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York County, Nebraska severe weather history spans 521 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 49.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #803 nationally and #34 in Nebraska.
521
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
36
Direct injuries
$92.8M
Property damage
The record
What the York County, Nebraska severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, York County, Nebraska severe weather history averages 7.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 148 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 93 events fall before 1990 and 428 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the York County, Nebraska record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $37.8M 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 York County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 260 | 0 | $25.2M | 4 | 1957–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 158 | 0 | $26.1M | 91 | 1958–2025 |
| Tornado | 49 | 2 | $37.8M | F5 | 1953–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 24 | 0 | $205K | 338 | 1997–2019 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $2.8M | 0 | 1999–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2007 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $610K | 0 | 2009–2019 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $140K | 0 | 2004–2006 |
Decade by decade
York County, Nebraska severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
52 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 46 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-05-05 | EF5 | 4 | 50 | 79.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF4 | 0 | 8 | 131.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-05-11 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 19.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-06-15 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 63.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-06-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-07-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-07-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in York County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1964 | Tornado | 2 | 30 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 15, 2022 | Tornado | LUSHTON | 0 | 2 | $1.2M |
| Mar 14, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25.0M | |
| May 15, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | YORK | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| Jul 4, 1994 | Tornado | Benedict | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Wind gusts in this area were estimated to have peaked near 105 MPH. Damage included a number of overturned irrigation pivots and snapped wooden power poles. A large outbuilding was also damaged, an approximately 60 foot tall concrete silo was toppled, and a grain bin was blown off its foundation and into a nearby field.
Hail ranging in size anywhere from quarters to 2.5 inches in diameter was reported across York and in Waco. The largest stones of 2-2.5 inches in diameter were reported in the city of York. Wind gusts estimated to be near 60 MPH was reported in York. Damage to trees and canopies on the York College campus was reported.
This tornado touched down approximately 4 miles southwest of Bradshaw, moving to the north-northeast and dissipating approximately 4 miles southeast of Polk, near the York and Polk County line. As the tornado approached Highway 34 west of Bradshaw, a metal outbuilding and grain bins were destroyed, and it also crossed a railroad line, derailing several train cars. North of Bradshaw, a home suffered significant roof damage and the loss of one wall, and as the tornado continued north, power poles were snapped, irrigation pivots were overturned, and several trees were damaged. Between Bradshaw to the area west of Benedict, a total of 40 power poles were downed. The maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 130 MPH.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
14,286
Population (ACS)
$189K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Jul 27, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| 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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in York County, Nebraska?
521 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $92.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in York County?
Hail, with 260 recorded events — 49.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed York County?
52 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 46 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover York County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include York County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is York County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates York County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the York 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
- Wheeler County 212
- Webster County 354
- Wayne County 208
- Washington County 356
- Valley County 356
- Thurston County 239
Cite this page
“York County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/york-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.