Morrill County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31123 · population 4,555 · 1,424 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 609 records for Morrill County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 372 days; the most frequent are hail reports (293 records). The most damaging was the July 6, 1994 tornado ($10.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 2001, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires” on June 30, 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
- 609on 372 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 04 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $21Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 50strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Morrill County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 293 since 1958. 58% of its hail reports since 1958 fell in June and July. 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 | 293 | 171 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 88 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 87 | 59 | 1969-2025 | 0 | 0 | $790K | 90 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 78 | 71 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 3 | $1.5M | 84 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 53 | 44 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $72K | 80 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 50 | 42 | 1951-2025 | 0 | 1 | $15M | 68 of 93 |
| Floods | 25 | 16 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 74 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 6 | 2010-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 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 Morrill County had?
NOAA records 50 tornadoes in Morrill County from 1951 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 55 tornadoes whose track touched Morrill County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 50: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Morrill County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-06-27 16:45, as SPC files it | Scottsbluff | F4 | 26 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Morrill County (50)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-17 | Bonner, Morrill County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-08-08 | Broadwater, Morrill County | EFU 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-06-23 | Lynn, Morrill County | EFU 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-12 | Bayard, Morrill County | EF2 23.63 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.0M |
| 2017-06-12 | Bayard, Morrill County | EF1 0.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-29 | Dalton, Morrill County | EF0 1.31 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-25 | Bayard, Morrill County | EF0 1.86 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-18 | Broadwater, Morrill County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-07 | Broadwater, Morrill County | EF0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-07 | Bayard, Morrill County | EF1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $81K |
| 2009-06-10 | Bayard, Morrill County | EF0 3.72 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-04-23 | Bridgeport, Morrill County | EF1 1.5 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $411K |
| 2003-05-03 | Bayard, Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-03 | Bayard, Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-03 | Angora, Morrill County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
| 2000-07-05 | Redington, Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-27 | Redington, Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-07-02 | Bridgeport, Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-20 | Bridgeport, Morrill County | F1 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-08-02 | Bridgeport, Morrill County | F0 50 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-05 | Bridgeport, Morrill County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 1996-06-05 | Alliance, Morrill County | F0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-07-06 | To 9 Ne, Morrill County | F2 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
| 1994-06-08 | Bridgeport, Morrill County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-07-11 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-18 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1990-05-13 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1990-05-13 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1990-05-13 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1989-06-25 | Morrill County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1989-06-25 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1988-08-09 | Morrill County | F1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-06-03 | Morrill County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-05-29 | Morrill County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-06-14 | Morrill County | F1 4.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-08-31 | Morrill County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1977-08-24 | Morrill County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1977-08-07 | Morrill County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1976-07-30 | Morrill County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-07-09 | Morrill County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-07-03 | Morrill County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-07-09 | Morrill County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1968-07-26 | Morrill County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1966-06-04 | Morrill County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-06-13 | Morrill County | F2 8.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-08-15 | Morrill County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1960-05-24 | Morrill County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-06-01 | Morrill County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-06-27 | Morrill County | F4 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-08-08 | Morrill County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Morrill County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 26, 2026 flash flood ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Flash FloodBridgeport, Morrill County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-06-26 | Flash FloodBridgeport, Morrill County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-06-21 | HailBroadwater, Morrill County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindMorrill County · forecast zone Morrill | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-16 | High WindMorrill County · forecast zone Morrill | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindBroadwater, Morrill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | HailBayard, Morrill County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | HailBroadwater, Morrill County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | HailBroadwater, Morrill County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | HailBroadwater, Morrill County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-28 | HailBonner, Morrill County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-22 | HailBridgeport, Morrill County | 2.25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-01-20 | Winter WeatherMorrill County · forecast zone Morrill A thin layer of ice caused a rollover accident on highway 385 a quarter of a mile south of the Box Butte county line. The 39 year old driver of the car lost control on the ice and drove into the east ditch and rolled the vehicle. The driver and a passenger were both ejected. The driver sustained a broken collar bone ... | 0 | 2 | $4K | |
| 1997-12-27 | BlizzardMorrill County · forecast zone Morrill Ground blizzard conditions were created by strong winds blowing over freshly fallen snow. Visibility of only 8 feet was reported on Nebraska highway 20 from Chadron east to Sheridan County at approximately 2100. Highway 71 was closed between Kimball and Gering, and Interstate 80 were closed in the vicinity of Kimball ... | 0 | 1 | $6K | |
| 1994-07-06 | TornadoTo 9 Ne, Morrill County A tornado destroyed three homes and damaged two others as it moved northeast. One person was injured. The tornado also killed three horses, damaged an airplane, downed power lines and damaged crops in the area. Storm damage totals were around $570 thousands. | F2 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-07-06 | TornadoTo 9 Ne, Morrill County | F2 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
| 2017-06-12 | TornadoBayard, Morrill County | EF2 23.63 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.0M |
| 1997-06-02 | Flash FloodCountywide, Morrill County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2008-04-23 | HailBridgeport, Morrill County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1999-06-27 | HailBridgeport, Morrill County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $886K |
| 2010-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindBridgeport, Morrill County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $474K |
| 2008-04-23 | TornadoBridgeport, Morrill County | EF1 1.5 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $411K |
| 2003-05-03 | TornadoAngora, Morrill County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
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: August 8, 1951 (tornado, Morrill County); May 24, 1960 (tornado, Morrill County); August 24, 1977 (tornado, Morrill 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 Morrill 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 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 32 | 86 | 84 | 59 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 47 | 10 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 10 | 40 z | 17 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 4 | 29 | 12 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 17 | 5 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 40 records against 10 in the decade before, 40 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 Morrill 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?
58% of its hail reports since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 18 · Feb 22 · Mar 20 · Apr 38 · May 85 · Jun 165 · Jul 120 · Aug 62 · Sep 31 · Oct 12 · Nov 13 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morrill County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Morrill County: 13 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (10) and fire (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4920 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2026-03-13 | FM-5623 | Fire | Morrill-Cottonwood Fire |
| 2024-05-24 | DR-4786 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2017-08-01 | DR-4325 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-06-18 | EM-3323 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1878 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2009-07-31 | DR-1853 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2008-06-20 | DR-1770 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-05-30 | DR-1765 | 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 |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1373 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
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 Morrill County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morrill County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $3.4M | 83 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $298K | 45 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $98K | once in about 637 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $78K | once in about 34 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $51K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $682K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $132K | 1.5 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 Morrill 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 Morrill CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morrill County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis