Wayne County

Every recorded tornado

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

Mapped landslides

Mapped by NE Univ of NE Lincoln (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 19, 1999Heat, Wayne$3.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   From July 19th through the 30th high temperatures over eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa reached 90 degrees or better all but a day or two, and even then highs were well into the 80s. In addition, overnight lows stayed mostly above 70 degrees. The high temperatures were accompanied by high humidities which caused afternoon heat indicies to reach between 105 and 120 degrees. The highest temperatures in this period were observed on the 29th and 30th with highs both days in the upper 90s to low 100s across the region. Lincoln recorded 104 degrees on the 29th while Omaha Eppley reached 100. Two deaths were determined to be caused from the heat. A 34 year old male died while jogging…

2. Jun 16, 2014Tornado$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed as the Pilger tornado was beginning to enter the rope stage. The Pilger tornado rotated around the south side of this developing tornado before completely dissipating. As this tornado moved north, along and to the east of State Highway 16 it grew in size and intensity. The tornado impacted numerous farmsteads along its path in eastern Wayne County producing varying degrees of damage, but the tornado was particularly violent in a two mile stretch between 853rd and 855th Roads where 4 houses were completely destroyed down to the foundation. The tornado also destroyed outbuildings, power poles, and debarked trees in these locations as well. The tornado became…

3. Apr 16, 2024Flash Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Wayne County EM reported street flooding in Winside.

4. Jun 16, 2014Tornado$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This is a continuation of the Pilger tornado that went through Stanton and Cuming into Wayne County. Once entering the county the tornado produced violent damage at two farmsteads where the houses were completely destroyed down to the foundation. The tornado finally started to narrow and weaken as a new tornado developed to the northeast. As this occurred the tornado narrowed and accelerated to the east northeast to the south of the new tornado before finally dissipating.

5. Mar 13, 2019Flash Flood$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain and snow melt caused flooding at Wayne State University, mainly at their Willow Bowl outdoor amphitheater. Wayne Municipal Airport was under water and did sustain damage. Also the walking trail in Wayne was damaged by flood waters.

6. Jun 16, 2014Tornado$75,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado, after crossing in front of the Pilger tornado, moved out of Cuming County and into Wayne County. The tornado continued for about 2 miles into the County before roping out and dissipating. As the tornado crossed into Wayne County it impacted a cattle ranch to the north of Y Road where over 300 head of cattle were killed as well as destroying outbuildings. As the tornado moved north northwest, while slowing, it impacted a brick home between 847th and 848th Roads where the second story was removed as well as some outside walls.

7. Jun 30, 2014Flash Flood$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Spotters reported water over roads in the city of Wayne. Also several county roads across the northern half of the county had water running over them in favored low spots.

8. Jun 11, 2010Flood$30,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain from June 8th through the morning of the 11th caused flooding of small streams and creeks with widespread crop damage noted. Some county roads were damaged by flood waters and a bridge northwest of Carroll was washed out.

9. Jun 23, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds estimated at around 65 mph knocked the power out for some residents in Wayne. The winds also downed many large tree branches and uprooted several trees in town. A roof was also ripped off of a metal building in town by the winds.

10. Oct 4, 1998Lightning$14,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning strike caused a fire which destroyed a hog barn and killed 50 pigs.

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

115°FJul 17, 1936

All-time low

−41°FJan 12, 1912

Warmest night

90°FJul 29, 1935

Coldest day

−20°FFeb 1, 1917

Wettest day

6.35 inJun 4, 1940

Snowiest day

17.0 inNov 19, 1948

Hottest year

1931mean 54.3°F

Coldest year

1951mean 45.1°F

Wettest year

200744.27 in

Driest year

202214.25 in

Snowiest season

81.7 in1983-84

Station Wakefield 3NW (USC00258915), 1,420 ft elevation, 9.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1897 to October 25, 2026; 94.0% 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 USC00258915.
• 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.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• 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.