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Johnson County, Nebraska

21 topographic sheets cover 9 settlements here, and 5 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

5 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Nebraska within the United States
Johnson County within Nebraska

What the record shows

  • 96 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 5 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 districts, 2 buildings and 1 structure.
  • 1 of the 5 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 9 populated places in this county; 9 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

5

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
Johnson County Courthousedistrict199089002246
Keim Stone Arch Bridgestructure199292000710
Tecumseh Historic Districtdistrict197575001095
Tecumseh Opera Housebuilding198888000929
George Townsend Housebuilding200606000996

Wildfire, 2002 to 2020

59 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 59 of them, burning about 1,492 acres. 1 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning41
Missing data/not specified/undetermined7
Recreation and ceremony4
Equipment and vehicle use3
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Natural1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 March 2011Debris and open burning240 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
8 March 2018Debris and open burning180 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
3 February 2007Debris and open burning120 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
3 February 2007Debris and open burning100 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
21 March 2018Debris and open burning90 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
16 April 2019Debris and open burning80 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
16 April 2018Debris and open burning80 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
19 April 2018Debris and open burning55 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

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

Storms, 1954 to 2026

60 of 233 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 233 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $5,417,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail123
Thunderstorm Wind74
Tornado21
Flash Flood8
Flood3
Heavy Rain3
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
April 1989Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
April 2008FloodVesta$1,000,000Rainfall of 2 to 6 inches in a few hours time caused flooding along Sampson Creek and Turkey Creek which washed out 3 bridges and caused county road damage southwest of Tecumseh. Damage in Johnson county to roads and bridges was estimated at 1 million dollars. The flooding continued into Pawnee county. The flood waters also affected agricultural lowlands.
April 2006Tornado (F1)Sterling$500,000This tornado formed about 6 miles west of Wymore at 433 pm CDT (1533 CST), tracked northeast to around 4 miles east of Beatrice where it caused f2 damage, then tracked just south of Adams and crossed into Johnson county 2 miles southeast of Adams, or 4 miles southwest of Sterling, around 515 pm CDT. In Johnson county the tornado tracked another 5 miles before dissipating or lifting 3 miles north of Sterling. This tornado formed from a supercell which then became rain-wrapped taking on a heavy rain (hp) supercell characteristics.In Johnson county the average damage path width was around 150 yards. The tornado caused f1 damage 2 miles northwest of Sterling where some roof and tree damage was noted. In all 6 houses received damage in Johnson county from the tornado and several outbuildings were destroyed. The storm also knocked power lines down which resulted in loss of power for some customers for up to 8 hours.
May 1996Flash FloodTecumseh$400,000no account filed
June 1992Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 1982Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
August 1974Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 2007Flash FloodTecumseh$100,000Flash flooding washed out a county road bridge northwest of Sterling according to Emergency Management. A few county roads were also flooded in the area.
May 1995Tornado (F1)Sterling$30,000A tornado lifted the roof off a house, leveled a 8- by 10-foot playhouse, damaged a storage shed, and knocked down several trees three and one-half miles south of Sterling.
August 2009LightningTecumseh$25,000A lightning strike caused around $25,000 worth of damage to computers, radio and dispatch equipment and the phone system at the Sheriff's office in Tecumseh.
June 1992Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1983Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 2015Flash FloodSterling$20,000Water was reported over some county roads near the town of Sterling.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindCrab Orchard$20,000Winds in excess of 70 mph tore the shingles off roofs and downed numerous tree limbs and power lines closing roads around Crab Orchard. Two grain bins were blown off their foundation and 2 vehicles were damaged when trees were toppled onto them. The wind was accompanied by small hail which accumulated up to 2 inches deep and many corn and soybean fields received extensive damage. The Johnson County Farm Service Agency reported that approximately 32,000 acres of row crop were affected by the storm.
May 1995Tornado (F0)Sterling to$10,000A brief touchdown was reported just southwest of Sterling with the roof blown off a quonset one and one-half miles just east of the city. A steel corn crib was blow off its foundation one mile northeast of Sterling with trees downed three miles north northeast of Sterling.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindTecumseh$3,000Barn damaged.
