Nebraska severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 93 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 13,616 severe thunderstorm wind events in Nebraska from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 353 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the August 9, 2025 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 8 injuries and $28.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 12 records. Nebraska ranks 22nd of 52 states and territories by count and 32nd of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in Nebraska, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 13,6161955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 353average
- Deaths
- 7138 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.5Bas filed
- Busiest year
- 2024599 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in Nebraska?
Nebraska averages about 353 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 22nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2024 (599). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Nebraska records 1773 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 32nd of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Nebraska have the most severe thunderstorm wind events?
Per square mile, Douglas County leads Nebraska: 236 days with a severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955, 722.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Lincoln County has the most thunderstorm wind records (573 since 1955); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1955 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in Nebraska?
55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The busiest month is June (4,056 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 17 · Mar 165 · Apr 726 · May 2,168 · Jun 4,056 · Jul 3,451 · Aug 2,015 · Sep 603 · Oct 253 · Nov 12 · Dec 150 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Nebraska?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindWaterloo, Douglas County One storm episode: 12 records in 8 places; the totals are the episode's. A powerful thunderstorm, characterized by a broad swath of destructive winds, swept across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa on the morning of August 9, 2025. The event was responsible for one fatality and seven injuries, as well as widespread property and tree damage. This devastating storm was spawned by a large ... | 87 kt wind | 1 | 8 | $29M |
| 1994-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindLouisville State Park, Cass County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (2; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. Strong winds blew down a 100 foot tall cottonwood tree. The two to three feet diameter upper limbs hit a tent that two people were camping in. A 58 year old male was killed and a 31 year old female was injured. (M58O) | 1 | 1 | $995K | |
| 2015-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindStratton, Hitchcock County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. During the evening a line of severe storms moved into Southwest Nebraska from Northwest Kansas. The highest wind speeds were along the leading edge of the squall line. The highest wind gust reported was 100 MPH at Stratton. Large hail was also reported as the squall line moved through, with the golf ball size hail ... | 87 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $6.4M |
| 2012-08-03 | Thunderstorm WindLake Mc Conaghy, Keith County Nebraska Game and Parks Commission stated a 36 year old man drowned at 707 pm MST at Lake McConaughy. The man was paddling a raft when it capsized during a thunderstorm. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindHickman, Lancaster County Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 40 to 50 mph caused a boat carrying 3 people to capsize during a fishing tournament at Wagon Train Lake near Hickman. One man drowned. | 45 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1996-08-06 | Thunderstorm WindElgin, Antelope County Thunderstorm winds blew a large cottonwood tree on a pickup 2 miles west and 21/2 miles north of Elgin. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindCairo, Hall County One storm episode: 9 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. Although its main damage swath was only about 15 miles wide, the narrow-but-intense severe storm complex that raced from northwest-to-southeast through the heart of South Central Nebraska during the pre-dawn hours on this Wednesday was one of the most impactful events of the local convective season. Quite simply, this ... | 60 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Nebraska
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindElm Creek, Buffalo County One storm episode: 11 records in 7 places; the totals are the episode's. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $131M |
| 1994-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindSutton, Clay County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (8, in 7 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 0 | 3 | $111M | |
| 2014-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindGibbon, Buffalo County One storm episode: 9 records in 6 places, 2014-07-09 to 2014-07-10; the totals are the episode's. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $102M |
| 2022-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindWaco, York County One storm episode: 8 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 91 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $83M |
| 2008-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindMercer, Douglas County One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 100 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $73M |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindSuperior, Nuckolls County One storm episode: 12 records in 5 places, 2025-08-09 to 2025-08-10; the totals are the episode's. | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $58M |
| 2000-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindStamford, Harlan County One storm episode: 10 records in 5 places; the totals are the episode's. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $51M |
| 2024-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindWaterloo, Douglas County One storm episode: 7 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $48M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in Nebraska?
Nebraska's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Nebraska | United States | Nebraska's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 89 | 3,482 | 2.6% |
| 1960s | 448 | 10,124 | 4.4% |
| 1970s | 827 | 18,714 | 4.4% |
| 1980s | 1,250 | 39,604 | 3.2% |
| 1990s | 1,594 | 85,554 | 1.9% |
| 2000s | 2,638 | 129,990 | 2.0% |
| 2010s | 3,610 | 161,286 | 2.2% |
| 2020-26 | 3,160 | 126,815 | 2.5% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in Nebraska
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBird Field North, Lincoln County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindStapleton, Logan County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindThedford, Thomas County | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBrownlee, Cherry County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBrownlee, Cherry County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindTryon, McPherson County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindArthur County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindKeystone, Keith County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindArthur County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindKeystone, Keith County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 8 | $1.0M |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindKeystone, Keith County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBig Spgs, Deuel County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in Nebraska
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 39 declarations in Nebraska, 39 of them major disasters; the latest on August 3, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | DR-4928 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 8 |
| 2025-10-22 | DR-4896 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 12 |
| 2024-10-21 | DR-4838 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 5 |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4822 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 17 |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4808 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 19 |
| 2024-05-24 | DR-4786 | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds | 8 |
| 2022-07-27 | DR-4662 | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds | 20 |
| 2022-02-23 | DR-4641 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 25 |
| 2021-09-06 | DR-4616 | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds | 14 |
| 2018-08-27 | DR-4387 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 11 |
| 2017-08-01 | DR-4325 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 19 |
| 2017-06-26 | DR-4321 | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds | 10 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Douglas County: the county's whole recordThe Nebraska county with the most severe thunderstorm wind events per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in NebraskaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Hail in Nebraska25,051 records
- Winter storms in Nebraska8,064 records
- High wind and dust storms in Nebraska3,739 records