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Butler County, Nebraska

27 topographic sheets cover 16 settlements here, and 10 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

10 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Nebraska within the United States
Butler County within Nebraska

What the record shows

  • 176 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 10 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings, 2 structures, 2 districts and 1 site.
  • 1 of the 10 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 16 populated places in this county; 16 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

10

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Big Blue River Bridgestructure199292000708
Butler County District No. 10 Schoolbuilding201111000884
Clear Creek Bridgestructure199292000734
David City Park and Municipal Auditoriumdistrict200000001378
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad Depotbuilding197979003682
St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, School and Grottoesdistrict200808001132
Surprise Opera Housebuilding198888000940
Chauncey S. Taylor Housebuilding198282003184
Thorpe's Opera Housebuilding198888000941
Upper Oak Creek Descent Ruts of the Woodbury Cutoff, Ox Bow Trail of the California Roadsite199292001572

Wildfire, 2000 to 2020

93 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 93 of them, burning about 697 acres. 1 started naturally and 9 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning36
Equipment and vehicle use26
Missing data/not specified/undetermined13
Arson/incendiarism9
Smoking7
Recreation and ceremony1
Natural1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. Four of them were set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
19 May 2010Arson/incendiarism80 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
6 April 2011Debris and open burning80 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
19 March 2009Arson/incendiarism60 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
29 October 2005Equipment and vehicle use60 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
6 March 2017Equipment and vehicle use40 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
6 January 2009Arson/incendiarism25 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
1 April 2009Arson/incendiarism20 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
16 March 2011Equipment and vehicle use20 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1952 to 2026

60 of 372 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 372 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 13 injuries and about $37,417,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail179
Thunderstorm Wind118
Tornado37
Flash Flood14
Flood14
Heavy Rain5
Funnel Cloud4
Lightning1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2004Thunderstorm WindRising City7 hurtSee narrative below.
June 1953Tornado (F2)not stated2 hurt, $250,000no account filed
June 1953Tornado (F1)not stated2 hurt, $25,000no account filed
June 2003Thunderstorm WindRising City1 hurtThunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 70 mph downed power poles and trees northwest of Rising City. The winds flipped a semi-tractor trailer hauling playground equipment near the junction of highways 92 and 81 causing minor injuries to a passenger. Around 1600 customers lost power in Butler county due to downed power lines.
August 1952Tornado (F3)not stated1 hurtno account filed
March 1990Tornado (F4)not stated$25,000,000no account filed
September 2007HailDavid City$4,000,000Hail up to 2 inches in diameter damaged at least several hundred vehicles in town and also caused roof damage to a few hundred homes. The main damage path was from the southwest into the northeast part of town with the damage estimated at $4 million.
April 1985Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
May 1980Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
April 1978Tornadonot stated$2,500,000no account filed
June 1996Tornado (F1)Abie$150,000no account filed
August 2017Flash FloodOctavia$100,000Highway 15 was closed due to flooding and debris in the road. In addition numerous county roads were closed across Butler County.
August 2017FloodGarrison$100,000At least 50 roads were closed across Butler County due to widespread flooding with amounts of 4 to 6 inches reported. David City reported 6.01 inches of rain.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindDavid City$100,000At David City, strong winds collapsed a large airport hanger and toppled at least five center pivots irrigation systems. Trees fell on two homes in the Surprise area causing damage. Severe tree damage occurred at Garrison and Rising City. Many power lines were downed.
May 2024Flash FloodBruno$25,000The Butler County Emergency Manager reported flooding in Bruno, and in rural areas just to the south and eat of the town. Many roads were under water, particularly in the Skull Creek area.
April 1978Tornadonot stated$25,000no account filed
June 1970Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
August 1959Tornadonot stated$25,000no account filed
May 1995Thunderstorm WindBrainard$15,000Wind damage to trees and building destroyed.
October 2000Tornado (F0)Rising City$13,000A tornado touched down around 1 mile east of Rising City. Moving north, it damaged a corn crib and an old garage around 6 miles south of Bellwood and then overturned 2 center pivots and downed a few trees and power lines before lifting around 5 miles south of Bellwood.
June 2010Flash FloodBellwood$10,000Rainfall of 2 inches or so in about an hour caused flash flooding across various county roads and portions of Highways 15 and 64 in northwest Butler county. The rain fell on saturated soils due to heavy rain that fell earlier in the week. Damage from this flooding consisted mainly of gravel washed off county roads and some crop damage.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindDavid City$10,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at over 70 mph did considerable tree damage in David City including downing several trees. Building material near the fairgrounds was also tossed around damaging several cars in the area.
June 1996Tornado (F0)Loma$10,000no account filed
June 2010FloodUlysses$6,000Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches on 6/20 caused flooding along the Big Blue River from near Surprise to near Ulysses. The river at Surprise crested at close to 8 feet in the afternoon of 6/21, flood stage is 7 feet. The river was above flood stage at Surprise from the morning until the evening of 6/21. The flooding affected mainly farmland near the river but a few county roads were also flooded.
September 2014FloodSurprise$5,000The Big Blue River rose above flood stage on the evening of the 11th, and then crested in the early morning on the 12th before falling below flood stage later on the same day. The flooding was minor and confined to low-lying areas along the river.
August 1996Thunderstorm WindDavid City$5,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindSurprise$3,000no account filed
May 1992Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1988Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1971Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1957Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
May 2018FloodBellwood$1,000Between 1 1/2 to 2 inches of heavy rain fell across northern Butler County.This caused water in a low lying area near the the Platte River to overflow across County Road 44 between County Roads E and F.
July 2011FloodSurprise$1,000Rainfall of 3 to 5 inches fell across sections of the upper Big Blue River west of Surprise. The heavy rain caused the Big Blue River near Surprise to exceed its 7 foot flood stage for a little over 24 hours. The flooding affected mainly agricultural lowlands along the river.
May 2011FloodSurprise$1,000Rainfall of around 3 inches in several hours caused flooding along the upper reaches of the Big Blue River near Surprise. The river near Surprise crested at little over 8 feet a little before midnight CST on the 12th, flood stage is 7 feet. Flooding mainly affected agricultural lowlands but also flooded a county road or two in the area.
May 2011Flash FloodSurprise$1,000Heavy rain, around 3 inches in a few hours in the Surprise area, caused the Big Blue River and some small tributaries to flood in the Surprise area. The flooding mainly affected agricultural lowlands, but a few roads were also flooded for a bit.
October 2000Thunderstorm WindBellwood$1,000Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph blew some power lines down by Bellwood and blew the roof off of a garage.
July 1958Tornado (F0)not stated$250no account filed
June 1957Tornado (F1)not stated$250no account filed
April 2026HailDwight-Emergency management report of hail estimated at 1.75 inches in diameter with lots of quarter sized hail mixed in. Hail caused damage to vinyl siding.
April 2026HailDwight-Delayed report from emergency management of hail up to ping pong ball sized with wind-driven damage to windows and siding.
April 2026HailDwight-Trained spotter report of hail measured at 1.50 inches in diameter with corresponding photographs shared on social media.
April 2026HailUlysses-Public report of hail estimated at 1.00 inch in diameter.
April 2026HailDwight-Public report of hail estimated at 1.25 inches in diameter.
April 2026HailDwight-Trained spotter report of hail estimated at 2.00 inches in diameter.
May 2025HailMillers Fld Arpt-NWS Employee report of hail measured up to 1.75 in diameter.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindBruno-Trained spotter report of wind gusts estimated at 50 to 60 mph along with pea sized hail.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindDavid City-Personal weather station measured gust of 82 mph.
April 2025HailDavid City-Public report of hail estimated up to 2.4 in diameter. Delayed report with the time estimated from radar.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindBellwood-Law enforcement report of several trees uprooted and branches broken. Wind speed estimated at 60-65 mph along the outflow boundary of a thunderstorm.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindNimburg-Mesonet measured wind gust of 60 mph along the outflow boundary of a thunderstorm.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindBrainard-Personal weather station measured wind gust of 65 mph along the outflow boundary of a thunderstorm.
September 2025Thunderstorm WindBrainard-Photos shared via social media of a destroyed outbuilding and a large, downed tree branch which did damage to the roof of a home. Time estimated based on radar.
April 2024Funnel CloudBrainard-The Butler County Emergency Manager reported a funnel cloud just to the southwest of Brainard.
April 2024HailUlysses-The Butler County Emergency Manager reported golf ball sized hail in downtown Ulysses.
May 2024Tornado (EF0)Brainard-This brief tornado touched down a quarter mile north of 28 Road and a quarter mile west of Q Road, and tracked east for approximately two-thirds of a mile before dissipating. On the west side of Q road, a center pivot was overturned. Several hardwood trees were blown down on the east side of Q road. This tornado had peak estimated winds of 84 miles per hour, with a max width of 50 yards and an estimated mean width of 40 yards.
May 2024Tornado (EF0)Loma-This tornado touched down approximately half a mile east of T Road on 28 Road where tree branches were snapped off trees and littered across the road. This tornado then continued east along 28 Road to V Road snapping branches of trees along its way. Just after it crossed V Road, trees along 28 Road were sheared off at their tops. The tornado then continued east where it dissipated a quarter mile east of W Road. At the time of dissipation, a farm outbuilding had pieces of its roof paneling blown off. The peak estimated winds in this tornado were 80 miles per hour, with a max width at 50 yards and an estimated average width of 40 yards.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindBellwood-The Butler County Emergency Manager reported several center pivots overturned and multiple power poles snapped from the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and State Highway 64 East towards Bellwood. A damage survey also found an empty grain bin that had been blown off its foundation and smashed against the side of a farm building.
April 2024Tornado (EFU)Brainard-Trained spotters with video and photo confirmation reported a tornado lasting approximately 1 minute over open fields. There was no damage found from this tornado, so its width and wind speeds were not able to be accurately estimated.
July 2024FloodSurprise-Flooding from excessive rain runoff was noted at the Surprise river gauge (SRPN1) along the Big Blue River in southwestern Butler county. The river gauge crested at 2 am CST on the 2nd at a height of 7.57 feet. Flood stage continued until 2 am CST on the 4th.
April 2024Tornado (EF1)Dwight-Several trained spotters observed a tornado that began near the intersection of Highway 15 and Ashland Road. It moved to the north-northeast as a broad multiple vortex tornado, but the overall motion was observed to be relatively weak despite the tornado's width. The tornado snapped several trees and a road sign near the intersection of Highway 15 and 66. It continued nearly due north from that location with very little damage along an intermittent track, but it did overturn multiple center pivot irrigation systems. While the funnel was often not fully condensed, there was a rather persistent dust whirl below the base of the funnel all the way north to near Road 29 just east of Highway 15. Near the time of its demise, a second brief tornado developed just 1 mile to the east of this tornado. The peak winds in this tornado were estimated to be at 100 miles per hour. The tornado was estimated to be 200 yards across at its widest, with an average width of 100 yards during its lifespan.

Mines and quarries

1 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 1 working inside this county. It still produces. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Pb 3 Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

16

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.