Minidoka County, Idaho
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 16067 · population 21,577 · 757 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 279 records for Minidoka County, Idaho from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 220 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (89 records). 155 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 April 15, 2002 heavy snow, filed for the forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 1964, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms and Flooding” on April 21, 2017.
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
- 279on 220 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 413 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest 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 Minidoka County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 89 since 1958. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in May and June. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 89 | 51 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 6 of 44 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 70 | 1997-2025 | 4 | 0 | $427K | 29 of 44 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 35 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 13 | $281K | 12 of 44 |
| Wildfires | 23 | 23 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | $32K | 9 of 44 |
| Hail | 19 | 15 | 1958-2023 | 0 | 0 | $104K | 12 of 44 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 7 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 44 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 44 |
| Floods | 6 | 6 | 1997-2019 | 0 | 0 | $7.9M | 30 of 44 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1968-2003 | 0 | 0 | $542K | 10 of 44 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | 13 of 44 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1999-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 44 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 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 Minidoka County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Minidoka County from 1968 to 2003, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 10th 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 Minidoka County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Idaho.
Every tornado record filed for Minidoka County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04-28 | Rupert, Minidoka County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-03-17 | Minidoka County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-18 | Minidoka County | F2 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-06-07 | Minidoka County | F1 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-09-11 | Minidoka County | F2 0.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Minidoka County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 17, 2025 high wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | High WindBlaine County and 2 more · forecast zone Shoshone-Lava Beds | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMinidoka County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindHeyburn, Minidoka County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMinidoka County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMinidoka County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMinidoka County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindPaul, Minidoka County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMinidoka County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindBlaine County and 2 more · forecast zone Shoshone-Lava Beds | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | HeatBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindBlaine County and 2 more · forecast zone Shoshone-Lava Beds | 64 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-15 | Heavy SnowBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley One day after thunderstorm winds caused extensive damage in southeast Idaho, a mid-April snowstorm dumped heavy wet snow over the same region. It was the heaviest snow of the season in the Snake River Plain. It ranked as the 8th greatest 24 hour snowfall ever at the Pocatello airport and 3rd greatest April snowfall ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-04-13 | Winter WeatherBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley A single engine Cessna 208B crashed into Gem State Processing in Heyburn a potato processing plant. The pilot was heading into the Burley Municipal Airport and crashed into the building at around 835 AM MDT. It occurred during a heavy snow showers and the visibility at the airport was around 1 mile between 8 and 9 AM. ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-24 | BlizzardBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley Fifty to sixty mph wind gusts were widespread in the Eastern Magic Valley from midnight through noon on Christmas Day. Extensive blowing and drifting snow caused interstates 84 and 86 to be closed in the southern portion of the zone. An 11 year old child died from hypothermia in the extreme northern part of Lincoln ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-05-07 | High WindBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley Strong winds behind a cold front affected the Snake River Plain and Eastern Magic Valley from late morning through the evening hours. Sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph were commonplace. The winds caused blowing dust from a newly plowed field and reduced visibilities to less than a mile on interstate 84. This caused a 20 ... | 40 kt wind | 0 | 13 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-02-04 | FloodAdelaide, Minidoka County | 0 | 0 | $7.4M | |
| 2017-03-01 | FloodAdelaide, Minidoka County | 0 | 0 | $512K | |
| 1999-04-08 | BlizzardBlaine County and 3 more · forecast zone Eastern Magic Valley | 0 | 0 | $407K | |
| 1999-07-20 | Thunderstorm WindRupert, Minidoka County | 0 | 0 | $354K | |
| 2006-03-25 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Minidoka County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $351K |
| 2000-02-14 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Minidoka County | 84 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2003-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindPaul, Minidoka County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2025-12-17 | Thunderstorm WindRupert, Minidoka County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 18, 1991 (tornado, Minidoka 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 Minidoka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 36 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 21 | 22 | 28 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 14 | 7 | 17 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 17 | 3 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 22 · Mar 16 · Apr 15 · May 41 · Jun 31 · Jul 29 · Aug 23 · Sep 12 · Oct 10 · Nov 13 · Dec 40 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Minidoka County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Minidoka County: 3 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4534 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3467 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-04-21 | DR-4310 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3244 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 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.
How many floods has Minidoka County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 6 flood or flash flood records for Minidoka County from 1997 to 2019, on 6 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Minidoka County ranks 2590th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $187,000 on 5 claims filed in Minidoka County; the most in one year was 3 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1997: 2 · 2017: 3; 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 Minidoka County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Minidoka County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $241K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 209 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.0M | 2.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $256K | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $808K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $159K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $66K | once in about 236 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $20 | once in about 2,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Minidoka 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in IdahoThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Minidoka CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Minidoka County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis