Morrow County, Oregon
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 41049 · population 12,173 · 2,031 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 385 records for Morrow County, Oregon from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 270 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (121 records). 320 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 November 3, 2011 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1964, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Battle Mountain Fire Complex” on July 21, 2024.
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
- 385on 270 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 419 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $9.3Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 2024
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 Morrow County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 121 since 2000. 60% of its winter storm records since 2000 fell in December and January. The rank column places the county among Oregon'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 | 121 | 92 | 2000-2024 | 3 | 4 | $26K | 22 of 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | 108 | 74 | 1999-2024 | 1 | 8 | $3.8M | 21 of 36 |
| Wildfires | 32 | 32 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 3 | $2.3M | 13 of 36 |
| Hail | 31 | 24 | 1957-2015 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 6 of 36 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 16 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 36 |
| Heat | 25 | 14 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 16 | 8 | 1982-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 21 of 36 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 2005-2023 | 0 | 0 | $224K | 26 of 36 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 2001-2010 | 0 | 3 | $17K | 13 of 36 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 3 | 1998-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 36 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 1 | $240K | 20 of 36 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 2006-2011 | 0 | 0 | $30K | 19 of 36 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 36 |
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 Morrow County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Morrow County from 2006 to 2011, the strongest rated F1, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Morrow County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2: 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 Oregon.
Every tornado record filed for Morrow County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-14 | Lexington, Morrow County | EF0 0.16 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $656 |
| 2006-05-19 | Boardman, Morrow County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
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 Morrow County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 17, 2015 dust storm (1 death).
A multi-car pile up from a dust storm on I-84 resulted in some injuries and a fatality.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 603455)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-13 | WildfireMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-12 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGilliam County and 5 more · forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-11-17 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-09-15 | Thunderstorm WindBoardman, Morrow County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-06-11 | WildfireMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2012-07-17 | HailLexington, Morrow County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-11-03 | Winter WeatherMorrow County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-04-14 | TornadoLexington, Morrow County | EF0 0.16 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $656 |
| 2010-05-03 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindMunley, Morrow County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $480K |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 3 | $732K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-11-03 | Winter WeatherMorrow County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains Low pressure moving along a stalled cold front brought heavy snowfall to higher elevations of Grant County. Snowfall amounts in inches included 7 miles east southeast of John Day (6) and Blue Mountain Spring SnoTel (5). A car accident on slushy Highway 395 between Mount Vernon and Fox claimed two lives. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-11-24 | Winter StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Snow and ice covered roads contributed to a two car accident that lead to one fatality. This accident occurred at 2:45 pm at a location 2 miles east of Irrigon on Highway 730. | 1 | 3 | $26K | |
| 2015-11-17 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin A multi-car pile up from a dust storm on I-84 resulted in some injuries and a fatality. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-09-25 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains Blowing dust contributed to an eight vehicle accident on State Highway 11 ten miles northeast of Pendleton. Windy conditions, combined with loose topsoil from a freshly plowed field, created blowing dust that locally reduced visibilities to less than 100 feet. A series of chain reaction collisions occurred as vehicles ... | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin On the east side of Arlington, a person operating a weed trimmer fell and the hot exhaust from the weed trimmer touched and ignited dry vegetation. West winds gusting 25 to 30 mph helped spread the resulting wildfire across 1500 acres. Two homes and 3 vehicles were destroyed and two fire engines were damaged. Three ... | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2002-11-27 | Dense FogGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Freezing fog created icy road conditions on Interstate 84 near Stanfield, which led to a roll-over accident. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2010-05-03 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin A tight pressure gradient combined with a cold frontal passage to produce widespread high winds and damage. Blowing dust in the Columbia Basin reduced visibility to near zero around Stanfield, Pendleton, and between Lexington and Hermiston. The blowing dust caused traffic accidents with an injury near Stanfield on ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2005-01-11 | Winter WeatherGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains Light freezing drizzle in the Blue Mountain Foothills of Oregon led to extremely icy roadways on interstate 84. The icy roadways led to nine ice-related crashes. One car spun out of control on an icy stretch, and struck an officer attending to a rollover accident, resulting in one direct injury. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-01-04 | High WindMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2006-05-19 | HailBoardman, Morrow County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2013-06-11 | WildfireMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2006-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindBoardman, Morrow County | 102 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $732K |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2008-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindMunley, Morrow County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $480K |
| 2000-12-14 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 2002-06-09 | High WindGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | $266K |
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 Morrow 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 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 41 | 57 | 23 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 61 | 33 | 13 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 1 | 14 | 15 | 2 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 0 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 9 | 12 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 3 | 13 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% of its winter storm records since 2000 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 58 · Feb 41 · Mar 18 · Apr 20 · May 21 · Jun 23 · Jul 40 · Aug 23 · Sep 15 · Oct 18 · Nov 44 · Dec 64 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morrow County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Morrow County: 5 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (2) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-21 | FM-5514 | Fire | Battle Mountain Fire Complex |
| 2024-07-18 | FM-5511 | Fire | Lone Rock Fire |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4499 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3429 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3228 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-19 | DR-1510 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1997-01-23 | DR-1160 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land and Mudslides, Flooding |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1099 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1977-04-29 | EM-3039 | Drought | Drought |
| 1964-12-24 | DR-184 | 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 Morrow County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 8 flood or flash flood records for Morrow County from 2005 to 2023, on 8 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Morrow County ranks 2436th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $16,000 on 8 claims filed in Morrow County; the most in one year was 3 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1982: 3 · 2005: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2016: 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 Morrow County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morrow County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.4 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 Moderate | $2.0M | once in about 147 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $383K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $7K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $405K | 5.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $51K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $175K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $494K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Morrow 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 OregonEvery Oregon tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in OregonThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Oregon recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Morrow CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morrow County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis