · Apr 64 · May 52 · Jun 53 · Jul 36 · Aug 44 · Sep 21 · Oct 35 · Nov 53 · Dec 136 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Madison County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Madison County: 3 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and hurricane (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4534 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3467 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 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 Madison County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 26 flood or flash flood records for Madison County from 1997 to 2025, on 26 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Madison County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $20,000 on 9 claims filed in Madison County; the most in one year was 4 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 4 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2014: 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 Madison County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.2M | 36 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.6M | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $134K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $4.0M | once in about 79 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.4M | 1.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $11K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $194K | once in about 357 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | 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 Madison 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 Madison CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Madison County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis