Minidoka County, Idaho severe weather history spans 117 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 70.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,824 nationally and #18 in Idaho.
117
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Minidoka County, Idaho severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Minidoka County, Idaho severe weather history averages 1.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 33 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 99 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $6.6M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Minidoka County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 82 | 0 | $673K | 83.6 | 1958–2025 |
| Hail | 19 | 0 | $1K | 1.75 | 1958–2023 |
| Tornado | 5 | 0 | $250K | F2 | 1968–2003 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $6.6M | 0 | 2009–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2014 |
Decade by decade
Minidoka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-09-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-04-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A warmup very early in the month caused massive sheet flooding as the snow melt from extreme December and January snows began rapidly early in the month. Nearly all roads experienced major flooding with as much as 4 feet of water on some roadways. The county did not have enough signs to indicate all the road closures. By the 14th of the month the only main roadways north of Meridian Road that were open were 400 West Road and 600 West Road. Highway 24 from Rupert to Acequia was closed by the 12th. Many roads were lost due to the damage. A large number of homes received massive flooding damage. Rural home damage to wells and septic systems occurred contaminating water. The state declared Minidoka County a disaster with some of the most significant flood damage in the state occurring there. The city of Paul's main pump station became completely submerged under water. The month's damage in dollar amounts exceeded 6 million dollars. Over 50,000 sandbags were ordered.
Extensive flooding continued throughout Minidoka County in March although effects did diminish significantly from February. Road and property damage remained substantial however despite the improved conditions from February.
Thunderstorm winds caused extensive damage to property in Rupert. Flying debris and downed trees damaged numerous vehicles and one home. The most extensive damage was a car dealership that lost part of its roof, which damaged or destoryed a number of vehicles. Power outages were widespread.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
22,208
Population (ACS)
$263K
Median home value
5
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 21, 2017 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
| Dec 31, 1964 | Flood | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Minidoka County, Idaho?
117 events are on record between 1958 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Minidoka County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 82 recorded events — 70.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Minidoka 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 Minidoka County?
5 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Minidoka County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Minidoka County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Minidoka County as very low risk, placing it in the 20 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Minidoka 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
- Madison County 112
- Nez Perce County 125
- Lincoln County 81
- Oneida County 89
- Lewis County 51
- Owyhee County 115
Cite this page
“Minidoka County, Idaho.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/idaho/minidoka-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.