Saline County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31151 · population 14,291 · 574 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 737 records for Saline County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 460 days; the most frequent are hail reports (295 records). The most damaging was the May 6, 2015 flood ($125 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1967, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on October 22, 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
- 737on 460 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 08 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $227Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Saline County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 295 since 1956. 58% of its hail reports since 1956 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 | 295 | 160 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $22M | 12 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 158 | 101 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 27 of 93 |
| Floods | 79 | 67 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $134M | 4 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 74 | 71 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | 47 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 32 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 23 | 1952-2024 | 0 | 8 | $49M | 43 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 23 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $70K | 65 of 93 |
| Heat | 22 | 22 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 93 |
| Drought | 16 | 16 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 2004-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2010-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 93 |
| Lightning | 3 | 2 | 1997-2006 | 0 | 0 | $140K | 34 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 Saline County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Saline County from 1952 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 8 injuries recorded in the county. That is 43rd 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 Saline 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 7 people, 0 of them in Saline County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-05-09 21:45, as SPC files it | Belvidere to Milford | F3 | 46.9 mi | 5 |
| 2004-05-22 18:30, as SPC files it | Wilber to Hickman | F4 | 54 mi | 1 |
| 1957-04-25 18:00, as SPC files it | Omaha | F4 | 89.8 mi | 1 |
| 1992-06-15 19:55, as SPC files it | Milligan to Milford | F3 | 21 mi | 0 |
| 1965-05-08 16:40, as SPC files it | Hebron | F3 | 40.1 mi | 0 |
| 1956-04-28 01:15, as SPC files it | Alexandria to De Witt | F3 | 39.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Saline County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-01 | Dorchester, Saline County | EF0 0.26 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Dorchester, Saline County | EF2 7.23 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-30 | Friend, Saline County | EF1 1.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-30 | Western, Saline County | EF0 0.24 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-30 | Friend, Saline County | EF0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-11 | Western, Saline County | EF1 9.7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Western, Saline County | EF1 18.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-22 | Western, Saline County | F2 20 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 8 | $31M |
| 2002-04-27 | Crete, Saline County | F1 4.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-13 | Western, Saline County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-16 | Saline County | F0 0.1 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-15 | Saline County | F3 19 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-06-02 | Saline County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-06-24 | Saline County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-06-14 | Saline County | F2 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-05-30 | Saline County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1977-06-17 | Saline County | F1 1.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-06-18 | Saline County | F1 1.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-05-25 | Saline County | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-04-27 | Saline County | F1 32.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-06-11 | Saline County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-06-08 | Saline County | F2 12.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-07-11 | Saline County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1957-05-20 | Saline County | F2 23.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-06-26 | Saline County | F2 2.7 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 Saline County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 5, 2026 flash flood ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindSwanton, Saline County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindWestern, Saline County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindWilber Municipal Airport, Saline County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-05 | HailSwanton, Saline County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-05 | HailSwanton, Saline County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-05 | Funnel CloudSwanton, Saline County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-05 | Flash FloodDe Witt, Saline County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | HailFriend, Saline County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | HailFriend, Saline County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindCrete, Saline County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindFriend, Saline County | 52 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-22 | TornadoWestern, Saline County See description below | F2 20 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 8 | $31M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-06 | FloodShestak, Saline County | 0 | 0 | $125M | |
| 2004-05-22 | TornadoWestern, Saline County | F2 20 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 8 | $31M |
| 1994-07-01 | HailFriend, Saline County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $20M |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindFriend, Saline County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16M |
| 2015-05-07 | FloodCrete, Saline County | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | |
| 1997-10-25 | Heavy SnowSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2009-06-06 | HailSwanton, Saline County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2001-04-20 | Thunderstorm WindFriend, Saline County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $833K |
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: June 2, 1989 (tornado, Saline County); June 15, 1992 (tornado, Saline 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 Saline 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 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 24 | 142 | 72 | 24 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 56 | 31 | 43 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 31 | 33 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 29 | 27 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
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 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 34 · Mar 34 · Apr 58 · May 135 · Jun 200 · Jul 78 · Aug 65 · Sep 26 · Oct 29 · Nov 10 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Saline County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Saline County: 19 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-22 | DR-4896 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4868 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-06-17 | DR-4179 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2007-06-06 | DR-1706 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1373 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1997-11-01 | DR-1190 | Severe Storm | Severe Snow Storms, Rain, and Strong Winds |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1984-07-03 | DR-716 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-04-08 | DR-500 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storms & High Winds |
| 1973-10-20 | DR-406 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Saline County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 79 flood or flash flood records for Saline County from 1996 to 2026, on 67 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Saline County ranks 953rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.1 million on 194 claims filed in Saline County; the most in one year was 86 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 3 · 1984: 34 · 1986: 34 · 1987: 5 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 13 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 86 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 6; 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 Saline County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Saline County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | $2.5M | 8 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.4M | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $362K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $756K | 24 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $168K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $151K | once in about 1,883 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $205K | 45 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 Saline 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 Saline CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Saline County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis