Sheridan County, Nebraska severe weather history spans 820 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 66.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #273 nationally and #9 in Nebraska.
820
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$12.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Sheridan County, Nebraska severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sheridan County, Nebraska severe weather history averages 11.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 291 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 79 events fall before 1990 and 741 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $8.6M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sheridan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 546 | 0 | $1.5M | 4.5 | 1955–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 193 | 0 | $409K | 87 | 1960–2025 |
| Tornado | 62 | 0 | $8.6M | F3 | 1953–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $571K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2017 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 2012–2012 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2022–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
Decade by decade
Sheridan County, Nebraska severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
63 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 60 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-06-04 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-05-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 19.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2016-07-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-05-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-08-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-06-25 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 11.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sheridan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 17, 2014 | Hail | WHITE CLAY | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Aug 30, 2012 | Lightning | HAY SPGS | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado started approximately 12 miles south of Hay Springs and eventually ended northeast of town. One home was destroyed and three other homes were damaged as the tornado went through town. Trees were uprooted and grain bins were also destroyed. Loss of livestock included 40 lambs and 8 cattle on a farm south of town. The damage to the Northwest Rural Public Power District was estimated at $65,000. Total damage from the tornado was near $1,000,000.
Lightning ignited a wildfire on August 29th that spread quickly north across grassland and timbers across northwest Sheridan County. The wildfire burned approximate 44,159 acres in Nebraska and moved north into South Dakota. Initial assessments showed the wildfire burned approximately 100 power poles. The Rushville Sheriff requested an Evacuate Immediate (NWEM) message as the fire spread into parks and to alert homeowners and campers in the area. The fire stats showed 50 to 60 outbuildings destroyed, and approximately 10 homes damaged. The wildfire continued into September.
An anti-cyclonic left-moving supercell produced a brief, weak tornado that ripped off the roof of a home, destroyed the attached two car garage, moved outbuildings, and destroyed metal cattle shields. Debris from the destroyed home impacted a large metal machine shed and was scattered along a 1 mile path northeast of the farmstead. The home was a complete loss as the chimney fell into the house breaking floor joists.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,014
Population (ACS)
$113K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 21, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 1, 2017 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Nov 26, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, WINTER STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Gordon 165
- Rushville 123
- Hay Spgs 121
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sheridan County, Nebraska?
820 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $12.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sheridan County?
Hail, with 546 recorded events — 66.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sheridan County?
63 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 60 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sheridan County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sheridan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sheridan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sheridan County as very low risk, placing it in the 13 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sheridan 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
- Seward County 405
- Sherman County 329
- Scotts Bluff County 864
- Sioux County 336
- Saunders County 624
- Stanton County 299
Cite this page
“Sheridan County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/sheridan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.