Platte County, Nebraska severe weather history spans 523 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 44.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #798 nationally and #33 in Nebraska.
523
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$16.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Platte County, Nebraska severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Platte County, Nebraska severe weather history averages 7.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 141 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 76 events fall before 1990 and 447 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Platte County, Nebraska record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $7.5M 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 Platte County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 233 | 0 | $7.5M | 4.5 | 1962–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 186 | 0 | $530K | 95 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 36 | 0 | $7.2M | F4 | 1953–2024 |
| Flood | 27 | 2 | $662K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 24 | 0 | $443K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2019 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $33K | 0 | 1997–1998 |
Decade by decade
Platte County, Nebraska severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
40 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 37 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-05-30 | EF4 | 6 | 23 | 29.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-21 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 25.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1952-08-13 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 44.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-23 | EF2 | 0 | 17 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-06-13 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 88.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 24.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Platte County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2019 | Flood | MONROE | 1 | 0 | $440K |
| Mar 13, 2019 | Flood | PLATTE CENTER | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 1998 | Tornado | COLUMBUS | 0 | 17 | $4.0M |
| Dec 15, 2021 | Tornado | COLUMBUS | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This is for flooding along the Loup River. The river gage at Columbus, operated by the Nebraska DNR, peaked at 19.39 feet at 5 am on March 15th. Major flood stage is 20 feet. Preliminary this peak is the 2nd highest on record. This flooding caused substantial damage to the area, specifically on the river side of the levee around Columbus. This damage was the result of both ice jam and open water flooding. Several businesses and homes were destroyed and many people needed to be rescued. The water got within 1 to 2 feet of the top of the levee and never got into Columbus. One woman was killed by flood waters in her home. Rescuers could not get to her home due to extreme weather conditions. Property damage amounts represent amounts for the entire county.
This is for flooding along the Shell Creek. The river gage near Columbus, operated by the USGS, peaked at 22.21 feet at 7:30 am on March 14th. Major flood stage is 22 feet. Preliminary data shows that this peak is the 2nd highest on record. US Highway 81 was flooded over from high waters from Shell Creek. Much rural property was inundated by flood waters. A bridges were taken out by flooding. A Columbus man drowned on the 14th while driving his tractor north on, 175th Avenue and over the Shell Creek Bridge. The bridge gave way and the man was swept away by flood waters. Dollar amounts for the county are included in the Loup River flood entry.
A possible thunderstorm microburst hit around a 1 mile area northwest of Columbus. The winds, estimated at over 70 mph, took a tin roof off of local power company cement block building. Four garage doors on that building were also destroyed or heavily damaged. Another nearby business sustained serious damage and a farmstead, also close by, had several large trees toppled by the winds one of which damaged a grain bin.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
34,716
Population (ACS)
$224K
Median home value
23
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Aug 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Feb 23, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 21, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Columbus 107
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Platte County, Nebraska?
523 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $16.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Platte County?
Hail, with 233 recorded events — 44.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Platte County?
40 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 37 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Platte County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Platte County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Platte County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Platte County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 71 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Platte County, Nebraska 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
- Pierce County 279
- Polk County 325
- Phelps County 470
- Red Willow County 596
- Perkins County 492
- Richardson County 348
Cite this page
“Platte County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/platte-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.