Nobles County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Nobles 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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

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. Apr 9, 2013Winter Storm, Nobles$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An extended period of precipitation began with freezing rain quickly producing heavy ice accumulations, ranging up to a half inch. The precipitation then changed to sleet and then snow, with sleet and snow accumulations reaching 10 inches near Worthington. Many branches, limbs, whole trees, and power lines were downed by the weight of ice and accompanying wind. Both urban areas and rural electric cooperatives suffered major power line damage, with the rural cooperatives alone reporting 16 million dollars in damages. Trees and tree debris blocked many roads, and damaged several vehicles and homes. Major power outages were reported, affecting thousands of people. The winter…

2. Jun 21, 2024Flood$3.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Rainfall amounts across Nobles County from June 20-22 ranged from 4 to 10 inches. This rainfall resulted in widespread overland flooding across the county. Okabena Lake in Worthington also overflowed its banks, flooding the downtown area and residential properties surrounding the lake. ||During peak flooding, there were 3 swift water rescues and a reported 6 stalled vehicles. Three apartment buildings and one home in Worthington needed to be evacuated, impacting 35 individuals. County-wide, 350 individuals reported flood damage. Of these, 5 residences were declared destroyed, 55 with major damage, and another 250 with minor damage. ||There were 150 locations that reported flood…

3. Nov 14, 1996Ice Storm, Nobles$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An ice storm consisting of several periods of freezing rain caused widespread damage to power lines and poles, and to trees. Power lines snapped, cable wires were ripped down, and tree debris littered and blocked some roads. Thousands lost power, some for 5 days. Travel was curtailed by icy surfaces and there were numerous accidents, although no serious injuries were reported. The ice storm was described as the worst in 40 years in the Worthington area. Many small farm structures were damaged. A 600 foot radio tower in Worthington was toppled. Schools and business were forced to close. Damage continued after the ice storm ended, including some damage occurring when ice melted…

4. Aug 3, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds blew parts of the roofs off a junior high school building and an apartment building, and overturned a semi truck. The winds caused widespread tree damage, including several large trees uprooted or blown down. Tree debris blocked several roads, and made the golf course at the country club unusable. Power lines were blown down and other lines were knocked down by falling tree debris, causing power outages. Tree debris also damaged several vehicles and buildings. At least one garage was destroyed by the winds. Several signs, including large billboards, were blown down. The winds damaged crops, especially corn, but the amount of crop damage could not be determined.

5. Aug 3, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds destroyed a grain elevator and several grain bins. The winds also damaged roofs and siding on several homes and businesses. There was widespread tree damage including several trees blown down. Homes, businesses, and vehicles sustained additional damage from falling or flying tree debris, and debris blocked several roads. Power lines were blown down, resulting in power outages. The winds caused severe crop damage in the area, but the amount of crop damage could not be determined.

6. Apr 10, 2019Ice Storm, Nobles$877,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Ice accumulated to one-half to three quarters of an inch. As winds increased during the night of April 10 into early April 11 with gusts reaching 45 to 50 mph at times, power poles and transmission lines bore the brunt of the worst conditions. Several hundred power poles were snapped by the weight of the ice accumulation and stress of the high winds, with more than 75 miles of power line down. Many roads were closed, including U.S. Highway 59, due to power structures across roadways. Damage costs are rough estimates due to utility costs.

7. Jun 19, 1996Hail$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail damaged buildings and cars, broke windows, and damaged crops.

8. Apr 18, 2004Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado destroyed a barn and blew the walls of a garage off its foundation. The garage was attached to a house which received no apparent damage.

9. Aug 18, 2017Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   EF-1 tornado hit a hog confinement building before the storm crossed Interstate 90. 20 to 30 hogs were killed.

10. Mar 29, 1998Tornado$400,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A tornado destroyed buildings...trees in shelter belts...and numerous pieces of farm equipment...and killed two cattle.

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

104°FAug 1, 1988

All-time low

−31°FJan 2, 2010

Warmest night

79°F2 times, most recently Jul 19, 2011

Coldest day

−18°FJan 15, 1972

Wettest day

5.61 inSep 23, 2010

Snowiest day

14.0 inMar 2, 2007

Hottest year

2012mean 48.4°F

Coldest year

1979mean 40.2°F

Wettest year

201943.61 in

Driest year

197616.55 in

Snowiest season

78.8 in1983-84

Station Worthington 2 Nne (USC00219170), 1,568 ft elevation, 4.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1971 to October 27, 2026; 98.4% 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 USC00219170.
• 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.