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Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties; Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area; Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake
Washoe County, Nevada severe weather history spans 319 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is heavy rain, accounting for 38.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,669 nationally and #3 in Nevada.
319
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$18.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Washoe County, Nevada severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washoe County, Nevada severe weather history averages 4.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 129 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 26 events fall before 1990 and 293 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washoe County, Nevada record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $14.2M in reported property damage. In total, 12 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Washoe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain | 123 | 0 | $60K | 0.3 | 1997–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 74 | 1 | $16K | 73 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 39 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 31 | 0 | $3.6M | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Flood | 22 | 0 | $14.2M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Tornado | 13 | 0 | $0 | F1 | 1964–2017 |
| Debris Flow | 5 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2018–2025 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $300K | 0 | 1997–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Dust Devil | 2 | 0 | $2K | 40 | 2000–2009 |
| Heavy Snow | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1996–1996 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Washoe County, Nevada severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-11-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 25.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-07-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-09-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-07-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-08-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-08-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-08-01 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-02-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-07-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-07-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washoe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Sep 24, 2011 | Lightning | WEST RENO | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Nov 28, 1996 | Heavy Snow | SUN VLY | 0 | 2 | $10K |
| Jul 14, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | SUTCLIFFE | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Aug 4, 1999 | Lightning | SPARKS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 12, 1997 | Lightning | RENO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Highway 446 was destroyed by flood waters in more than 10 places on the southwest side of Pyramid Lake. Some sections were left with nearly 50-foot deep ravines. The highway was not re-opened to the public until early March. Repair cost based on Nevada Department of Transportation estimates from Reno-Gazette Journal article in February.
A levee along Steamboat Creek failed and flooded the University of Nevada – Reno agricultural farm in east Reno. Around 1,800 animals were evacuated to higher ground, but 344 sheep drowned in the floodwaters. The Industrial Area in east Sparks suffered flooding, with an estimated 900 business reporting damage. Greg Street was impassable in many locations. Some areas near Glendale Avenue were covered with four feet of floodwater. A health hazard was created when raw sewage contaminated floodwaters in the Spice Island Drive area of Sparks. In downtown Reno all bridges across the Truckee River were closed. Flooding also occurred at the base of Mt. Rose Highway at its intersection with U.S. Highway 395. The Toll Road area near Steamboat was flooded, and Nevada Highway 341 (Geiger Grade) was closed.The rain-saturated soil caused trees to topple onto power lines in Incline Village. Sierra Pacific Power Company reported that around 3,000 people were without power on December 31st.
Nevada State Police reported flooding on I-80 between Wells Ave and Virginia St prompting the closure of I-80 westbound lanes. Also, University of Nevada Reno reported flooding of buildings on campus and there was flooding reported throughout J Casino.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
497,200
Population (ACS)
$540K
Median home value
48
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2, 2025 | Fire | PEAVINE FIRE | FM |
| Jun 10, 2025 | Fire | MARIE FIRE | FM |
| Nov 11, 2024 | Fire | CALLAHAN FIRE | FM |
| Sep 7, 2024 | Fire | DAVIS FIRE | FM |
| Aug 12, 2024 | Fire | GOLD RANCH FIRE | FM |
| Jun 12, 2024 | Fire | SULLIVAN FIRE | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washoe County, Nevada?
319 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $18.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washoe County?
Heavy Rain, with 123 recorded events — 38.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washoe County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washoe County?
48 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washoe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washoe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washoe County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 97 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washoe 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
- Storey County 28
- White Pine County 96
- Pershing County 41
- Nye County 245
- Mineral County 40
- Lyon County 102
Cite this page
“Washoe County, Nevada.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nevada/washoe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.