261
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$23.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Buffalo County, Nebraska: 261 recorded events between 1972 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #626 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Buffalo County, Nebraska: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Buffalo County is the 2020s, when 67 of the county's 261 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Buffalo County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 32.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #626 for this hazard and #7 within Nebraska, putting it in the 80.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Buffalo County with 77 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 1998 | ELM CREEK | 87 | 0 | 5 | $2.4M |
| Jul 9, 2014 | (EAR)KEARNEY ARPT | 61 | 0 | 1 | $3.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2025 | (EAR)KEARNEY ARPT | 53 | $0 |
| May 19, 2025 | MILLER | 52 | $0 |
| May 19, 2025 | RAVENNA | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | POOLE | 55 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | ODESSA | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2024 | ELM CREEK | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2024 | ODESSA | 54 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2024 | RAVENNA | 56 | $10K |
| Jun 26, 2024 | RAVENNA | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | MILLER | 56 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Buffalo County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Wind gusts were estimated to be at least 70 MPH, with a gust of 68 MPH measured 3 miles south of Gibbon. Accompanied by hail up to the size of golf balls, the combination caused significant crop and tree damage in the area, with many fields reduced to stubble with crops determined to be complete losses. Damage to campers was also reported at the Windmill State Recreation Area near Interstate 80.
Strong outflow from the parent thunderstorm located to the east of this path produced wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH. There were numerous reports of tree damage in the area, including a large tree limb estimated to be 12 inches in diameter downed and a tree estimated to be 30 inches in diameter snapped at the base and then fell onto a home. The elderly resident of this home suffered injuries when shards of glass entered the home from the combination of wind and hail. The top of a grain bin was blown off and vinyl siding was partially torn off one side of a home. On Interstate 80, near exit 279 southeast of Kearney, a semi truck was blown onto its side.
Wind gusts estimated to up to 80 MPH caused damage in the Kearney area. Around 10 pine trees were blown down, as were a few irrigation pivots. Construction trailers were blown over near Kearney High School and a barn lean-to was damaged on 46th Avenue.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
261 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Buffalo County between 1972 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Buffalo County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Buffalo County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Buffalo County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Buffalo County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/buffalo-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.