Platte County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31141 · population 34,261 · 675 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 739 records for Platte County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 464 days; the most frequent are hail reports (239 records). The deadliest day on its record was March 13, 2019: flood records filed for Platte County that day count 2 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1966, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds” on May 21, 2025.
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
- 739on 464 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 421 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $72Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 36strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 2025
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 Platte County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 239 since 1962. 46% of its hail reports since 1962 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 | 239 | 151 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $23M | 33 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 190 | 116 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $874K | 31 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 76 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 2 | $4.7M | 54 of 93 |
| Floods | 58 | 43 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $5.4M | 14 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 49 | 49 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 37 | 35 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $212K | 49 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 30 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 19 | $37M | 32 of 93 |
| Drought | 18 | 18 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 93 |
| Heat | 18 | 18 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 10 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 2 | 2010-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 93 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1997-1998 | 0 | 0 | $60K | 18 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 Platte County had?
NOAA records 36 tornadoes in Platte County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 19 injuries recorded in the county. That is 32nd 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 37 tornadoes whose track touched Platte County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 36: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 6 people, 0 of them in Platte County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-05-30 20:00, as SPC files it | Newman Grove to Hoskins | F4 | 29.9 mi | 6 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Platte County (36)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-24 | Columbus Airport, Platte County | EF1 1.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-24 | Tarnov, Platte County | EF1 9.87 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Creston, Platte County | EF1 4.79 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | Creston, Platte County | EF0 2.91 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-16 | Platte Center, Platte County | EF0 8.44 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-12 | Rosenburg, Platte County | EFU 0.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Columbus, Platte County | EF2 2.72 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Platte Center, Platte County | EF1 0.79 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-24 | St Bernard, Platte County | EF2 0.75 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2003-07-20 | Duncan, Platte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-20 | Platte Center, Platte County | F1 1.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-10-09 | Duncan, Platte County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-29 | Humphrey, Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-17 | Creston, Platte County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-23 | Duncan, Platte County | F1 2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-23 | Columbus, Platte County | F2 6 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 17 | $8.1M |
| 1996-07-16 | Monroe, Platte County | F0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 1990-06-16 | Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-06-12 | Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-06-12 | Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-05-19 | Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1986-07-24 | Platte County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-06-17 | Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-14 | Platte County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-10-30 | Platte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-05-26 | Platte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-06-06 | Platte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1969-08-06 | Platte County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1969-07-16 | Platte County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-06-22 | Platte County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-06-13 | Platte County | F1 1.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-08 | Platte County | F2 24 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-07-19 | Platte County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-06-13 | Platte County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-05-30 | Platte County | F4 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1953-07-26 | Platte County | F1 9.9 mi x 33 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 Platte County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 24, 2025 dense fog (1 death).
Dense fog reduced visibility to near 0 across portions of Platte County. The Platte County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol reported fog was present at a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident along Highway 81 west of Columbus at approximately 6:30 AM CST on December 24th. A northbound driver pulled over to check on a trailer they were towing and while standing outside their vehicle, was struck by a northbound vehicle. The crash resulted in one fatality (indirect).
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1304670)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindCreston, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindCreston, Platte County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindDuncan, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindPlatte Center, Platte County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | HailCreston, Platte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | HailTarnov, Platte County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | HailPlatte Center, Platte County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-03 | DroughtPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter StormPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-24 | Dense FogPlatte County · forecast zone Platte Dense fog reduced visibility to near 0 across portions of Platte County. The Platte County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol reported fog was present at a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident along Highway 81 west of Columbus at approximately 6:30 AM CST on December 24th. A northbound driver pulled over to check ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-03-13 | FloodPlatte Center, Platte County This is for flooding along the Shell Creek. The river gage near Columbus, operated by the USGS, peaked at 22.21 feet at 7:30 am on March 14th. Major flood stage is 22 feet. Preliminary data shows that this peak is the 2nd highest on record. US Highway 81 was flooded over from high waters from Shell Creek. Much rural ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-03-13 | FloodMonroe, Platte County This is for flooding along the Loup River. The river gage at Columbus, operated by the Nebraska DNR, peaked at 19.39 feet at 5 am on March 15th. Major flood stage is 20 feet. Preliminary this peak is the 2nd highest on record. This flooding caused substantial damage to the area, specifically on the river side of the ... | 1 | 0 | $508K | |
| 2009-12-24 | Winter StormPlatte County · forecast zone Platte A prolonged winter storm/blizzard hit the area closing many roads and highways and bringing most traffic to a standstill for a few days. Snowfall from the storm began Christmas Eve morning and lasted well into the 26th with substantial blowing and drifting snow and occasional periods of accumulating snow finally ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-06-23 | TornadoColumbus, Platte County Two farm houses destroyed. Six farm houses severely damaged. One house blown off foundation. Bar destroyed. Center pivots overturned. Severe crop damage. | F2 6 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 17 | $8.1M |
| 2024-01-18 | Winter StormPlatte County · forecast zone Platte Snow began falling across the county shortly after noon on the 18th. Periods of light snow and blowing snow brought visibilities down to 1 mile through the afternoon hours. Around 4 pm, a snow squall with winds up to 45 miles per hour and white-out conditions moved through the county from west to east. On Highway 91 ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-12-15 | TornadoColumbus, Platte County A narrow, fast-moving, tornado began in the parking lot of a business along Howard Blvd where it tipped over a semi trailer and proceeded to cause roof, siding, fence, and tree damage. Approximately one block later, it caused the worst damage of the entire track where an attached garage and entire roof were removed ... | EF2 2.72 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-05-15 | HailColumbus, Platte County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 1996-07-16 | HailMonroe, Platte County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $9.8M |
| 1998-06-23 | TornadoColumbus, Platte County | F2 6 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 17 | $8.1M |
| 2006-12-30 | Winter StormPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 1996-07-16 | Flash FloodColumbus, Platte County | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2019-03-13 | FloodMonroe, Platte County | 1 | 0 | $508K | |
| 2003-08-18 | Thunderstorm WindColumbus, Platte County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $481K |
| 2008-05-29 | Flash FloodLindsay, Platte County | 0 | 0 | $343K |
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: May 30, 1954 (tornado, Platte 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 Platte 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 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 79 | 56 | 58 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 18 | 40 | 55 | 46 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 30 | 22 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 19 | 21 | 8 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 12 | 16 | 15 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its hail reports since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 51 · Feb 37 · Mar 30 · Apr 55 · May 126 · Jun 162 · Jul 116 · Aug 57 · Sep 27 · Oct 22 · Nov 16 · Dec 40 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Platte County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Platte County: 21 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4868 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4808 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4641 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2017-08-01 | DR-4325 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-04-21 | DR-1902 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2003-07-21 | DR-1480 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-04-02 | DR-983 | Flood | Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1990-07-04 | DR-873 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1978-03-24 | DR-552 | Flood | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1976-04-08 | DR-500 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storms & High Winds |
| 1971-02-23 | DR-303 | Flood | Floods |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-228 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1966-08-31 | DR-221 | 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 Platte County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 58 flood or flash flood records for Platte County from 1996 to 2025, on 43 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Platte County ranks 1384th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.5 million on 87 claims filed in Platte County; the most in one year was 13 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 4 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 10 · 1982: 7 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 2 · 1986: 2 · 1987: 2 · 1990: 4 · 1993: 7 · 1996: 2 · 1999: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 13 · 2010: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 13 · 2022: 2 · 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 Platte County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Platte County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $32.5 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 | $6.2M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.7M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $8.6M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $377K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $616K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 43 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.6M | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $10M | 1.4 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 Platte 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 Platte CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Platte County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis