BlockFrom the record
6 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Hamilton County, Nebraska
60 topographic sheets cover 10 settlements here, and 6 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 135 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 6 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings and 1 district.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 10 populated places in this county; 10 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
6Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Hamilton County Courthouse | building | 1985 | 85001665 |
 | IOOF Opera House | building | 1988 | 88000952 |
 | St. Johannes Danske Lutherske Kirke | district | 1992 | 92001570 |
 | Streeter-Peterson House | building | 1991 | 91001754 |
 | Temple Craft Building | building | 2014 | 14000916 |
 | United Brethren Church | building | 2008 | 08001133 |
Wildfire, 2000 to 2020
217 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 217 of them, burning about 1,394 acres. 2 started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 84 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 53 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 49 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 9 |
| Smoking | 7 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 6 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 300 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 14 January 2014 | Debris and open burning | 100 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 29 March 2010 | Debris and open burning | 100 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 28 April 2009 | Debris and open burning | 80 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 13 April 2019 | Debris and open burning | 50 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 15 February 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 49 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | NELSON |
| 1 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 3 May 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | 40 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1953 to 2025
60 of 498 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 498 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 7 injuries and about $72,352,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 236 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 148 |
| Tornado | 63 |
| Heavy Rain | 29 |
| Flash Flood | 12 |
| Flood | 5 |
| Lightning | 3 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | 5 hurt, $250,000 | A supercell that spawned a couple of tornadoes produced a rear flank downdraft (RFD) that traveled along Interstate 80. The event was recorded by a storm chaser that was located south of Aurora at the I-80 and Highway 14 junction. The strong wind blew over several semi-trailers, pushed a couple of campers and a few cars off of I-80. Five people sustained minor injuries. A farmstead near the Interstate sustained considerable damage to the home and outbuildings. Numerous power poles and center pivot irrigation system down damaged. The canopies at the 3 gas stations at the I-80/Highway 14 interchange were damaged. |
| April 1978 | Tornado | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Lightning | Aurora | 1 hurt, $500 | no account filed |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | $5,000,000 | A wind gust of 78 MPH was recorded by a mesonet station located just west of Aurora at 10:54 PM CDT and a gust of 64 MPH was recorded by a mesonet station located in Aurora at 10:57 PM CDT. Along with numerous reports of tree damage and power outages, there was minor roof and window damage to a few business in Aurora, as well as reports of tree limbs falling onto cars. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | $5,000,000 | Wind gusts through this area were estimated to be near 90 MPH. The peak measured wind gust was 80 MPH, recorded at 11:00 PM CDT by a mesonet station located four miles northwest of Stockham. Article from the Aurora News-Register reported that a farmer from the Giltner area had crop damage, at least nine irrigation pivots damaged, and nine grain bins either damaged or destroyed. An irrigation pivot just west of Giltner was also flipped. An NWS Hastings employee noted pivot and grain bin damage straight south of Giltner. Time and speed estimated from surrounding reports and observations. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | $5,000,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be near 95 MPH through this area. Widespread significant tree damage, crop damage, downed power lines, snapped power poles, and power outages were reported along and near this path. A high-voltage transmission line was downed approximately four miles southwest of Aurora, crossing Interstate 80 and causing traffic issues. Several outbuildings and grain bins were damaged or destroyed, mainly south of Aurora. A 66 ft by 120 ft outbuilding just southwest of Aurora was damaged, with sheets of metal blown upwards of 200 yards away. Semi-trucks were blown over on Interstate 80 near both the Aurora and Giltner exits. |
