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Elmore County, Idaho severe weather history spans 130 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 43.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,780 nationally and #14 in Idaho.
130
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$812K
Property damage
The record
What the Elmore County, Idaho severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Elmore County, Idaho severe weather history averages 2.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 48 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 116 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Elmore County, Idaho record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $555K 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 Elmore County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 56 | 3 | $555K | 72 | 1964–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 27 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Hail | 18 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1976–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 13 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Tornado | 5 | 0 | $25K | F1 | 1961–2024 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $127K | 0 | 2010–2017 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2000 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2001 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Elmore County, Idaho severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
5 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-08-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-06-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-26 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Elmore County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | (MUO)MOUNTAIN HOME A | 3 | 5 | $0 |
| Mar 18, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The AWOS at Mountain Home AFB measured a 58 MPH wind gust with several reports of damage received by the public. A dust storm from the gust front of a nearby thunderstorm reduced visibility to near zero, resulting in a 7 car accident with 3 fatalities. Idaho State Police officials reported the accident was on Highway 51, southeast of Mountain Home. ISP officials have determined the dust storm reduced visibility significantly and was the cause of the accident.
Forest Service Roads were washed out with debris flows. The top end of Fall Creek road was washed out and the West Fork of James Creek near Atlanta road was also washed out. A new washout scar was seen in the wilderness area near Jackson Peak on the Upper North Fork of the Boise River.
Strong winds, produced by thunderstorms, were observed across south central Idaho. A gust to 69 mph was recorded at the Hailey Airport. These winds blew over numerous trees and downed several power lines along the Wood River Valley near Hailey. Strong thunderstorm winds also caused damage in Elmore County near Mountain Home. Wind gusts up to 50 mph were recorded at Mountain Home Air Force Base, but the nature of the damage indicated that gusts reached severe criteria in the area. Nine powerline poles, as well as several large trees, were blown over.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,321
Population (ACS)
$317K
Median home value
11
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 |
| Apr 21, 2017 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 13, 2013 | Fire | ELK FIRE | FM |
| Aug 15, 2012 | Fire | TRINITY RIDGE FIRE | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Elmore County, Idaho?
130 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths and $812K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Elmore County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 56 recorded events — 43.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Elmore County?
5 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Elmore County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Elmore County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Elmore County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Elmore County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Elmore 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
- Custer County 70
- Franklin County 49
- Clearwater County 93
- Fremont County 153
- Clark County 79
- Gem County 45
Cite this page
“Elmore County, Idaho.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/idaho/elmore-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.