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Custer County, Idaho severe weather history spans 70 recorded events between 1962 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,994 nationally and #33 in Idaho.
70
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$5.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Custer County, Idaho severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Custer County, Idaho severe weather history averages 1.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 23 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 66 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $4.8M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Custer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 33 | 0 | $455K | 90 | 1962–2025 |
| Hail | 11 | 0 | $2K | 1.75 | 1984–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $4.8M | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2003 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $1K | EF0 | 2008–2014 |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Custer County, Idaho severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-21 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-08-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Custer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | STANLEY | 0 | 3 | $420K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Salmon River in Salmon reached moderate flood stage in May and this caused flooding from the headwaters of the Salmon south through Challis into Custer County. Trail Creek, Valley Creek, Garden Creek and Antelope Creek all overflowed banks with flood warnings throughout the month continuing in Custer County. Major damage occurred to backcountry roads and campgrounds. Significant agriculture damage occurred due to flooded fields. Road and bridge damage required significant repair along with significant USFS infrastructure damage. The cost of damage and flood protection rose above 3 million dollars for the month.
The Salmon River in Salmon had reached moderate flood stage in May and stayed at flood stage into June and this caused flooding from the headwaters of the Salmon south through Challis into Custer County. The Yankee Fork and East fork of the Salmon River flooded along with Thompson Creek, Squaw Creek, Kinnikinic Cerek and Bayhorse and Garden Creek. Most side tributaries recorded record flows. The Valley Creek in Stanley flooded with the peak flow on June 5th. The Big Lost River at Howell Ranch recorded its second highest peak ever and the Big Lost below Mackay Dam reached minor flood stage as well with peak flows continuing through the end of June. Homes, businesses, roads and bridges continued to suffer damage due to the flooding along with agricultural fields and USFS infrastructure.
Microburst winds estimated to be as high as 95 mph did extensive damage at the Redfish Lake campgrounds. Up to 1,000 Lodge-pole pine trees were uprooted with several snapped 3 to 5 feet above ground level. Twenty to forty Douglas Firs uprooted as well. The average diameter of the snapped Lodge-pole pine trees was 5 to 14 inches and the average Douglas Fir diameter was 10 to 24 inches. At the Glacier View Campground, 3 people camping were injured including one sustaining a broken leg. All of those injured were taken by ambulance to care facilities. Campground facilities were damaged with multiple vehicles damaged from the trees falling as well.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
4,470
Population (ACS)
$382K
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 27, 2017 | Flood | FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
| Sep 1, 2000 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jun 13, 1997 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, SNOWMELT, LAND/MUD SLIDES, FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Custer County, Idaho?
70 events are on record between 1962 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $5.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Custer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 33 recorded events — 47.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Custer County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Custer County?
7 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Custer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Custer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Custer County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Custer 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
- Clearwater County 93
- Elmore County 130
- Clark County 79
- Franklin County 49
- Cassia County 243
- Fremont County 153
Cite this page
“Custer County, Idaho.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/idaho/custer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.