Elko County, Nevada severe weather history spans 342 recorded events between 1959 and 2024. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,544 nationally and #2 in Nevada.
342
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$14.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Elko County, Nevada severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Elko County, Nevada severe weather history averages 5.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 140 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 315 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is hail, with $5.0M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Elko County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 172 | 0 | $4.2M | 82 | 1959–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 61 | 0 | $1.4M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $5.0M | 1.75 | 1961–2023 |
| Tornado | 23 | 0 | $322K | F1 | 1962–2023 |
| Flood | 13 | 0 | $3.1M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 9 | 0 | $0 | 50 | 1996–2024 |
| Debris Flow | 5 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2022–2023 |
| Dust Devil | 2 | 0 | $501K | 0 | 2015–2018 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2014–2014 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Elko County, Nevada severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-08-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-05-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-08-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-05-21 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-05-21 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Elko County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2015 | Dust Devil | ELKO | 0 | 4 | $1K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Rain on a much above normal snow pack combined with frozen ground caused extensive flooding. About 30 homes and a few businesses in both Montello and Wells were flooded along with some homes and outbuildings in rural areas. Many rural roads were damaged and had washouts. US highway 93 was closed both south and north of Wells for a time as flood waters submerged the road. Salmon Falls Creek overflowed US highway 93 and completely submerged the adjoining rest area. Extensive shoulder damage was reported along US Highway 93 mainly north of Wells. All the runoff caused the Humboldt River to rise above flood stage. This caused extensive flooding of homes and businesses along and near the Humboldt River in Elko. Interstate 80 between Elko and Wells was reduced to one lane in places due to flood waters over the road. A total of 25 homes in Elko, Wells, and Montello were totally destroyed or suffered extensive damage.
A dry microburst produced a wind gust to 67 MPH at the NWS Elko WFO. Other minor damage in town consisted of displaced shingles and a damaged fence. Blowing dust was also observed, but did not cause any significant impacts.
At least 15 different debris flows were caused by previous thunderstorms/heavy rain during the afternoon. Multiple reports came from the US Forest Service, Elko County Road Department, and Nevada Department of Transportation. USFS 660 will be closed until further notice. The height of debris flows is estimated to be between 4 and 8 feet within a 4-mile length of road.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
54,047
Population (ACS)
$301K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 17, 2017 | Fire | OIL WELL FIRE | FM |
| Mar 27, 2017 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Oct 3, 2011 | Fire | INDIAN CREEK FIRE | FM |
| Jul 23, 2007 | Fire | MURPHY FIRE COMPLEX | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Elko County, Nevada?
342 events are on record between 1959 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths and $14.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Elko County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 172 recorded events — 50.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Elko County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 22 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Elko County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Elko County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Elko County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Elko County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 88 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Elko County, Nevada 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
- Douglas County 106
- Esmeralda County 26
- Clark County 937
- Eureka County 98
- Churchill County 75
- Humboldt County 101
Cite this page
“Elko County, Nevada.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nevada/elko-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.