Esmeralda County, Nevada severe weather history spans 26 recorded events between 1982 and 2023. The dominant hazard is flash flood, accounting for 76.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,133 nationally and #17 in Nevada.
26
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$587K
Property damage
The record
What the Esmeralda County, Nevada severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Esmeralda County, Nevada severe weather history averages 0.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 19 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 1 events fall before 1990 and 25 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $496K in reported property damage. In total, 4 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Esmeralda County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $496K | 0 | 1997–2023 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $86K | 0 | 2010–2012 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $30 | F0 | 1982–1982 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $5K | 45 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Esmeralda County, Nevada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-08-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 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
Strong thunderstorms with very heavy rain produced significant flooding which washed out several roads including Highway 266, between Lida and Palmetto, and Highway 264 in the Fish Lake Valley. Twelve people were rescued from stranded vehicles and at least three cars were swept away by flood waters.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
1,028
Population (ACS)
$109K
Median home value
3
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Esmeralda County, Nevada?
26 events are on record between 1982 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths and $587K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Esmeralda County?
Flash Flood, with 20 recorded events — 76.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda County?
3 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Esmeralda County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Esmeralda County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Esmeralda County as very low risk, placing it in the 2 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Esmeralda County, Nevada 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
- Elko County 342
- Eureka County 98
- Douglas County 106
- Humboldt County 101
- Clark County 937
- Lander County 79
Cite this page
“Esmeralda County, Nevada.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nevada/esmeralda-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.