Nebraska has a long and well-documented history of severe storms, with 3,333 confirmed tornadoes, 24,325 hailstorm events and 13,045 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950. The state ranks 7th nationally for tornado frequency, and averages 44.4 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Nebraska lies within Tornado Alley, the historic core of the country’s most active severe-weather climate. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Nebraska from the official NOAA Storm Events Database (1950 through September 2025).

Use the map to find your county, click any marker for the date, magnitude, and casualty details of that event, and switch between tornadoes, hail and wind using the chips. For the national view across all 50 states, see our NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. For tornado tracks specifically, see the US Tornado Tracks map; for hail size and frequency, the US Hailstorms map.

Nebraska Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)

• 3,333 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
• 539 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
• 4 confirmed F5/EF5 tornadoes on record — the maximum rating on the Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scales
• 56 direct tornado deaths and 1,216 direct injuries
• 24,325 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
• 13,045 damaging-wind events on record
• 44.4 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
• June is the peak severe-weather month, accounting for roughly 32.3% of Nebraska tornadoes
• 112 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS

When Nebraska Severe Weather Happens

Nebraska tornado activity is heavily concentrated in spring. March, April, May and June account for 75% of all Nebraska tornadoes, with June alone responsible for roughly 32.3%.

• June: 1,077 tornadoes (32.3%) — peak month
• May: 1,011 tornadoes (30.3%)
• July: 402 tornadoes (12.1%)
• April: 314 tornadoes (9.4%)
• August: 203 tornadoes (6.1%)
• October: 113 tornadoes (3.4%)

Top 10 Nebraska Counties by Tornado Frequency

Tornado activity in Nebraska is geographically broad, but a handful of counties have logged many times the state average. The combination of population density (more spotters and damage reports), county land area and local climatology drives the rankings below.

The Deadliest Tornadoes in Nebraska History

Nebraska has lost 56 lives to tornadoes since the National Weather Service began systematic tornado record-keeping in 1950. The single deadliest event killed 11 people in Valley County in 1953, rated F4 on the Fujita scale.

Nebraska Tornado Strength Distribution

Most Nebraska tornadoes are weak: roughly 82% are rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Violent tornadoes (F2+/EF2+) account for around 17.9% of rated tornadoes in the state. Nebraska is one of the few states with a confirmed F5 or EF5 tornado on record.

• F0/EF0 (weak): 1,557 tornadoes — 51.7% of rated events
• F1/EF1: 914 tornadoes — 30.4% of rated events
• F2/EF2 (strong): 368 tornadoes — 12.2% of rated events
• F3/EF3: 109 tornadoes — 3.6% of rated events
• F4/EF4 (violent): 58 tornadoes — 1.9% of rated events
• F5/EF5 (incredible): 4 tornadoes — 0.1% of rated events

Record-Setting Severe Weather in Nebraska

Largest hailstone: 7.00 inches in diameter, observed in Hamilton County near Aurora on June 22, 2003. The three largest hailstones on record in Nebraska measured 7.00″, 6.00″, 6.00″.

Highest measured wind gust: 96 knots (110 mph) recorded in Dodge County near Fremont Arpt on June 16, 2017. Most damaging-wind events in Nebraska are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.

How Nebraska Compares Nationally

Nebraska ranks 7th nationally for tornado frequency since 1950, placing it in the upper third of states by severe-weather activity.

• Tornadoes (top 5): Texas (9,908), Kansas (4,890), Oklahoma (4,856), Florida (3,779), Iowa (3,417).
• Nebraska tornado total: 3,333 — ranked 7th nationally.
• Nebraska hail total: 24,325 hail events on record since 1950.
• Nebraska wind total: 13,045 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes does Nebraska have on average per year?

Nebraska averages 44.4 tornadoes per year over the 1950–2025 period. Counts vary widely year to year, but the long-term mean over 75 years of NWS records is a reliable benchmark for typical activity.

What was the deadliest tornado in Nebraska history?

The June 7, 1953 tornado, rated F4 on the Fujita scale, killed 11 people in Valley County. It remains the single deadliest tornado in the Nebraska modern record.

Where in Nebraska are tornadoes most common?

The single county with the most tornadoes on record is Custer County with 106 events. The three most active counties overall are Custer, Lincoln, Cherry.

How does Nebraska compare to its neighbors?

Nebraska shares a severe-weather climate with South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Nebraska’s neighbors’ records on the same date.

How recent is the data on this map?

The map and statistics on this page are pulled from NOAA’s official Storm Events Database, which currently runs from January 1950 through September 2025. New records typically appear in the database within 30–90 days of the event date, once damage surveys and ratings are complete.

Compare Nebraska to Neighboring States

Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Nebraska tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Nebraska’s storm history to its land neighbors:

• South Dakota severe storm history — ranked 17th nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Iowa severe storm history — ranked 5th nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Missouri severe storm history — ranked 10th nationally, Dixie Alley state with frequent overnight tornadoes
• Kansas severe storm history — ranked 2nd nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Colorado severe storm history — ranked 13th nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Wyoming severe storm history — ranked 28th nationally, mountain-west severe weather, mostly hail and high wind

Explore the national NOAA Storm Reports map · US Tornado Tracks map · US Hailstorms map