88
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$5.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Harlan County, Nebraska: 88 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #2,355 nationally and #63 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Harlan County, Nebraska: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Harlan County is the 2020s, when 25 of the county's 88 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Harlan County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 26.7% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,355 for this hazard and #63 within Nebraska, putting it in the 25.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Harlan County with 31 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2025 | HARLAN CO RES | 53 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | RAGAN | 61 | $5K |
| Jun 15, 2024 | STAMFORD | 51 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | REPUBLICAN CITY | 56 | $0 |
| May 21, 2024 | ALMA | 50 | $0 |
| May 2, 2024 | ORLEANS | 51 | $0 |
| Apr 6, 2024 | ORLEANS | 56 | $0 |
| Oct 3, 2023 | OXFORD | 63 | $0 |
| Oct 3, 2023 | HUNTLEY | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2023 | ALMA | 56 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Harlan County
- Hail 191
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The line of thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts up near 80 MPH continued into Harlan County. Damage was reported in the Alma, Republican City and Harlan County Dam areas. Large tree limbs near 8 to 12 inches in diameter were downed. On the south side of Harlan County Lake near Patterson Harbor, a shelter and dock for multiple boats were damaged and at least 4 boats were rammed onto the shore. A camping trailer was blown over onto a vehicle. In Republican City, another trailer with a pontoon boat was blown onto its side.
A cluster of thunderstorms sliding east just north of the Nebraska-Kansas state line produced widespread severe weather across central and southern portions of Harlan County. Hail generally up to the size of golf balls was reported across this area, though isolated larger hail also likely fell. Wind gusts were estimated to be anywhere from 60 to 80 MPH, resulting in numerous reports of tree damage, including whole trees snapped and larger limbs downed. Outbuilding damage was reported near Alma. The wind-driven large hail resulted in widespread damage to crops, siding, windows, and vehicles.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Harlan County, Nebraska?
88 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Harlan County between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Harlan County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Harlan County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Harlan County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Harlan County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/harlan-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.