Bonneville County, Idaho severe weather history spans 223 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,297 nationally and #6 in Idaho.
223
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$34.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Bonneville County, Idaho severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bonneville County, Idaho severe weather history averages 3.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 70 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 23 events fall before 1990 and 200 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Bonneville County, Idaho record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $29.8M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Bonneville County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 126 | 1 | $261K | 68 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 44 | 0 | $29.8M | 2.75 | 1962–2025 |
| Flood | 14 | 0 | $389K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $824K | 0 | 2004–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2014 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $2.7M | F2 | 1978–2017 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $802K | 0 | 2015–2023 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Bonneville County, Idaho severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-04-07 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-02-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-02-14 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-11-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-06-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Bonneville County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | IDAHO FALLS | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Hail | PALISADES | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Hail | PALISADES | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2021 | Lightning | IDAHO FALLS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 7, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
At least 28 reports of 1 to 2 inch hail were reported in the Ammon and Idaho Falls area and extensive damage was reported to residential and business structures. Extensive automobile damage was reported as well. Emergency management and insurance company reports estimated the damage from the large hail at $29,750,000. Approximately 2,600 structures and 1,800 vehicles sustained damage from the hail storm.
One to 3 inches of rain fell in two hours in the Idaho Falls area resulting in extreme street flooding in downtown Idaho Falls with underpasses with several feet of water and cars submerged in water. This occurred at the 17th Street underpass. Multiple homes with severe flooding and inches of water in their basements. Extreme damage to dozens of homes. Flooding in Idaho Falls City Hall and the Mountain America Events Center during a high school graduation ceremony. Several homes in the 30 to 80 thousand dollar damage amount from their home flooding.
A 2 story 5,000 square foot residence was struck by lightning causing a large fire. It occurred 2 miles northeast of Iona along E. Panorama Dr. A firefighter was injured in the fire. An estimated 800,000 dollars worth of damage occurred to the home.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
129,523
Population (ACS)
$369K
Median home value
7
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 25, 2016 | Fire | HENRYS CREEK FIRE | FM |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
| Jun 13, 1997 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, SNOWMELT, LAND/MUD SLIDES, FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 6, 1976 | Flood | DAM COLLAPSE, FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Idaho Falls 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bonneville County, Idaho?
223 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $34.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bonneville County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 126 recorded events — 56.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bonneville County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bonneville County?
7 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bonneville County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bonneville County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bonneville County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 82 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bonneville County, Idaho 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
- Bonner County 125
- Boundary County 66
- Boise County 99
- Butte County 255
- Blaine County 114
- Camas County 26
Cite this page
“Bonneville County, Idaho.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/idaho/bonneville-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.