Madison County, Nebraska
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1953 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
46
Tornado reports
219
Hail reports
35
Floods since 1996
753
All events
9
Deaths
$16.0M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Madison County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 46 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
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Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
This is for flooding along the Elkhorn River. The river gage at Norfolk, operated by the USGS, peaked at 15.5 feet at 7 am on March 14th. Minor flood stage is 12 feet. Major flood stage is 17 feet. Preliminary this was the 3rd highest crest on record. A 30 year old man was killed…
Rainfall of at least 3 to 5 inches fell over much of the upper Elkhorn River basin in the week ending 7am 6/12. This caused record or near record flooding along the Elkhorn River from around Clearwater and Neligh downstream to the Elkhorn's confluence with the Platte River. The f…
Snow, mostly light, combined with northwest winds which increased to 25 to 45 mph with a peak gust of 47 mph recorded by the Asos sensor in Norfolk. This brought widespread blowing and drifting snow and poor visibilities beginning on 2/14 and continuing into the 15th. These condi…
Freezing rain accumulated from at least 1/2 inch to over 1 inch in some locations on trees, power lines, vehicles and other untreated objects. The weight of the ice, and a mix of light sleet that also fell briefly late Saturday night, caused widespread tree damage and also felled…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 67 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 80 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 63 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 64 mph.
Hail Hail
Public report of hail measured up to 1.50 inches in diameter.
Hail Hail
Trained spotter report of hail measured up to 1.00 inch in diameter.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Delayed public report of several large tree branches (6-8 inches in diameter) down and siding damage to a home. Time estimated with radar. Wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 70 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 59 mph.
Hail Hail
Public report of hail measured up to 1.25 inches in diameter.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Delayed report of a power line snapped and large tree limbs down. Time estimated with radar. Wind gusts estimated at 80 mph.
Hail Hail
Delayed public report of hail measured up to ping pong ball sized along with wind driven hail damage to siding. Time estimated with radar.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
KOFK ASOS measured wind gust of 64 mph at Stefan Memorial Airport.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 101 mph. Destroyed well-anchored car port.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted across Madison County through the month of June, though improvements in areal coverage were observed. The coverage of severe drought shrank from around 34 percent at the beginning of the month down to less than one percent by the end of th…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured wind gust of 64 mph.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted across Madison County throughout the month of May. The Norfolk Airport recorded 3.85 inches of precipitation, 0.15 inches below average.
Drought Drought
Extreme (D3) drought conditions were present across Madison County at the beginning of the month, but conditions improved steadily throughout April. Extreme drought coverage was reduced to zero by the end of the month, while the coverage of severe (D2) drought shrank from 100 per…
High Wind High Wind
KOFK ASOS measured a 61 mph gust and a 58 mph gust at the Norfolk Airport.
Drought Drought
A D2 (Severe) drought was overspread the entire county on March 3. A D3 (Extreme) drought was introduced across the northwestern portion of the county on March 10, continuing through the remainder of the month. The cooperative observer near Norfolk, Nebraska recorded 0.62 inches …
Drought Drought
A D2 (Severe) drought was introduced across the northern portion of the county on February 17, persisting through the remainder of the month. The cooperative observer near Norfolk, Nebraska recorded 0.10 inches of precipitation for the month, which was 0.70 inches below average.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
KOFK ASOS measured wind chill temperature as low as 32 degrees below zero.
High Wind High Wind
KOFK ASOS measured wind gust of 62 mph near Norfolk, NE.
High Wind High Wind
KOFK ASOS measured wind gust of 61 mph in Norfolk, NE. Personal weather station measured wind gust of 58 mph near Norfolk, NE.
High Wind High Wind
KOFK ASOS measured wind gust of 59 mph near Norfolk, NE.
High Wind High Wind
KOFK ASOS measured wind gust of 61 mph. Personal weather station measured wind gust of 62 mph 2 miles northwest of Norfolk, NE. Personal weather station measured wind gust of 59 mph 1 mile east-northeast of Norfolk, NE.
