Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska severe weather history spans 864 recorded events between 1951 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 59.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #229 nationally and #7 in Nebraska.
864
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
79
Direct injuries
$123.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska severe weather history averages 11.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 309 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 180 events fall before 1990 and 684 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $112.2M 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 Scotts Bluff County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 510 | 0 | $112.2M | 4.25 | 1955–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 235 | 0 | $4.1M | 90 | 1958–2025 |
| Tornado | 68 | 2 | $5.9M | F4 | 1951–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 34 | 0 | $630K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2022 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1998–2018 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
74 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 72 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-06-27 | EF4 | 2 | 29 | 26.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-06-09 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-05-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 48.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-07-26 | EF2 | 0 | 12 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1951-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 19.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-06-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Scotts Bluff County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 1955 | Tornado | 2 | 29 | $250K | |
| Jun 27, 1999 | Hail | SCOTTSBLUFF | 0 | 25 | $55.0M |
| Jul 5, 2001 | Hail | SCOTTSBLUFF | 0 | 12 | $50.0M |
| May 30, 1951 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $0 | |
| Jun 7, 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | MITCHELL | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 4, 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 29, 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | LAKE MINATARE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 1994 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado tracked approximately 1 to 3 miles ENE of Gering, causing significant damage to a structure with debris scattered up to 1/2 mile to the west, including hazardous material. Vehicles on the property were thrown 50 feet. A small wooden trailer was thrown 1/4 mile away. Additionally, irrigation pivots were rolled numerous times and power lines were broken along Highway 26. Damage was consistent with an EF-2 tornado. Confirmed by official NWS Storm Survey.
Very heavy rain fell over western Scotts Bluff county with rainfall amounts from 2 to 4 inches common…as high as 4.6 inches measured 6 miles south of Lyman, Neb. The rain producedsome flooding on the Stegall highway as well as washed out some county roads.
Scotts Bluff County EMA shared numerous photos of tree and property damage with multiple large trees down with structural damage to several outbuildings in SW Gering due to an apparent localized microburst. Wind gusts estimated at 70+ MPH.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
35,843
Population (ACS)
$169K
Median home value
10
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | 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 |
| Aug 12, 2011 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Scottsbluff 257
- Gering 112
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska?
864 events are on record between 1951 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $123.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Scotts Bluff County?
Hail, with 510 recorded events — 59.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Scotts Bluff County?
74 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 72 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Scotts Bluff County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Scotts Bluff County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Scotts Bluff County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Scotts Bluff County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 64 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Scotts Bluff 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
- Saunders County 624
- Seward County 405
- Sarpy County 531
- Sheridan County 820
- Saline County 536
- Sherman County 329
Cite this page
“Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nebraska/scotts-bluff-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.