July 1992Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1954Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1954Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindTecumseh$2,000Pieces of metal were blown off a steel building and door was blown in. A few tree limbs blown down.
April 2026HailTecumseh Arpt-Delayed public report of hail measured up to 2.00 inches in diameter near Tecumseh, NE. Time estimated with radar.
April 2026HailCook-Delayed public report received via social media of hail measured up to 1.25 inches in diameter near Cook, NE. Time estimated with radar.
April 2026HailElk Creek-Trained spotter report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter mixed with a lot of pea sized hail near Elk Creek, NE.
April 2026HailVesta-Law enforcement report relayed via emergency manager of hail measured up to 1 inch in diameter near Tecumseh, NE.
April 2026HailTecumseh-Public report of hail estimated up to 1.25 inches in diameter near Tecumseh, NE.
April 2026HailSt Mary-Public report of hail measured up to 1.75 inches in diameter near Tecumseh, NE.
April 2026HailTecumseh-Delayed emergency management report of hail measured up to 2 inches in diameter near Tecumseh, NE. Time estimated with radar.
March 2025HailSterling-Trained spotter report of measured 1 inch hail.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindSt Mary-Emergency Management reported of 6 to 8 inch tree limbs broken. Time estimated by radar. Winds gusted to an estimated 80 mph.
April 2025HailSt Mary-Public estimated hail up to 0.75 in diameter from an mPING report.
April 2025HailCook-Law enforcement reported measured hail up to 1 in diameter.
September 2025Thunderstorm WindTecumseh-Delayed report from emergency management of a 2 foot diameter tree down, stop sign blown over, outdoor awning thrown over fence, and various other smaller branches down within an approximately 1 block radius of the Tecumseh post office. Time estimated from radar.
June 2024Tornado (EFU)Tecumseh-The office received an eyewitness report and photo evidence of a tornado in an open field that began just northeast of the James N. Douglas Wildlife Management Area and tracked for approximately a half mile before losing visual in the rain. The width of the tornado was estimated to be around 20 yards from media submitted to the office.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindTecumseh-A trained spotter reported a 60 miles per hour wind gust. This event was edited to correct an error in the LSR database. The original report was accidentally put relative to the town of Johnson, Nebraska instead of Johnson County.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindSterling-Public reported via mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken.
June 2023FloodSterling-Public reported 4.24 inches of rainfall. Approximately 6-inches of water flooded their driveway and barn.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindSterling-Public reported via mPing: 1-inch tree limbs broken; Shingles blown off.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindElk Creek-Public reported several tree limbs down.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindSterling-Public reported via mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken.
April 2023Thunderstorm WindSterling-Public reported from Mping of 1-inch tree limbs broken or shingles blown off.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindTecumseh-Emergency manager reported significant damage to home and surrounding fields due to combination of wind and hail.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindSterling-Public reported via mPing 1 inch tree limbs broken, singles blown off.
June 2022HailSterling-Public reported hail lasting for 8 inches with largest size at 1.5 inches.
June 2022HailCook-Trained spotter reported 1 inch hail.
June 2022HailTecumseh Arpt-Emergency manager reported a hail damage swatch with signifiant damage to four houses and crops. Hail ranged from quarter to golf ball sized.
May 2022HailCook-Public reported quarter size hail.
April 2022HailTecumseh Arpt-Emergency manager reported 1 inch hail.
April 2022Thunderstorm WindTecumseh-Coop observer reported numerous power outages in Tecumseh.
August 2022HailSt Mary-Public reported quarter to half dollar sized hail.
September 2022HailTecumseh-Public reported 1-inch hail.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindSt Mary-Public reported tree limbs broken; shingles blown off roof.
June 2022HailCook-Public reported slightly larger than golf ball sized hail and significant damage to siding and crops.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindTecumseh Arpt-Personal weather station measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindTecumseh-Public sent in photo of metal roof peeled back on large farm building.
June 2021HailTecumseh-Mping reported for 1.75 inch hail.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindSt Mary-Multiple reports from the emergency manager and the public for tree damage in and around Sterling. There were multiple 3-4 inch diameter tree branches down. Many trees were reported as downed.
June 2021HailSterling-Police reported 1 inch hail.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindSterling-Utility company reported tree and power line damage in the Sterling area, including some broken power poles.
June 2020HailTecumseh-Trained spotter reported hail of 1.25 inches.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindTecumseh-Estimated winds from public were up to 60 mph due to tree limb damage.

Mines and quarries

1 recorded

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

Commodity Workings
Niobium (Columbium)1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Elk CreekNiobium (Columbium)Prospect

Every populated place in the county

9

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.

The vanished settlements of Johnson County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

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.