Wayne County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31179 · population 9,697 · 443 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 416 records for Wayne County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 336 days; the most frequent are hail reports (99 records). The deadliest single record is the July 19, 1999 heat, filed for the forecast zone Wayne, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $5.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1967, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds” on July 27, 2022.
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
- 416on 336 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 220 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $16Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2022
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 Wayne County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 99 since 1956. 53% 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 | 99 | 72 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 78 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 85 | 81 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 4 | – | 28 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 77 | 61 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $80K | 47 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 60 | 60 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 34 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 17 | 1953-2023 | 0 | 16 | $6.7M | 49 of 93 |
| Drought | 19 | 19 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 93 |
| Floods | 15 | 13 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 37 of 93 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2025 | 2 | 0 | $5.8M | 25 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 93 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | $25K | 47 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Wayne County from 1953 to 2023, the strongest rated EF4, with 0 deaths and 16 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 23 tornadoes whose track touched Wayne County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 8 people, 0 of them in Wayne 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 |
| 2014-06-16 15:40, as SPC files it | Wakefield | EF4 | 15.84 mi | 0 |
| 2013-10-04 16:12, as SPC files it | Wayne | EF4 | 18.34 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 Wayne County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-12 | Wayne County | EF0 0.73 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-12 | Wayne County | EF0 0.33 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-16 | Hoskins, Wayne County | EF0 1.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-16 | Altona, Wayne County | EF4 9.79 mi x 530 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 2014-06-16 | Altona, Wayne County | EF2 1.79 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $93K |
| 2014-06-16 | Altona, Wayne County | EF4 4.72 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2013-10-04 | Altona, Wayne County | EF4 10.77 mi x 2,429 yd | 0 | 15 | – |
| 2010-06-01 | Altona, Wayne County | EF0 1.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-21 | Wayne County | F1 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-30 | Wayne County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-27 | 2 S Wayne, Wayne County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1992-05-16 | Wayne County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-08 | Wayne County | F1 41.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-04-20 | Wayne County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-10-10 | Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1956-10-29 | Wayne County | F1 10.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-06-17 | Wayne County | F2 10.6 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-05-26 | Wayne County | F2 6.5 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-06-19 | Wayne County | F2 | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1953-05-09 | Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $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 Wayne County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 29, 2024 thunderstorm wind ($2,822 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Emergency management reported a powerline down in the town of Carroll.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1206755)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HailCarroll, Wayne County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | HailHoskins, Wayne County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | HailHoskins, Wayne County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindHoskins, Wayne County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | HailWayne Airport, Wayne County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | HailWayne County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-19 | HeatWayne County · forecast zone Wayne From July 19th through the 30th high temperatures over eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa reached 90 degrees or better all but a day or two, and even then highs were well into the 80s. In addition, overnight lows stayed mostly above 70 degrees. The high temperatures were accompanied by high humidities which caused ... | 2 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 2013-10-04 | TornadoAltona, Wayne County This violent tornado started 8 miles southwest of Wayne, Nebraska and flattened corn crops and tore off large limbs of some trees. Gaining strength as it headed northeast, the tornado struct a farmstead about 4.5 miles southwest of Wayne. Here barns and sheds were severely damaged or destroyed. The tornado became very ... | EF4 10.77 mi x 2,429 yd | 0 | 15 | – |
| 2010-12-11 | BlizzardWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Blizzard conditions developed over Wayne county during the morning hours of Dec. 11. Although snowfall was only an inch or two over most of the county...the snow combined with with northwest winds of 35 to 40 mph with gusts to 55 mph causing visibilities to frequently drop below 1/4 mile and to near zero at times. ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2011-01-09 | Winter StormWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Snowfall over most of the county was 8 to 10 inches with 10 inches reported in Wayne among the highest recorded. Most of this snow fell over a 24 hour period from early on 1/9 through early on 1/10 causing some closures of area schools on the 10th and 11th. Winds during most of the snowfall were 10 to 20 mph or less, ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1953-06-19 | TornadoWayne County | F2 | 0 | 1 | $3K 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-19 | HeatWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 2 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoAltona, Wayne County | EF4 9.79 mi x 530 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 2024-04-16 | Flash FloodWinside, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoAltona, Wayne County | EF4 4.72 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2019-03-13 | Flash FloodWayne County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoAltona, Wayne County | EF2 1.79 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $93K |
| 1995-05-27 | Tornado2 S Wayne, Wayne County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1997-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindNorfolk, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $7K |
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 9, 1953 (tornado, Wayne County); May 26, 1955 (tornado, Wayne County); October 29, 1956 (tornado, Wayne 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 Wayne 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 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 35 | 29 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 33 | 27 | 13 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 11 | 21 | 22 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 54 · Feb 35 · Mar 24 · Apr 34 · May 47 · Jun 73 · Jul 43 · Aug 32 · Sep 14 · Oct 9 · Nov 13 · Dec 38 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wayne County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Wayne County: 16 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-27 | DR-4662 | 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 |
| 2018-08-27 | DR-4387 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2017-08-01 | DR-4325 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2015-06-25 | DR-4225 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-07-24 | DR-4183 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-11-26 | DR-4156 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Winter Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1878 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1674 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-01-26 | DR-1627 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3245 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees |
| 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 15 flood or flash flood records for Wayne County from 1999 to 2024, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wayne County ranks 2590th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5,444 on 5 claims filed in Wayne County; the most in one year was 1 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2007: 1 · 2014: 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 Wayne County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.3 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 | $1.1M | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $988K | 38 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $925K | 4.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $164K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $53K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $476K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $553K | 6.7 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 Wayne 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 Wayne CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wayne County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis