137
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$6.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Nebraska: 137 recorded events between 1964 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 96. That places the county #1,694 nationally and #39 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Nebraska: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Washington County is the 2020s, when 29 of the county's 137 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 Washington County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 38.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,694 for this hazard and #39 within Nebraska, putting it in the 46.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Washington County with 34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2002 | FT CALHOUN | 90 | 0 | 3 | $3.0M |
| Aug 9, 2025 | WASHINGTON | 96 | 0 | 2 | $2.7M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 9, 2025 | WASHINGTON | 96 | $2.7M |
| Jul 30, 2025 | DE SOTO | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2025 | BLAIR | 53 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2025 | DE SOTO | 54 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | ARLINGTON | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2025 | DE SOTO | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | SPIKER | 53 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | SPIKER | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | KENNARD | 51 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | BLAIR | 63 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Washington County
- Hail 162
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm downburst winds produced a 5 to 6 mile wide path of damage from around 5 miles southwest of Ft. Calhoun into the Ft. Calhoun area. The wind damage was from the same storm complex that produced the damage in northwest Douglas county. Winds with this damage path were estimated by the NWS to be stronger than those observed in Douglas county, perhaps around 100 mph. The winds caused extensive tree damage and also destroyed a house just northwest of Ft. Calhoun causing 2 minor injuries. Windows were reported to be blown out by the winds and wind driven hail also caused substantial window, roof and siding damage with an estimated 85 percent of all homes in town damaged to some degree. One woman required emergency room treatment after being caught out in the open and pelted with hail up to quarter size. The storm caused an estimated 3 million dollars worth of damage.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 70 mph downed numerous large trees and power lines in town. Many homes and cars sustained damage when branches fell on them, and power was knocked out to parts of the town for up to 24 hours. Several people narrowly escaped serious injury by avoiding falling trees, one in a car and another in a house.
Home weather equipment measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 81 mph in the Blair area. The winds destroyed a horse barn and grain bin a few miles west of Blair and also damaged the siding of a home. Other outbuilding damage was noted in the area.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Washington County, Nebraska?
137 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Washington County between 1964 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Washington County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Washington County measured 96.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Washington 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 Washington County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/washington-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.