Payette County, Idaho severe weather history spans 51 recorded events between 1958 and 2024. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,044 nationally and #36 in Idaho.
51
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$1.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Payette County, Idaho severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Payette County, Idaho severe weather history averages 0.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 13 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 13 events fall before 1990 and 38 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $1.0M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Payette County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 31 | 0 | $510K | 85 | 1958–2024 |
| Hail | 10 | 0 | $5K | 1.75 | 1992–2024 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 2010–2017 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2022–2024 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $25K | F1 | 1983–2004 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Payette County, Idaho severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-07-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Payette County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2024 | Hail | NEW PLYMOUTH | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A large organized area of convection produced winds in excess of 60 mph from Rome, Oregon to Payette, Idaho, a storm path of over 130 miles with a width of up to 100 miles, from Baker City, Oregon to just northwest of Boise, with reports being received over a four hour period. The storm displayed characteristics of a large bow echo, which is not commonly observed west of the Continental Divide. Winds were measured over 60 mph at a number of locations, and trees were knocked over causing blackouts and damaging homes.
Severe thunderstorms brought gusty winds to Boise causing some minor damage. Trees three-to four-feet in diameter were broken in two pieces. In Challis tree limbs were broken off while in Salmon and Arco sheds were mangled. In Soda Springs high winds toppled a tree and in Emmett fallen trees smashed a car. A house in Blackfoot was struck by lightning and a fire was started only causing minor damage. In McCall a man was struck and killed by lightning at a rodeo. Twelve others were injured by the strike. ILLINOIS, Northeast
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
26,771
Population (ACS)
$342K
Median home value
6
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 27, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
| Jan 4, 1997 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUD AND LANDSLIDES | DR |
| Dec 31, 1964 | Flood | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Payette County, Idaho?
51 events are on record between 1958 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths and $1.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Payette County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 31 recorded events — 60.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Payette County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Payette County?
6 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Payette County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Payette County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Payette County as very low risk, placing it in the 17 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Payette 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
- Owyhee County 115
- Power County 196
- Oneida County 89
- Shoshone County 83
- Nez Perce County 125
- Teton County 71
Cite this page
“Payette County, Idaho.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/idaho/payette-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.