| June 2011 | Tornado (EF2) | Hampton | $2,500,000 | This tornado touched down approximately 5 miles south-southwest of Hampton, just south of Interstate 80, where a home suffered some roof damage and a grain truck was overturned. A cattle shed was also destroyed, trees were damaged, and a few wooden power poles were snapped. A few moments later the tornado crossed over the interstate in front of many spectators. Just north of the interstate, roof panels were ripped from an outbuilding and more power poles were broken. A roof was partially removed from a double wide trailer just southwest of Hampton and irrigation pivots were knocked over. The tornado continued on a path just west of Hampton, moving north-northeast. Along its path, grain bins and irrigation pivots were destroyed, numerous tree trunks were snapped and irrigation piping was destroyed, including being wrapped around trees and power poles. Approximately 60 power poles were destroyed, at least 16 irrigation pivots were damaged, along with 7 homes and 10 outbuildings. The tornado lifted 4 miles north northeast of Hampton, about 10 miles from its touchdown point. The maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 125 MPH. |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1982 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| October 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Hail | Aurora | $1,500,000 | Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported across Aurora. |
| May 2016 | Hail | Giltner | $1,000,000 | Hail ranging from quarter to tennis ball size was reported, with the largest located northwest of town. Car windows were broken. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marquette | $1,000,000 | Wind gusts estimated near 70 MPH resulted in damage to area grain bins, outbuildings and irrigation pivots. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hampton | $800,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in several flipped irrigation pivots in the area. A semi truck was blown over on Interstate 80 near mile marker 339. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | $500,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in multiple semi-trucks being blown over on Interstate 80 between mile marker 326, which is two miles east of the Giltner interchange, and the Aurora/Highway 14 interchange. At least three irrigation pivots were tipped along both sides of the interstate in the area. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Stockham | $500,000 | Hail up to two inches in diameter was reported. Emergency management reported that corn fields in the area were destroyed by the wind-driven hail. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Aurora | $500,000 | Hail ranging in size from quarters to golf balls was reported along and near this path. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Giltner | $500,000 | This Hamilton County tornado touched down four miles southeast of Giltner and traveled northeast into Aurora. The estimated maximum wind gust of 100 MPH was based mainly upon snapped power poles. There were numerous irrigation pivots damaged along and near this path. The tornado crossed Interstate 80 approximately two miles west of the Aurora interchange. The tornado entered the southwest side of Aurora near the fairgrounds. Metal cladding was peeled from storage facilities nearby and there were several spots of tree damage. The tornado lifted around 12th and E Streets just south of the railroad tracks. |
| June 2014 | Tornado (EF1) | Hampton | $500,000 | This tornado was not witnessed by anyone as it occurred after dark. A large area of damaging winds occurred northwest of where the tornado apparently formed. Tree damage, snapped power poles, and overturned pivots were common from just south of Marquette to southeast of Hampton. The most evident tornado damage was observed at two homes north of Hampton. Both homes lost part of their roof. One home was a manufactured home and the other was conventional construction. The southern of the two homes had parts of the roof blown back to the west and southwest, while the rest of the debris was strewn southeast along the storm path. Leaves and mud were plastered on the east side of both homes. Radar data did not show any obvious tornado-like signatures. Due to the widespread damage, it was difficult to identify exactly where the tornado began and ended. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Marquette | $500,000 | Trees were stripped of leaves due to the combination of strong wind and quarter size hail. This was the second storm to come through this area. This report was from an NERAIN observer. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hampton Regier Arpt | $500,000 | Damage to grain bins and area crops was reported. Tree limbs up to 8 inches in diameter were blown down. |
| June 2003 | Hail | Aurora | $500,000 | Record setting hail occurred on the north side of Aurora. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Murphy | $400,000 | At least 10 power poles were downed along Highway 24. Grain gins south of the highway were destroyed and at least 4 pivots were overturned. |
| October 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Marquette | $400,000 | Tornado crossed from Hamilton County into Polk County. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Aurora | $400,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Giltner | $350,000 | Hail ranging in size from quarters to two inches in diameter was reported in this area. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Kronborg | $350,000 | This tornado touched down in northeast Hamilton County near Kronborg and moved northeast into southwest Polk County. This tornado was one of the more classic-looking tornadoes of the day, based on photos reviewed. The estimated maximum wind speed of 100 MPH was based primarily upon snapped power poles, but a hog facility was also heavily damages about 2 miles into the path of this tornado. The tornado crossed Highway 66 about two miles west of Polk. Just before it lifted north of Polk, the tornado took down a large metal building. |
| April 1999 | Tornado (F1) | Aurora | $300,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Hail | Giltner | $250,000 | Hail as large as golf balls to 2 inches in diameter was reported along this path. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marquette | $250,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in some pivot damage in the area. |
| June 2015 | Flood | Giltner | $250,000 | Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall totaled generally 4-7 across primarily southern Hamilton County between the 3rd-6th, with the majority of this rain falling on the 4th-5th. Localized road flooding was initially reported across parts of the county on the evening of the 4th. Over the next few days, the main story turned to the West Fork Big Blue River and its smaller stream tributaries in the southern part of the county, as the cumulative effects of multiple rounds of heavy rain resulted in significant flooding, mainly on the 5th-6th. Reports indicated that this may have been some of the worst flooding observed along the river in 50-80 years. A few days of warm and dry weather settled in from June 7-9, allowing flood waters to largely recede. |
| June 2009 | Tornado (EF2) | Murphy | $250,000 | A large tornado touched down west of Aurora on Highway 34, then traveled east approximately 5 miles before lifting. In its path, it destroyed a house and several outbuildings, power poles, trees, and overturned about a dozen railcars. The occupants were able to seek shelter before the tornado struck. Numerous storm chasers documented this storm. |
| May 1982 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kronborg | $150,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in two irrigation pivots being knocked over. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hampton | $150,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be 60 to 70 MPH. Emergency management reported at least two damaged irrigation pivots in the area. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Giltner | $150,000 | This tornado touched down in extreme northeast Adams County south of Trumbull, crossed through far northwest Clay County before heading into southwest Hamilton County. This intermittent tornado damaged a horse barn south of Trumbull as it began its roughly seven-mile path. As it moved northeast, most of the observable damage was to a couple of irrigation pivots along with a snapped tree. The estimated maximum wind gust was 75 MPH. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stockham | $150,000 | A newer large metal outbuilding with gravel floors suffered significant damage, losing much of its roof and at least one wall. There was also a pivot just to the south of that outbuilding has at least 3 towers blown over. |
| May 2018 | Hail | Marquette | $150,000 | Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported. |
| May 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Kronborg | $150,000 | The confirmed tornado touched down approximately 6 miles north of Hampton and tracked northward to approximately 5 miles south and 2 miles east of Hordville, where it then lifted. In total, this tornado overturned 3 irrigation pivots, destroyed 2 grain bins and downed 7 power poles. The top wind speed estimated with this tornado was 95 mph. |
| June 2009 | Hail | Phillips | $150,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hampton | $150,000 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Aurora | $125,000 | Up to hen egg size hail was reported in and near Aurora. |
| June 1997 | Hail | Stockham | $125,000 | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Giltner | $100,000 | Hail ranging in size from quarters to golf balls was reported. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Marquette | $100,000 | Wind-driven hail up to the size of golf balls caused significant siding damage to an area home. |
| May 2019 | Hail | Aurora | $100,000 | Hail up to the size of tennis balls and baseballs was reported along this path, including on Highway 14. |
| May 2019 | Hail | Aurora | $100,000 | Hail ranging in size from quarters to golf balls was reported along this path. Drifts of quarter to half-dollar size hail was reported at a residence 4 miles north of Aurora. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hordville | $100,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 75 MPH resulted in damaged and destroyed empty grain bins as well as some tree damage. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | $100,000 | A combination of hail and strong wind created a swath of crop damage, which occurred from 2-3 miles west of Giltner to 2 miles south of Giltner. Leaves were stripped from crops. The time was estimated from radar data. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | $100,000 | Damage reports included 2 pivots overturned 6 miles south of Giltner and 4 to 6 inch tree limbs knocked down in Aurora. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Stockham | $100,000 | no account filed |
| September 2015 | Hail | Giltner | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Phillips | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Heavy Rain | Countywide | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Phillips | $100,000 | no account filed |
| October 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marquette | $80,000 | An estimated 70 mph wind gust loosened the base of an empty grain bin, destroyed a wood frame outbuilding and caused some tree damage. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | $75,000 | A wind gust of 73 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located one mile northwest of Henderson. Emergency management estimated wind gusts near 70 MPH five miles south-southwest of Giltner. A trained spotter reported a destroyed grain bin approximately four miles northwest of Stockham, which was blown onto a rural road near Highway 14. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Giltner | $75,000 | no account filed |
Every populated place in the county
10Named 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.