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Tornado in Hamilton County, Nebraska
63 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Hamilton County, Nebraska, has 63 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 30 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 24 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 20 events against 18 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.9% of the 3,400 tornado events recorded in Nebraska; its 11.6 per 100 square miles compares with 4.4 statewide.
By rating: 28 at (E)F0, 18 at (E)F1, 8 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 9 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Nebraska
| Measure | Hamilton County | Nebraska | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 63 | 3,400 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 11.6 | 4.4 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 67.1 | 17.3 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 56 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
1Apr
2May
24Jun
20Jul
4Aug
3Sep
0Oct
6Nov
0Dec
3
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 63 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun 2023 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2023 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | $350K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2021 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | $45K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | $25K | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $30K | $40K | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | $2.0M | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.5M | $500K | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | $75K | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $20K | $100K | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2008 | Tornado | EF2 | $20K | $100K | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | $100K | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | $25K | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $400K | $250K | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F1 | — | $50K | — | — | County |
| 29 Oct 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 1987 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 1985 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 1982 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1982 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Oct 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 1978 | Tornado | — | $25M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 May 1977 | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1972 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1972 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1971 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1967 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1965 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1965 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1965 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1965 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1958 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1957 | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1957 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1957 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1953 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1953 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Hamilton County had?
63 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Hamilton County?
2 Jun 2023 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Hamilton County?
The tornado of 7 Apr 1978, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M.
How does Hamilton County compare with Nebraska for tornado?
11.6 events per 100 square miles against 4.4 statewide; the county holds 63 of the state's 3,400 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.