Sheridan County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Sheridan County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Dec 29, 2006Winter Storm, Sheridan$12.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snowfall totals across the county averaged 2-3 east, 8 central and 11-13 west and northwest. A period of freezing rain occurred before the snow, producing 1/2 of ice. Damage costs are a preliminary combined estimate for both the Dec 20 and Dec 30 storms.

2. May 23, 2008Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado moved into southern Sheridan county from Gove county. It initially moved NNE, then straight north on Road 120E then turned back to the NNW before dissipating near Road 50S and 100E in Sheridan county. Approximately five miles of utility poles were broken or heavily damaged from a combination of tornado and rear flank downdraft winds. In addition, several farmsteads suffered damage to the home and outbuildings. A mobile home was blown off its supports and into a nearby home which was destroyed as a result.

3. May 22, 2008Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed just south of highway 24 west of Hoxie, and moved north nine miles before dissipating. It produced EF2 damage at a home on highway 24, removing much of the roof of the home and destroying a large metal outbuilding. Significant tree damage also occurred. South of the highway, an irrigation pivot was overturned and a second home suffered minor damage and a small outbuilding was destroyed.

4. Apr 24, 2008Hail$670,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Follow-up newspaper reports indicated significant window and roof damage in the town of Selden. Emergency manager estimated around 75% of the homes in Selden had some type of window or siding damage on the north side. Most hail was of golf ball size with the largest being softball. The grade school was closed the following day due to roof and water damage.

5. Jun 16, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$625,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Fifteen irrigation sprinklers overturned and 5 grain bins destroyed. Windows broken in a house along with roof shingles blown off. Some tree branches downed. Wind speeds estimated.

6. May 22, 2008Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed SW of Selden in Sheridan county and tracked for 17.5 miles into central Decatur county SW of Oberlin. The tornado damaged outbuildings and trees at a farmstead NW of Selden producing F1 damage.

7. Jul 25, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong winds destroyed airport hanger and 2 aircraft.

8. Dec 2, 2022Dust Storm, Sheridan$133,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Law enforcement reported reduced visibility while responding to a fatal, multi-car accident occurred due to blowing dust caused by strong winds. The accident was due to extremely reduced visibility caused by blowing dust.

9. May 18, 2025Tornado$120,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The same supercell which produced Grinnell tornado produced another EF3 tornado in Sheridan County, which led to damage to portions of a homestead. The worst damage was broken bolts and metal brackets of a metal frame that was bolted into concrete. The tornado also removed the roof from a barn nearby, as well as leveling a cinderblock garage and removing/destroying wooden and metal grain bins. The tornado started just northwest of CR 110 S and 40W based on Sentinel satellite data, crossed CR 90 S and 80 S, then lifted just northwest of County Road 406 and CR 20 W intersection based on the same Sentinel data as well.

10. May 23, 2008Hail$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Over a dozen hail reports received via the NSSL SHAVE project with sizes between 1.0 and 2.5 inches. Extremely heavy rain was also reported.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

113°F2 times, most recently Jul 26, 1940

All-time low

−25°FMar 11, 1948

Warmest night

90°FJun 19, 1894

Coldest day

−10°FDec 22, 1983

Wettest day

6.92 inJul 25, 1999

Snowiest day

12.0 in5 times, most recently Mar 10, 2022

Hottest year

1934mean 57.4°F

Coldest year

1960mean 48.6°F

Wettest year

201842.19 in

Driest year

19569.82 in

Snowiest season

60.0 in1957-58

Station Quinter (USC00146637), 2,672 ft elevation, 24.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1894 to September 30, 2026; 98.1% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00146637.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.