Webster County, Nebraska
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 31181 · population 3,393 · 575 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 569 records for Webster County, Nebraska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 417 days; the most frequent are hail reports (175 records). The deadliest single record is the July 21, 1998 lightning: 1 death. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1973, 14 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
- 569on 417 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $238Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Webster County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 175 since 1959. 53% of its hail reports since 1959 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 | 175 | 115 | 1959-2024 | 0 | 0 | $72M | 50 of 93 |
| Winter storms | 127 | 126 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | 13 of 93 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 102 | 79 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $22M | 49 of 93 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 32 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 0 | $78M | 18 of 93 |
| Drought | 36 | 36 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $56M | 40 of 93 |
| High wind and dust storms | 34 | 32 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 39 of 93 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 15 | 2005-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 93 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $160K | 46 of 93 |
| Floods | 13 | 10 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | 58 of 93 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 93 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-1999 | 1 | 0 | $142K | 35 of 93 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2002-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 93 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 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 Webster County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Webster County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 18th 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 38 tornadoes whose track touched Webster County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-03-13 17:05, as SPC files it | York | F4 | 131 mi | 0 |
| 1985-05-10 18:00, as SPC files it | Riverton to Blue HillCrossed KS, NE | F4 | 56 mi | 0 |
| 1993-05-07 18:50, as SPC files it | Aurora | F3 | 75 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Nebraska.
Every tornado record filed for Webster County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-06 | Amboy, Webster County | EF0 7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2024-05-03 | Guide Rock, Webster County | EF0 4.72 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2024-04-16 | Cowles, Webster County | EF0 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Blue Hill, Webster County | EF1 2.2 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 2021-12-15 | Bladen, Webster County | EF0 7.27 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $436K |
| 2016-11-27 | Amboy, Webster County | EF1 3.79 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $184K |
| 2014-06-14 | Inavale, Webster County | EF0 0.27 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-10 | Inavale, Webster County | F1 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $937K |
| 2004-05-22 | Bladen, Webster County | F0 3.5 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $469K |
| 2002-05-05 | Guide Rock, Webster County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-11 | Red Cloud Airport, Webster County | F0 3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1996-05-22 | Inavale, Webster County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-07 | Red Cloud, Webster County | F1 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 1991-06-01 | Webster County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-06-01 | Webster County | F1 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-04-11 | Webster County | F2 5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-06-18 | Webster County | F1 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1990-06-16 | Webster County | F0 0.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-03-13 | Webster County | F4 20 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1987-08-02 | Webster County | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-03-14 | Webster County | F1 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1986-09-18 | Webster County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-09-05 | Webster County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1986-09-05 | Webster County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1985-06-23 | Webster County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-10 | Webster County | F4 17 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-06-09 | Webster County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-07-17 | Webster County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1978-04-07 | Webster County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1978-04-07 | Webster County | F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1977-06-12 | Webster County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-05-16 | Webster County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-06-11 | Webster County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1967-06-11 | Webster County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-05-25 | Webster County | F2 39.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-05-20 | Webster County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1953-06-19 | Webster County | F1 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $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.
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 Webster County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 18, 2025 flash flood ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindRosemont, Webster County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindGuide Rock, Webster County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindBlue Hill, Webster County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindBladen, Webster County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Flash FloodRed Cloud, Webster County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | Winter WeatherWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-17 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-17 | Winter WeatherWebster County · forecast zone Webster | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-07-21 | LightningBlue Hill, Webster County A Hastings, NE man who died while working on a road construction project was killed by a lightning strike. He was operating an asphalt roller at the time of the strike. He was taken to a Hastings hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-21 | HailRed Cloud, Webster County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $15M |
| 1993-05-07 | TornadoRed Cloud, Webster County | F1 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2012-05-19 | HailBlue Hill, Webster County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $7.1M |
| 2014-06-11 | HailRed Cloud, Webster County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.1M |
| 2014-06-11 | HailRed Cloud, Webster County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| 2014-06-11 | HailBlue Hill, Webster County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| 2006-07-13 | HailRed Cloud, Webster County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2004-07-07 | HailGuide Rock, Webster County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 13, 1990 (tornado, Webster 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 Webster 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 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 48 | 77 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 34 | 44 | 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 38 | 23 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 16 | 18 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 10 | 15 |
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 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 43 · Mar 33 · Apr 57 · May 83 · Jun 100 · Jul 61 · Aug 37 · Sep 32 · Oct 16 · Nov 19 · Dec 43 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Webster County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Webster County: 14 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 2018-06-29 | DR-4375 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010-07-15 | DR-1924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2004-05-25 | DR-1517 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes 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 |
| 1976-04-08 | DR-500 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storms & High Winds |
| 1973-10-20 | DR-406 | 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 Webster County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Webster County from 1999 to 2025, on 10 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Webster County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $13,000 on 3 claims filed in Webster County; the most in one year was 1 in 2000. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2000: 1 · 2017: 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 Webster County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Webster County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | $7.3M | 7.5 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $1.5M | 36 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.7M | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $495K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $131K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $70K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $709K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $23K | once in about 2,775 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Webster 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 Webster CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Webster County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis