488
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$501.8M
Property damage
Hail in Douglas County, Nebraska: 488 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 4.5. That places the county #95 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Hail in Douglas County, Nebraska: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for hail in Douglas County is the 2010s, when 127 of the county's 488 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 Douglas County archive, hail makes up 47.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #95 for this hazard and #8 within Nebraska, putting it in the 97.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for hail in Douglas County with 141 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2011 | OMAHA | 4.25 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2001 | OMAHA | 1.75 | 0 | 1 | $300.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | SOUTH OMAHA | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | RALSTON | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | MILLARD | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | OMAHA MILLARD ARPT | 1.25 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | BOYS TOWN | 0.88 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | ELKHORN | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | ELK CITY | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 2025 | MAY | 3 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 2025 | ALBRIGHT | 1.75 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 2025 | RALSTON | 1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Douglas County
- Thunderstorm Wind 382
- Flash Flood 55
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This thunderstorm produced very large hail from around the Florence area toward Eppley Airfield then into the Council Bluffs, Iowa area. Hail up to nearly 3 inches in diameter caused considerable damage around Eppley Airfield with 20 commercial and private aircraft sustaining significant damage. Some of the aircraft had 5 inch diameter holes punched through control surfaces. In addition, 150 vehicles parked in outdoor parking facilities sustained substantial damage including windows knocked out. Total storm damage estimates were around $500,000 at Eppley Airfield alone. The storm also caused significant damage in that part of Council Bluffs directly south of the airport.
Hail up to golf ball-size fell for around 5 minutes in the Valley area including at the NWS office near town. The hail was driven by winds estimated at least at 50 mph and caused extensive vehicle and property damage at the NWS office and to homes around a golf course near town. The damage to the Vehicles alone at the NWS was over $100,000. Damage to property and vehicles near the golf course and to homes in Valley was probably well in excess of $100,000.
Numerous reports of hail were received as this supercell tracked across western and then northern parts of the Omaha metro. The largest hail, some measuring near golf ball size fell from Elkhorn east along Dodge Street to near 144th Street. Just to the north of this track, along Maple and Fort Streets copious amounts of smaller hail, some up to 1 inch in diameter fell. In some areas this accumulated to several inches deep and snowplows were used to clear the hail. Piles of hail were still present days after the event.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many hail events are on record in Douglas County, Nebraska?
488 hail events are recorded in Douglas County between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest hail recorded in Douglas County?
The strongest hail on record in Douglas County measured 4.5.
Where does the hail data for Douglas 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
“Hail in Douglas County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/douglas-county/hail/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.