Merrick County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31121 · population 7,660 · 488 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 660 records for Merrick County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 450 days; the most frequent are hail reports (194 records). The deadliest single record is the December 8, 2011 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Merrick, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1967, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on March 21, 2019.
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
- 660on 450 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 20 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $277Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Merrick County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 194 since 1955. 57% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. 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 | 194 | 131 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $154M | 17 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 163 | 114 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $11M | 9 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 126 | 113 | 1956-2024 | 0 | 0 | $21M | 11 of 93 |
| Drought | 55 | 48 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $56M | 9 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 33 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 25 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 20 | 1951-2024 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 39 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 45 of 93 |
| Floods | 18 | 18 | 2005-2024 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 29 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 6 | 2007-2017 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 23 of 93 |
| Heat | 3 | 2 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 93 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1996-2000 | 0 | 0 | $194K | 23 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 69 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 Merrick County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Merrick County from 1951 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 39th 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Merrick County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-03-13 17:44, as SPC files it | Grand Island | F3 | 27 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Merrick County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-23 | Palmer, Merrick County | EF1 5.4 mi x 95 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2023-06-02 | Central City, Merrick County | EF0 4.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2022-07-03 | Chapman, Merrick County | EF1 5.87 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $353K |
| 2020-07-08 | Silver Creek, Merrick County | EF0 4.21 mi x 130 yd | 0 | 0 | $228K |
| 2011-06-14 | Archer, Merrick County | EF0 0.54 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-10-09 | Silver Creek, Merrick County | F1 3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2001-10-09 | Central City, Merrick County | F2 3 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $542K |
| 2001-10-09 | Chapman, Merrick County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2001-05-09 | Central City, Merrick County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-29 | Clarks, Merrick County | F0 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 1999-05-02 | Worms, Merrick County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-08 | Clarks, Merrick County | F1 3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $354K |
| 1994-04-25 | Central City, Merrick County | F1 3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1992-01-07 | Merrick County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-01-07 | Merrick County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-01-07 | Merrick County | F1 1.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-05-28 | Merrick County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-06-12 | Merrick County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Merrick County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-03-13 | Merrick County | F3 6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-05-10 | Merrick County | F2 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-08-17 | Merrick County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1968-06-09 | Merrick County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-05-04 | Merrick County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-04-30 | Merrick County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 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 Merrick County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 19, 2025 hail ($1.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
For the third time in less than a week, severe weather impacted south central Nebraska. A narrow, broken line of thunderstorms formed roughly along Nebraska Highway 14 and slowly moved east during the afternoon hours. Though reports of severe weather were limited, hail was very large in some spots. The town of Edgar in Clay county was hardest hit with baseball sized hail. Most homes in towns sustained at least some damage, including broken windows, shredded siding and roof damage. Tree damage was extensive as well. Half-dollar to ping-pong sized hail was reported in parts of Nance, Merrick and Polk counties. By late afternoon, the storms weakened slightly and moved east of south central Nebraska. A narrow axis of unstable air forced its way into south central Nebraska ahead of a surface and upper level low pressure to the west. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1270031)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-03 | DroughtMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-19 | HailCentral City, Merrick County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2025-05-16 | High WindMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-06 | DroughtMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | HailCentral City, Merrick County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | Winter WeatherMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-17 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-17 | Winter WeatherMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12-08 | Winter WeatherMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county. A local newspaper reported that 2 teenagers were killed in a car accident near Silver Creek, and officials said slick roads contributed to the accident. | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-07-23 | HailArcher, Merrick County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $100M |
| 1994-07-01 | HailChapman, Merrick County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10.0M |
| 2006-12-29 | Ice StormMerrick County · forecast zone Merrick | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | |
| 2024-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindArcher, Merrick County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.6M |
| 2005-05-11 | Flash FloodCountywide, Merrick County | 0 | 0 | $5.3M | |
| 2015-08-27 | Thunderstorm WindSilver Creek, Merrick County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.1M |
| 2018-08-06 | HailArcher, Merrick County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.7M |
| 2006-12-29 | Ice StormHoward County and Merrick County · forecast zone Howard | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
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: March 13, 1990 (tornado, Merrick County); March 13, 1990 (tornado, Merrick 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 Merrick 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 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 22 | 65 | 46 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 33 | 60 | 43 | 27 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 20 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 19 | 32 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 18 | 7 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 53 · Feb 48 · Mar 41 · Apr 52 · May 93 · Jun 108 · Jul 85 · Aug 46 · Sep 21 · Oct 30 · Nov 26 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Merrick County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Merrick County: 13 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2018-06-29 | DR-4375 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1878 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2008-06-20 | DR-1770 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1674 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2005-06-23 | DR-1590 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-04-02 | DR-983 | Flood | Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1980-06-04 | DR-625 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1978-03-24 | DR-552 | Flood | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1976-04-08 | DR-500 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storms & High Winds |
| 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 Merrick County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for Merrick County from 2005 to 2024, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Merrick County ranks 2181st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $19,000 on 16 claims filed in Merrick County; the most in one year was 5 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1982: 5 · 1983: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2025: 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 Merrick County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Merrick County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | $4.4M | 6.9 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $2.1M | 56 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $213K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $96K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $51K | once in about 2,392 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Merrick 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 Merrick CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Merrick County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis