Stanton County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31167 · population 5,834 · 428 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 487 records for Stanton County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 357 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (120 records). The deadliest single record is the June 16, 2014 tornado: 1 death, 20 injuries and $15.3 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1967, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on March 21, 2019.
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
- 487on 357 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 130 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $59Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 2020
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 Stanton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 120 since 1955. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 120 | 87 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.1M | 19 of 93 |
| Hail | 115 | 80 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $955K | 62 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 69 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 7 | – | 30 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 54 | 54 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 25 | 1954-2026 | 1 | 21 | $55M | 14 of 93 |
| Floods | 27 | 23 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 16 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15K | 31 of 93 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 93 |
| Heat | 13 | 13 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 93 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 93 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 1 | – | 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 Stanton County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Stanton County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated EF4, with 1 death and 21 injuries recorded in the county. That is 14th 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 Stanton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 9 people, 1 of them in Stanton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-05-30 20:00, as SPC files it | Newman Grove to Hoskins | F4 | 29.9 mi | 6 |
| 2014-06-16 15:00, as SPC files it | Pilger | EF4 | 23.94 mi | 1 |
| 2014-06-16 15:13, as SPC files it | Pilger | EF4 | 11.5 mi | 1 |
| 1954-06-17 19:45, as SPC files it | Thurston | F3 | 23.6 mi | 1 |
| 2014-06-16 14:42, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF4 | 12.11 mi | 0 |
| 1975-05-06 13:45, as SPC files it | Stanton | F3 | 15.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Stanton County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Stanton County | EF0 1.06 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-15 | Pilger, Stanton County | EF0 1.07 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-15 | Pilger, Stanton County | EF0 0.08 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-15 | Stanton County | EF1 2.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Stanton County | EF1 0.49 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-10-03 | Pilger, Stanton County | EF1 0.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-12 | Stanton County | EF1 5.08 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-12 | Stanton County | EF1 2.79 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-12 | Stanton County | EF1 4.98 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-12 | Stanton County | EF1 8.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-18 | Pilger, Stanton County | EF0 0.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-16 | Pilger, Stanton County | EF1 0.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $424K |
| 2014-06-16 | Stanton County | EF0 1.25 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-16 | Pilger, Stanton County | EF1 1.11 mi x 280 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2014-06-16 | Stanton County | EF4 8.05 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 20 | $15M |
| 2014-06-16 | Stanton County | EF4 12.11 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.8M |
| 2013-10-04 | Stanton County | EF0 4.71 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-20 | Stanton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-20 | Stanton County | F1 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-04 | Stanton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-23 | Stanton County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-20 | Stanton County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 1994-10-17 | Stanton County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 1991-06-04 | Stanton County | F1 2.5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-06-04 | Stanton County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-04 | Stanton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-06-17 | Stanton County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-06-13 | Stanton County | F1 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1981-07-19 | Stanton County | F1 3.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-06-06 | Stanton County | F1 0.4 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1977-05-04 | Stanton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1975-05-06 | Stanton County | F3 15.9 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1967-06-13 | Stanton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-06-13 | Stanton County | F2 62.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-07-02 | Stanton County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1954-06-17 | Stanton County | F3 17.9 mi x 163 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-05-30 | Stanton County | F4 5.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 Stanton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 16, 2017 tornado ($424,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
This is a continuation of the tornado that was in Wayne County. The tornado continued moving east-southeastward. Several sheds and barns were damaged or flattened by the tornado during the end of the tornado's path.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 708706)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | TornadoStanton County | EF0 1.06 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | HailPilger, Stanton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | HailStanton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindStanton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-03 | DroughtStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | High WindStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-09 | High WindStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-25 | High WindStanton County · forecast zone Stanton | 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoStanton County This tornado developed about 5.5 miles southwest of the town of Pilger and moved directly northeast directly striking the town. The tornado did violent damage within the town of Pilger. Nearly 75 percent of the structures in the town received some damage, while structures near the center of the tornado were completely ... | EF4 8.05 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 20 | $15M |
| 2010-02-14 | Winter WeatherStanton County · forecast zone Stanton Snow, mostly light, combined with northwest winds which increased to 25 to 45 mph with an occasional gust around 50 mph. This brought widespread blowing and drifting snow and poor visibilities beginning on 2/14 and continuing into the 15th. These conditions briefly dropped below 1/4 mile for an hour or two during the ... | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2012-03-26 | WildfireStanton County · forecast zone Stanton Several controlled burns that got out of hand due to south winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts over 45 mph burned over 400 acres in Stanton county. The largest fire burned around 360 acres north of Highway 32 and embers spread to a nearby barn destroying it and the heavy farm equipment inside. A firefighter was taken to ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2010-12-15 | Winter WeatherStanton County · forecast zone Stanton Freezing rain was followed by a period of light snow during the afternoon of 12/15. Although amounts were very light, the slick conditions caused several accidents across the county including one serious injury when a van rolled over. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2006-03-30 | Thunderstorm WindPilger, Stanton County Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 to 70 mph overturned a semi-trailer truck on Highway 15 north of Pilger injuring the driver. | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $240K |
| 1975-05-06 | TornadoStanton County | F3 15.9 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoStanton County | EF4 8.05 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 20 | $15M |
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoStanton County | EF4 12.11 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.8M |
| 2017-06-16 | TornadoPilger, Stanton County | EF1 0.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $424K |
| 1995-07-19 | HailPilger, Stanton County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | $387K |
| 2006-03-30 | Thunderstorm WindPilger, Stanton County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $240K |
| 2004-04-18 | HailStanton County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 1995-07-19 | Hail1s Norfolk, Stanton County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $108K |
| 2001-10-09 | Thunderstorm WindStanton County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $83K |
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, Stanton 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 Stanton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 30 | 24 | 19 | 28 |
| Hail | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 27 | 22 | 13 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 12 | 17 | 19 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 7 | 12 | 3 |
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 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 48 · Feb 35 · Mar 24 · Apr 39 · May 63 · Jun 87 · Jul 69 · Aug 35 · Sep 24 · Oct 14 · Nov 12 · Dec 37 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Stanton County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Stanton County: 17 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (8) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2014-07-24 | DR-4183 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1991-05-28 | DR-908 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-07-04 | DR-873 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1984-07-03 | DR-716 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1971-07-07 | DR-308 | Flood | Floods |
| 1971-02-23 | DR-303 | Flood | Floods |
| 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 Stanton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Stanton County from 1997 to 2024, on 23 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Stanton County ranks 2636th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $153,000 on 4 claims filed in Stanton County; the most in one year was 1 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2008: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2019: 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 Stanton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Stanton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.5 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 Moderate | $1.2M | 6.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $628K | 35 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $195K | once in about 786 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $73K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $970K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $401K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $38K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $381K | 6.1 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 Stanton 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in NebraskaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Stanton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Stanton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis