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Madison County, Nebraska

31 topographic sheets cover 11 settlements here, and 12 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

12 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Nebraska within the United States
Madison County within Nebraska

What the record shows

  • 100 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 12 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 12 buildings.
  • 1 of the 12 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 11 populated places in this county; 11 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

12

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
Dommer-Haase Farmsteadbuilding2018100003094
First United Presbyterian Churchbuilding200808001134
Grand Theaterbuilding201313000677
Hotel Norfolkbuilding198888002755
Karl Stefan Memorial Airport Administration Buildingbuilding200202000767
Mathewson-Gerecke Housebuilding201212000105
Norfolk Carnegie Librarybuilding199898001567
Norfolk Masonic Templebuilding2021100007150
St. Leonard's Catholic Churchbuilding198989002038
Stubbs-Ballah Housebuilding201313001021
U.S. Post Office and Courthousebuilding197474001128
John Wesley and Grace Shafer Warrick Housebuilding199090001767

Wildfire, 2004 to 2020

174 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 174 of them, burning about 1,203 acres. 1 started naturally and 13 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning75
Missing data/not specified/undetermined30
Railroad operations and maintenance23
Arson/incendiarism13
Equipment and vehicle use11
Fireworks10
Power generation/transmission/distribution8
Smoking1
Natural1
Recreation and ceremony1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
15 April 2008Debris and open burning500 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
26 November 2009Arson/incendiarism80 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
12 March 2015Arson/incendiarism60 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
14 April 2012Debris and open burning60 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
16 March 2009Debris and open burning60 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
27 February 2016Debris and open burning40 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
13 May 2007Equipment and vehicle use30 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
5 April 2011Debris and open burning25 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

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

Storms, 1953 to 2025

60 of 521 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 521 reports for this county, causing 8 deaths, 40 injuries and about $13,962,700 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail215
Thunderstorm Wind214
Tornado46
Flash Flood23
Funnel Cloud9
Flood9
Lightning5

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 1954Tornado (F4)not stated6 killed, 23 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
June 2010FloodTilden1 killed, $1,000,000Rainfall 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 flooding was prolonged and intensified by additional rains the next few days. In Madison county many gravel roads along the Elkhorn were flooded as were Highways 81 and 275 near and west of Norfolk which were closed for a while. On 6/15 a railroad bridge just southwest of Norfolk washed away with 3 people on it that were assessing possible damage. One person was drowned, the 2 others were rescued. Another railroad bridge west of Norfolk and several sections of the Cowboy Trail bike trail was washed out. A levee just south of Norfolk helped prevent major damage, but some damage was noted to businesses and nearly 70 homes on the south part of town despite sandbagging. In addition a park on the south side of town received extensive damage. Farmland along the river sustained crop damage and had sand deposited on fields by the receding river. The Elkhorn River near Norfolk reached a record crest of around 16.9 feet during the evening of 6/16, flood stage is 12 feet. The river at Norfolk was above flood stage from the early morning hours of June 15th until mid evening on the 17th, although flooding likely started earlier upstream of the levee near Norfolk.
March 2019FloodTilden1 killed, $194,000This 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 by flood waters when he was on top of a car at 4 am CDT on the 14th in a field east of north First Street in Norfolk. Water swept away the man and the body was never found. Water closed US Hyway 275 on the 14th and numerous streets were under water due to the flooding in Norfolk.
June 1954Tornado (F1)not stated7 hurt, $25,000no account filed
May 1962Tornado (F3)not stated6 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
June 1967Tornado (F2)not stated1 hurt, $250,000no account filed
April 1984Tornado (F2)not stated1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
August 1996LightningNorfolk1 hurtno account filed
August 1996LightningNorfolk1 hurtno account filed
June 1990Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
March 1990Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
May 2007FloodBattle Creek$500,000Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches fell across much of Madison county. The heavy rain caused Battle Creek to flood low areas around the Battle Creek area, including Highway 121 near town causing its closure. The creek also flooded the water treatment plant and prompted sandbagging around town, with up to 10,000 bags used. At least 400 homes received some sort of flood damage. The flooding also left debris in several county bridges.
June 1999Flash FloodMadison$300,000Around 5 inches of rain fell in the Madison area causing flash flooding along Union Creek which forced some residents along the creek to be evacuated to the auditorium. The heavy rain also ripped up around a block of asphalt covering a brick street and washed out a half-mile section of railroad track near town.
June 1991Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 1981Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 2012Flash FloodNorfolk$200,000Rainfall, unofficially up to 5 inches in parts of Norfolk, combined with large accumulations of hail and caused flash flooding in parts of Norfolk and other locations across the northern sections of the county. In Norfolk the hail and heavy rain clogged storm drainage systems flooding streets and causing flooded basements. In addition, the hail clogged the drainage system for stairway that led down to the emergency room of a local hospital. The entrance then filled with water which caused the steel door to collapse sending a flood of water into the hospital. This caused the relocation of the emergency entrance and also prompted the moving of some patients.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindNewman Grove$150,000Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph destroyed a silo and part of a cattle barn on one farmstead about 8 miles west of Madison and a center pivot system was overturned in that area. A machine shed sustained heavy damage around 9 miles west of Madison.
June 2024Flash FloodMeadow Grove$100,000Public report of county roads submerged in water. A storm damage survey the next day confirmed several locations where the roads were still under water or partially washed out. By around 7 PM CDT, widespread street flooding was reported in Norfolk. As the storms slowly moved southeast, additional flooding was reported by a county official across central portions of the county where numerous county roads were flooded in addition to considerable lowland flooding.
September 2007LightningNorfolk$100,000A lightning strike started a house fire in Norfolk causing around $100,000 damage.
July 2001Tornado (F1)Madison$75,000Law enforcement reported a tornado west of Madison which downed power lines and destroyed a few grain bins. The tornado also demolished a garage and car as well overturning a center pivot irrigation system.
June 1995Thunderstorm Wind4 W Newman$50,000Wind damaged buildings, overturned a center pivot, and damaged trees in the area.
July 1994Hailto$50,000A swath of penny to baseball-size hail occurred along the Platte/Madison County border causing damage to crops and farm buildings.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindMadison$50,000A few trees and numerous large limbs were blown down by strong winds. A tin roof of a bowling alley was also damaged.
August 1993Thunderstorm WindNewman Grove$50,000Winds destroyed an auger and a windmill.
August 1993Thunderstorm WindNewman Grove$50,000Strong winds tore shingles off of a house roof, damaged trees, pushed a barn wall in and ripped steel doors off of their tracks. A skylight were also blow out of a machine shed.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindMadison$40,000Thunderstorm wind gusts, estimated over 75 mph, caused tree and structual damage in town. At least 35 trees were downed and at least 2 roofs were substantially damaged, as reported by law enforcement. Much of the town was without power for about 3 hours after the storm hit.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$40,000no account filed
June 2010FloodMadison$30,000Heavy rain producing thunderstorms from around June 7th through the 14th brought high water and a prolonged period of flooding along the Union Creek near Madison. Union Creek near Madison crested at 22.9 feet during the evening of June 11th, flood stage is 20 feet. The creek near Madison was above flood stage for much of the period from the morning hours of June 10th through the early morning hours of June 13th. Flooding affected mostly county roads and farm fields near the stream, although flood waters did cross Highway 81 for a while prompting its closure.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$30,000no account filed
March 1990Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1969Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
August 2009Flash Flood(Ofk)Stefan Fld Norf$20,000Heavy rain, the heaviest of which fell west through southwest of Norfolk, caused flash flooding across a few county roads from near Battle Creek to south of Norfolk. The water also covered one lane of Highway 81 south of Norfolk. Damage was minimal and mainly consisted of some crop damage in low areas and some gravel washed off of county roads. Rainfall was estimated to have at least been 2 to 4 inches over the much of the area based on surrounding reports and radar estimations.
August 2007Flash FloodMadison$20,000Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches fell in the morning into the afternoon hours of August 22nd. Norfolk reported 2.62 inches through 400 pm that day. The heavy rain caused flooding along numerous county roads in the area, mainly in low lying areas. A few culverts were washed out by the flooding. Agricultural lowlands were also flooded.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindNorfolk Arpt$20,000A thunderstorm wind gust of 69 mph was recorded by Asos at Karl Stefan airfield in Norfolk with another gust of 64 mph recorded about 15 minutes later. The winds blew out the north wall of a hanger and caused damage to 2 aircraft inside.
June 2010Flash FloodMadison$10,000Rainfall of 2 to 3 inches in an hour or so brought flash flooding along Union Creek and its tributaries near Madison. The rain fell on saturated soils due to rains that fell earlier in the week and most of the damage from this flood was confined to gravel washed off of county roads and some crop damage.
June 1999Tornado (F0)Madison$8,000Brief apparent touchdown took the roof off of a chicken house plus damaged a metal shed.
April 2006LightningNorfolk$5,000Lightning caused damage to a roof and interior ceiling to a house in town.
June 2010Flash FloodBattle Creek$4,000Heavy rain caused flash flooding across a few roads in the Battle Creek area.
April 1985Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1972Tornado (F2)not stated$2,500no account filed
August 1958Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1958Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1997HailBattle Creek$2,000Large hail damaged 12,000 acres of corn and 6,000 acres of soybeans.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$2,000Steel framing being used on a construction site at the Norfolk Catholic High School was blown down.
August 1996Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$2,000no account filed
August 1957Tornadonot stated$250no account filed
April 1957Tornado (F1)not stated$250no account filed
April 1995HailNorfolk$200no account filed
June 2025HailMeadow Grove-Trained spotter report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter.
March 2025HailNorfolk-Trained spotter report relayed by EM. Spotter had nickel to quarter size hail.
June 2025Hail(Ofk)Stefan Fld Norf-Trained spotter report of hail measured up to 1.5 inches in diameter.
June 2025Hail(Ofk)Stefan Fld Norf-Trained spotter report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter.
July 2025Flash FloodNewman Grove-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 flash flood also continued into Platte and Boone counties.
July 2025Thunderstorm Wind(Ofk)Stefan Fld Norf-KOFK ASOS measured thunderstorm wind gust of 63 mph.
April 2024Tornado (EF0)(Ofk)Stefan Fld Norf-This tornado began just southwest of the East Sherwood Road and 558th Avenue intersection. A few branches were noted to have been broken just south of East Sherwood Road before the tornado crossed 558th Avenue into Stanton County. The tornado continued for another half a mile on the east side of 558th Avenue in Stanton County producing EF-1 damage to trees and a warehouse building. The peak windspeeds from the tornado in Madison County were estimated to be at 60 miles per hour, with the average width of the tornado being at 25 yards.
July 2024Funnel CloudNorfolk-Several pictures and videos were sent on social media of a funnel cloud.
June 2024Tornado (EF1)Meadow Grove-This was a very slow-moving tornado that developed 7 miles south of Meadow Grove, destroying a metal shed and a cattle trailer. Maximum estimated wind speeds in this tornado were 100 miles per hour. The maximum width of this tornado was measured at 300 yards, with an average width estimated at 200 yards.
June 2024Funnel CloudNewman Grove-A trained spotter reported a funnel cloud.
June 2024HailMeadow Grove-The office received a public report of tennis ball sized hail.
June 2024Funnel CloudBattle Creek-The office received a report of a funnel cloud from a state trooper.

Every populated place in the county

11

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 Madison 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.