Hitchcock County, Nebraska severe weather history spans 553 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 64.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #714 nationally and #25 in Nebraska.
553
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$12.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Hitchcock County, Nebraska severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hitchcock County, Nebraska severe weather history averages 7.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 167 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 48 events fall before 1990 and 505 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hitchcock County, Nebraska record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $6.6M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hitchcock County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 356 | 0 | $1.1M | 4.5 | 1957–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 138 | 1 | $6.6M | 104 | 1958–2026 |
| Tornado | 34 | 0 | $3.6M | F4 | 1954–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 15 | 0 | $717K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $745K | 0 | 2015–2023 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $7K | 0 | 2007–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2019 |
Decade by decade
Hitchcock County, Nebraska severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
35 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 35 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-15 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 28.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-18 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-05-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-05-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-05-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hitchcock County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | STRATTON | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Jun 16, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The high wind gust snapped the top of an 80 foot tree off, with the top of the tree flying over a nearby house. The wind also flipped a swing set. The house shook because the winds were so strong. Elsewhere around town there was widespread, major tree damage. Twelve to eighteen inch diameter trees were snapped and uprooted. Power poles were damaged which lead to power outages in town and the surrounding area. In town one garage and one unanchored mobile home were destroyed. There were many roofs damaged as well as siding on houses. A camper was overturned, damaged and resulted in one (direct) fatality.
Significant tree, utility pole and structural damage consistent with an intense downburst occurred in the eastern portions of Palisade and adjacent areas south and east of town. One large garage south of town was destroyed, several irrigation pivots were overturned, and grain bins were damaged or destroyed. An estimated 250 utility poles throughout the county were either snapped or pushed down. Power outages continue in the area.
Highway 34 from Benkelman to Trenton was closed due to flooding. Highway 25 from Trenton to highway 6 was also closed. The train bridge west of Stratton was washed out due to the flooding. A road grader was also found to be almost fully submerged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
2,569
Population (ACS)
$97K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 24, 2007 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 7, 2007 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUEES | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Stratton 139
- Trenton 123
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hitchcock County, Nebraska?
553 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $12.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hitchcock County?
Hail, with 356 recorded events — 64.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hitchcock County?
35 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 35 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hitchcock County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hitchcock County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hitchcock County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hitchcock County as very low risk, placing it in the 7 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hitchcock County, Nebraska severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Hayes County 353
- Holt County 886
- Harlan County 329
- Hooker County 307
- Hamilton County 498
- Howard County 414
Cite this page
“Hitchcock County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/hitchcock-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.