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
KOFK ASOS measured heat index up to 109 degrees with a minimum heat index of 69 degrees through the period. Personal weather station measured heat index of 110, 111 and 115 degrees.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
KOFK ASOS measured thunderstorm wind gust of 63 mph.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
During the evening of July 7th, heavy rainfall moved through southwest Madison county with rainfall rates of 1.5-3 inches per hour at times with an estimated 3-4 inches of total rainfall. This led to flash flooding with emergency management reporting water over roadways. This fla…
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
KOFK ASOS measured heat index up to 107 degrees with a minimum heat index of 78 degrees through the period. Personal weather station measured heat index of 110 degrees.
Hail Hail
Trained spotter report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter.
Hail Hail
Trained spotter report of hail measured up to 1.5 inches in diameter.
Hail Hail
Trained spotter report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter.
Drought Drought
D3 (extreme) drought conditions at the beginning of the month saw significant improvement, with conditions improving to D1 (moderate) drought by the end of the month. The ASOS at the Norfolk Karl Stefan Memorial Airport recorded 7.76 inches of precipitation for the month, which w…
High Wind High Wind
Personal weather station measured gust of 63 mph 3 S Norfolk and a 59 mph gust measured from the ASOS station at KOFK Norfolk airport.
Drought Drought
At the beginning of the month, D3 (extreme) drought conditions were introduced across the extreme western portion of the county with a D2 (severe) drought in place across the western half of the county. The Norfolk Airport ASOS recorded 1.98 inches of precipitation for the month.…
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted across roughly the western two thirds of Madison county in April. The Norfolk Airport ASOS recorded 1.22 inches of precipitation for the month. This was 1.51 inches below average.
Blizzard Blizzard
Highway 32 closed near Madison due to blizzard conditions. Snowfall amounts generally in the 1 to 4 range with wind gusts measured up to 53 mph.
Hail Hail
Trained spotter report relayed by EM. Spotter had nickel to quarter size hail.
High Wind High Wind
KOFK measured 60 mph wind gust.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Wind chill got as low as -36 in the county.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 0 |
| 2025 | 19 | 0 |
| 2024 | 19 | 5 |
| 2023 | 18 | 2 |
| 2022 | 21 | 0 |
| 2021 | 30 | 1 |
| 2020 | 16 | 0 |
| 2019 | 11 | 0 |
| 2018 | 22 | 1 |
| 2017 | 21 | 1 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | 10 | 0 |
| 2014 | 17 | 0 |
| 2013 | 19 | 0 |
| 2012 | 16 | 1 |
| 2011 | 23 | 0 |
| 2010 | 23 | 0 |
| 2009 | 14 | 0 |
| 2008 | 16 | 0 |
| 2007 | 19 | 0 |
| 2006 | 19 | 0 |
| 2005 | 24 | 0 |
| 2004 | 18 | 0 |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 |
| 2002 | 9 | 0 |
| 2001 | 14 | 1 |
| 2000 | 23 | 4 |
| 1999 | 15 | 1 |
| 1998 | 11 | 1 |
| 1997 | 26 | 1 |
| 1996 | 23 | 0 |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 |
| 1994 | 13 | 1 |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | 3 | 0 |
| 1991 | 8 | 2 |
| 1990 | 5 | 3 |
| 1989 | 6 | 0 |
| 1988 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | 8 | 0 |
| 1986 | 8 | 0 |
| 1985 | 4 | 1 |
| 1984 | 7 | 1 |
| 1982 | 7 | 0 |
| 1981 | 7 | 1 |
| 1980 | 11 | 0 |
| 1979 | 14 | 0 |
| 1978 | 4 | 0 |
| 1977 | 4 | 0 |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | 3 | 1 |
| 1974 | 2 | 0 |
| 1973 | 3 | 0 |
| 1972 | 6 | 2 |
| 1971 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970 | 8 | 1 |
| 1969 | 2 | 1 |
| 1968 | 5 | 1 |
| 1967 | 8 | 3 |
| 1966 | 5 | 1 |
| 1965 | 2 | 0 |
| 1964 | 9 | 0 |
| 1963 | 3 | 0 |
| 1962 | 4 | 1 |
| 1961 | 4 | 0 |
| 1960 | 2 | 0 |
| 1959 | 2 | 0 |
| 1958 | 4 | 2 |
| 1957 | 3 | 2 |
| 1956 | 2 | 0 |
| 1955 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954 | 2 | 2 |
| 1953 | 1 | 1 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Madison County, measured to its path.
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