Washington County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31177 · population 20,857 · 390 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 699 records for Washington County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 430 days; the most frequent are hail reports (163 records). The deadliest single record is the December 7, 2009 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Douglas, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1971, 22 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
- 699on 430 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1164 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $86Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Washington County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 163 since 1960. 48% of its hail reports since 1960 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 | 163 | 111 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 10 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 151 | 93 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 0 | $26M | 8 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 138 | 100 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 5 | $8.2M | 7 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 72 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 1 | $1.4M | 7 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $139K | 13 of 93 |
| Heat | 42 | 27 | 1999-2025 | 1 | 55 | $4.5M | 4 of 93 |
| Floods | 38 | 33 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $9.9M | 10 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 19 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 3 | $20M | 25 of 93 |
| Drought | 19 | 12 | 1999-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 93 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1996-1998 | 0 | 0 | $93K | 17 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 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 Washington County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Washington County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated EF4, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 25th 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Washington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-26 14:30, as SPC files it | Waterloo to BenningtonCrossed IA, NE | EF4 | 31.89 mi | 0 |
| 2025-04-17 17:55, as SPC files it | Bennington | EF3 | 8.12 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Washington County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-17 | Nashville, Washington County | EF2 4.24 mi x 170 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-24 | Blair, Washington County | EF0 1.77 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-24 | Orum, Washington County | EF0 3.37 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Washington County | EF4 10.44 mi x 1,900 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2016-09-15 | Ft Calhoun, Washington County | EF0 0.06 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-08-23 | Washington County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-08-23 | Washington County | EF0 0.19 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-20 | Kennard, Washington County | EF1 7.33 mi x 850 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-29 | Blair Airport, Washington County | EF1 0.67 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-29 | Talbasta, Washington County | EF1 1.85 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-31 | Herman, Washington County | EF1 1 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2001-04-22 | Arlington, Washington County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
| 1999-04-08 | Arlington, Washington County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1996-06-20 | Arlington, Washington County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $564K |
| 1990-08-02 | Washington County | F1 2.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-08-02 | Washington County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-04-08 | Washington County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1977-08-20 | Washington County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step | |
| 1968-06-24 | Washington County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-05-30 | Washington County | F1 0.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1956-05-10 | Washington County | F1 9.4 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-06-04 | Washington County | F0 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-06-07 | Washington County | F2 4.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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 Washington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 9, 2025 thunderstorm wind (2 injuries and $2.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
A damaging wind event swept across Washington County, Nebraska, during the morning hours of August 9th, 2025, with a path of damage extending from the southwest to the eastern portion of the county. Measured wind reports indicated damaging wind speeds, with a maximum measured gust of 86 miles per hour reported by a public station 1 mile south-southeast of Blair. Widespread measured gusts throughout the county ranged from 58 miles per hour (recorded at the Blair Municipal AWOS) to 70 miles per hour. However, the severity of the damage suggested straight-line winds were considerably higher, with the peak estimated wind speed reaching 110 miles per hour 1 mile south-southeast of Blair, where a building roof collapse was reported. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1290168)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindKennard, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-15 | HailSpiker, Washington County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailKennard, Washington County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter WeatherWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-10 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-28 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | High WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-12-07 | Winter StormDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas Snowfall of 8 to 12 inches fell across much of the county from this storm with a little over 12 inches measured at the NWS office in Valley, 9.4 inches measured at Omaha Eppley and around 10.5 inches measured in Bennington and at Boystown. The snow began during the late evening of 12/7 and continued into the early ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-27 | HeatDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas One of the first prolonged heat-wave episodes of the season sent around 45 people to local hospitals in the Omaha area due to heat exhaustion. The heat was also apparently responsible for one death as a Council Bluffs Iowa man was found dead after crashing his vehicle into a construction zone and then attempting to ... | 1 | 45 | – | |
| 2013-03-10 | BlizzardWashington County · forecast zone Washington Area automated observations indicated winds of 40 to 45 mph were common from late morning and into the afternoon hours on the 10th. The combination of the winds and heavy falling snow resulted in considerable blowing and drifting snow and very low visibilities for several hours. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-06-01 | FloodBlair Airport, Washington County Flooding along the Missouri River gradually worsened during June as record releases from Gavins Point Dam brought widespread flooding along the river. The river near Blair climbed to around its 26.5 foot flood stage late in May, and then steadily rose into mid to late June climbing to a little over 32 feet during the ... | 1 | 0 | $722K | |
| 2010-05-22 | Strong WindDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas Sustained south winds of 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph caused a large tree limb to fall onto a 7-year-old boy killing him in midtown Omaha. | 35 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2010-01-07 | Cold/Wind ChillDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas Arctic air spilled into the region dropping temperatures to 5 below to 10 below zero. Although winds had decreased into the 15 to 25 mph range, they still produced wind chill values of 20 below to 30 below zero during much of this time period. Temperatures moderated slightly by midday on the 8th as winds continued to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-01-06 | Winter WeatherDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas Although the accumulating snow had ended by this time, sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts to 40 mph continued to cause areas of blowing snow along with substantial drifting snow. Visibilities occasionally fell below 1 mile and the persistent drifting snow kept many roads and highways drifted shut at least ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-01-05 | Cold/Wind ChillDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas Bitterly cold temperatures followed a winter storm that struck parts of southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa a few days prior. Temperatures fell to zero or a little colder by 700 pm on the 5th and bottomed out between 5 below and 10 below zero over much of the region during the early morning hours on the 6th. When ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-25 | Heavy SnowDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2004-05-22 | HailBlair, Washington County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $16M |
| 1999-08-06 | Flash FloodArlington, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $7.1M | |
| 2002-10-01 | Thunderstorm WindFt Calhoun, Washington County | 90 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $4.9M |
| 2005-07-22 | HeatDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | $4.5M | |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindWashington County | 96 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $2.7M |
| 1996-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillDouglas County and Washington County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2001-04-22 | TornadoArlington, Washington County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
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: August 20, 1977 (tornado, Washington County); August 2, 1990 (tornado, Washington 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 Washington 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 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 44 | 48 | 27 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 68 | 45 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 19 | 30 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 23 | 28 | 15 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 7 | 26 z | 7 |
Heat in the 2010s: 26 records against 7 in the decade before, 26 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Washington County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 78 · Feb 68 · Mar 55 · Apr 79 · May 83 · Jun 103 · Jul 69 · Aug 45 · Sep 29 · Oct 16 · Nov 15 · Dec 59 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Washington County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Washington County: 21 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (6).
| 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 |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4822 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4808 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-05-03 | DR-4778 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4641 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-09-06 | DR-4616 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2014-07-28 | DR-4185 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-08-12 | DR-4013 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-06-18 | EM-3323 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1878 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1999-08-20 | DR-1286 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1997-11-01 | DR-1190 | Severe Storm | Severe Snow Storms, Rain, and Strong Winds |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-998 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1990-07-04 | DR-873 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1984-07-03 | DR-716 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1978-03-24 | DR-552 | Flood | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1971-02-23 | DR-303 | Flood | Floods |
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 Washington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 38 flood or flash flood records for Washington County from 1996 to 2025, on 33 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Washington County ranks 1060th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.2 million on 159 claims filed in Washington County; the most in one year was 36 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1984: 13 · 1990: 4 · 1993: 20 · 1996: 27 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 4 · 1999: 9 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 36 · 2012: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 18 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 3; 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 Washington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.1 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 | $1.4M | 6.7 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $852K | 25 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.7M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $839K | once in about 637 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $15K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $156K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $834K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $943K | 5.1 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 Washington 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 Washington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Washington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis