Sheridan County, Wyoming
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 56033 · population 30,921 · 2,523 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 815 records for Sheridan County, Wyoming from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 536 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (298 records). 426 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 February 19, 2016 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Northeast Bighorn Mountains, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1978, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Elk Fire” on September 30, 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
- 815on 536 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 30 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.3Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 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 Sheridan County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 298 since 1997. The rank column places the county among Wyoming'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 | 298 | 218 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | $2K | 3 of 23 |
| Hail | 217 | 116 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $102K | 8 of 23 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 123 | 84 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 6 of 23 |
| High wind and dust storms | 115 | 102 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 23 |
| Floods | 25 | 23 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | $863K | 4 of 23 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 7 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 23 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 9 | 1953-2004 | 0 | 0 | $290K | 14 of 23 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 7 | 2007-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 23 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 23 |
| Drought | 2 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 23 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2016-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 of 23 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 1 | 0 | – | 13 of 23 |
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 Sheridan County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Sheridan County from 1953 to 2004, 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Sheridan County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10: 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 Wyoming.
Every tornado record filed for Sheridan County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-06-10 | Sheridan County | F0 3.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-06-28 | Sheridan County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-11 | Sheridan County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-06-15 | Sheridan County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-06-04 | Sheridan County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1976-06-04 | Sheridan County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1968-06-11 | Sheridan County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1968-06-07 | Sheridan County | F1 0.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-05-20 | Sheridan County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-05-29 | Sheridan County | F1 0.2 mi x 7 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 Sheridan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 19, 2016 avalanche (1 death).
A 39-year-old man from North Dakota was killed in an avalanche in the Big Horn National Forest. Deputies from the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Hunt Mountain Road area near U.S. Highway 14 West just after 12 pm. The man was snowmobiling when the avalanche occurred. According to the Sheridan County Coroner's Office, the avalanche knocked the man off his snowmobile and into a tree which resulted in the mans neck being fractured. The man was deceased when search and rescue arrived.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 613659)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | HailClearmont, Sheridan County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | HailVerona, Sheridan County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindBanner, Sheridan County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindSheridan Co Arp, Sheridan County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormSheridan County · forecast zone Sheridan Foothills | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormSheridan County · forecast zone Northeast Bighorn Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindSheridan County · forecast zone Northeast Bighorn Mountains | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindSheridan County · forecast zone Sheridan Foothills | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-16 | High WindSheridan County · forecast zone Sheridan Foothills | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-31 | High WindSheridan County · forecast zone Sheridan Foothills | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-15 | High WindSheridan County · forecast zone Sheridan Foothills | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindSheridan County · forecast zone Northeast Bighorn Mountains | 61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-02-19 | AvalancheSheridan County · forecast zone Northeast Bighorn Mountains A 39-year-old man from North Dakota was killed in an avalanche in the Big Horn National Forest. Deputies from the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Hunt Mountain Road area near U.S. Highway 14 West just after 12 pm. The man was snowmobiling when the avalanche occurred. According to the Sheridan ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-12-21 | Winter WeatherSheridan County · forecast zone Sheridan Foothills Icy roadways appeared to have played a role in a one-vehicle fatal crash two miles north of Ranchester on Interstate 90 in Sheridan County. According to Wyoming Highway Patrol, the victim died after being ejected from the vehicle she was in after the driver lost control of the car on the icy roadway. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-07-11 | LightningDayton, Sheridan County A Sheridan man died after being struck by lightning in the Big Horn Mountains. The man died at a Billings hospital from cardiac arrest, one day after the lightning strike. A U.S. Forest Service employee found the 63 year old man in an unresponsive state on a Forest Service road. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-20 | FloodParkman, Sheridan County | 0 | 0 | $682K |
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: May 20, 1961 (tornado, Sheridan 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 Sheridan 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 | – | – | – | – | 20 | 118 | 96 | 64 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 19 | 71 | 73 | 37 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 30 | 43 | 17 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 26 | 42 | 41 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 14 | 0 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Sheridan County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 54 · Feb 56 · Mar 58 · Apr 65 · May 98 · Jun 148 · Jul 122 · Aug 55 · Sep 24 · Oct 40 · Nov 47 · Dec 48 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sheridan County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Sheridan County: 3 major disasters, one emergency and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-30 | FM-5539 | Fire | Elk Fire |
| 2020-04-11 | DR-4535 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3479 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-07-22 | DR-4007 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2007-08-12 | FM-2719 | Fire | Little Goose Fire |
| 2003-11-20 | FM-2512 | Fire | Wy - Tongue River Wildfire - 11/19/2003 |
| 1978-05-29 | DR-557 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding & Mudslides |
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 Sheridan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Sheridan County from 1996 to 2019, on 23 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sheridan County ranks 1456th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $293,000 on 74 claims filed in Sheridan County; the most in one year was 12 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1981: 4 · 1984: 2 · 1986: 1 · 1991: 3 · 1995: 12 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2005: 4 · 2007: 7 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2015: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 11 · 2023: 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 Sheridan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sheridan County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.8 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 High | $608K | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | once in about 165 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $457K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $17M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $498K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $11K | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $649K | once in about 876 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Sheridan 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 WyomingEvery Wyoming tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in WyomingThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Wyoming recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Sheridan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sheridan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis