Clay County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Clay 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. May 11, 2014Tornado$12.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado was reported initially as a multi-vortex tornado for several miles before taking on a more traditional look south of Saronville, where it was described as a wedge tornado. Based upon reports and video, it appears the entire mesocyclone of the storm was near ground level southwest of Sutton. It was one of the strongest tornado of the day in south central Nebraska, rated an EF3 with the peak wind estimated to be 150 MPH. Rear flank downdraft winds resulted in damage on the south side of the tornado track and in addition to the damage to Sutton itself, areas east of Clay Center, southwest of Sutton through northwest of Grafton were affected. Power poles and trees were…

2. May 27, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wind gusts were estimated to be near 90 MPH, resulting in tree damage, overturned pivots and snapped power poles.

3. Jul 9, 2021Thunderstorm Wind$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wind gusts estimated to be near 95 MPH occurred along this path. The main reports of damage came from the Harvard and Sutton areas. Widespread tree damage was reported, along with large areas of flattened crops. Minor roof damage occurred in Sutton. Numerous power outages were reported. Emergency management reported multiple irrigation pivots overturned in the area, along with 3 large grain bins destroyed and an outbuilding damaged along N Road near Harvard.

4. May 22, 2004Tornado$4.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A large tornado moved out of Adams county and into central Clay county. Approximately 15 residences were hit by the tornado. Thirty-eight cars of a forty-nine car Union Pacific train were derailed southeast of Glenvil. Over 100 center irrigation pivots were damaged or destroyed across Clay County.

5. May 27, 2013Tornado$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This EF2 tornado touched down during the early evening hours just west of Edgar and was on the ground between 5 and 10 minutes before lifting just southeast of Edgar. The maximum speed was estimated at 115 MPH with a maximum width of 250 yards. Damage along the path included snapped power poles, overturned irrigation pivots, grain bin and outbuilding damage. In Edgar itself, a large metal building was destroyed, other buildings suffered minor damage and the grain elevator was damaged.

6. May 19, 2025Hail$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail in Edgar was mainly less than two inches in diameter, but the largest stones were near the size of baseballs.

7. Dec 30, 2006Ice Storm, Clay$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A wide variety of significant winter weather began impacting portions of south central Nebraska during the day on Friday (12/29) and continued through Saturday night (12/30), before exiting the area on Sunday (12/31). Freezing rain, sleet, and snow began Friday afternoon in portions of Dawson county, with snowfall amounts as high as 9 inches. By Friday night most of the precipitation had turned to sleet and freezing rain, pressing further east to around highway 281. This led to significant ice accumulations which continued through Saturday night. The areas just west of Grand Island and Hastings received significant ice accrual from the storm, with up to an inch of ice reported…

8. Jun 14, 2022Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Peak wind gusts estimated to be around 95 MPH caused widespread damage along and near this path. Numerous power poles were damaged, including several that were snapped. Tree damage was reported, and several irrigation pivots were overturned. Outbuilding damage occurred, and a grain bin just west of Saronville was shifted off its foundation and crumpled. A shed was overturned north of Sutton.

9. May 6, 2023Hail$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail up to the size of tennis balls was reported in Edgar.

10. Aug 22, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$1.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    At least 80 mph winds toppled a newly constructed 125 foot tall grain bin and pulled the anchor bolts out of the cement foundation.

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

107°FAug 17, 1983

All-time low

−39°FDec 22, 1983

Warmest night

77°FJul 19, 2019

Coldest day

−8°F2 times, most recently Dec 23, 1989

Wettest day

7.20 inJul 30, 1998

Snowiest day

13.0 inNov 1, 1991

Hottest year

2012mean 54.9°F

Coldest year

1979mean 47.3°F

Wettest year

197741.91 in

Driest year

197414.93 in

Snowiest season

38.5 in1974-75

Station Clay Center (USC00251684), 1,788 ft elevation, 2.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1971 to October 27, 2026; 95.8% 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 USC00251684.
• 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.