Nevada landslides and avalanches
Every recorded landslide or avalanche record since 1996 · 13 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 59 landslide and avalanche records in Nevada from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.6 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the February 20, 2021 avalanche in Elko County and White Pine County: 1 death and 1 injury. Nevada ranks 13th of 37 states and territories by count and 15th of 37 per square mile.
Landslides and avalanches in Nevada, 1996 to 2026
Landslide records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- 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
- Records
- 591996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 3.6average
- Deaths
- 37 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $220Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 202314 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 landslide and avalanche records common in Nevada?
Nevada averages about 3.6 landslide and avalanche records a year since 2000, 13th of 37 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2023 (14). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Nevada records 5.4 landslide and avalanche records since 1996, 15th of 37 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, 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 Nevada have the most landslide and avalanche records?
Per square mile, Carson City (city) leads Nevada: 11 days with a landslide or avalanche record since 1996, 76.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Douglas County has the most landslide records (16 since 1996); 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 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the slide season in Nevada?
41% of its landslide and avalanche records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is August (15 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 2 · Feb 4 · Mar 7 · Apr 3 · May 2 · Jun 5 · Jul 9 · Aug 15 · Sep 5 · Oct 1 · Nov 1 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest landslide and avalanche records in Nevada?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-20 | AvalancheElko County and White Pine County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range Three snowmobilers were caught in an avalanche which occurred near the Castle Lake area of Lamoille Canyon. One snowmobiler perished while another sustained injuries during the avalanche. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2002-12-15 | AvalancheDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area A group of skiers traveling out of bounds from a ski area triggered an avalanche. One skier was trapped and killed. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2023-01-09 | AvalancheClark County and Nye County · forecast zone Spring Mountains A group of hikers near 11,000 feet were hit by an avalanche, which killed one member of the group. | 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 landslide and avalanche records in Nevada
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-05 | AvalancheClark County and Nye County · forecast zone Spring Mountains | 0 | 1 | $47K | |
| 2025-07-27 | Debris FlowVirginia City, Storey County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2025-07-30 | Debris FlowBoardertown, Washoe County | 0 | 0 | $20K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are landslide and avalanche records becoming more frequent in Nevada?
Nevada'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 | Nevada | United States | Nevada's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 2 | 98 | 2.0% |
| 2000s | 3 | 790 | 0.4% |
| 2010s | 22 | 1,304 | 1.7% |
| 2020-26 | 32 | 1,224 | 2.6% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent landslide and avalanche records in Nevada
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-25 | AvalancheDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-25 | Debris FlowGold Hill, Storey County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-25 | Debris FlowSppc Tracy Pwr Stn, Storey County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-30 | Debris FlowBoardertown, Washoe County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-07-27 | Debris FlowVirginia City, Storey County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2024-02-05 | AvalancheClark County and Nye County · forecast zone Spring Mountains | 0 | 1 | $47K | |
| 2023-01-09 | AvalancheClark County and Nye County · forecast zone Spring Mountains | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-02-20 | AvalancheElko County and White Pine County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2018-03-04 | AvalancheElko County and White Pine County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2017-11-16 | AvalancheDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2007-02-12 | AvalancheDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2002-12-15 | AvalancheDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 1 | 1 | – |
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 landslide and avalanche records in Nevada
FEMA has declared 4 disasters in Nevada for landslide and avalanche, counting its incident type and declarations that name landslide or mudslide in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 4 were major disasters, the latest on April 27, 2023.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-27 | DR-4708 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 6 |
| 2017-03-27 | DR-4307 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 7 |
| 2017-02-17 | DR-4303 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 8 |
| 1997-01-03 | DR-1153 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Landslides | 7 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Carson City (city): the county's whole recordThe Nevada county with the most landslide and avalanche records per square mile
- Landslides and avalanches across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in NevadaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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