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Aurora, Nebraska

13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Precinct 4. It lies in ZIP code area 68818. The Survey maps it on the Aurora West quadrangle. 4,678 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,791 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Aurora within Hamilton County

On record in Aurora

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 4 records

Population over time

2 figures

Aurora grew from 4,479 to 4,678 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20104,479
20204,678+199 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 13 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

50 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 50 fires within 5 miles of Aurora between 2008 and 2020, burning about 266 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning18
Missing data/not specified/undetermined14
Equipment and vehicle use10
Smoking4
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Arson/incendiarism1
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
27 September 2009Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
27 September 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
26 August 2011Smoking1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
24 July 2011Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
5 June 2009Debris and open burningunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
28 June 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
22 June 2009Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
12 June 2020Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Hamilton County

Storms near this place

60 of 86 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Aurora in 86 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 46 hail, 25 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 4 heavy rain. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1996LightningAurora1 hurt, $500no account filed
July 2021Thunderstorm WindAurora$5,000,000A 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 2021Thunderstorm WindAurora$5,000,000Wind 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 2022HailAurora$1,500,000Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported across Aurora.
June 2022HailAurora$500,000Hail ranging in size from quarters to golf balls was reported along and near this path.
June 2003HailAurora$500,000Record setting hail occurred on the north side of Aurora.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindAurora$400,000no account filed
April 1999Tornado (F1)Aurora$300,000no account filed
June 2017HailAurora$125,000Up to hen egg size hail was reported in and near Aurora.
May 2019HailAurora$100,000Hail up to the size of tennis balls and baseballs was reported along this path, including on Highway 14.
May 2019HailAurora$100,000Hail 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.
June 2002HailAurora$75,000no account filed
May 2021Tornado (EF0)Aurora$45,000This landspout moved north-northwest for approximately 1 mile before diminishing roughly as it crossed Highway 14 just south of Aurora. The main observable damage was damage to storage building roll-up doors, a couple of larger overhead doors and a downed power line. The treeline near the start of the tornado had evidence of cornstalks lofted up into the trees and power lines.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindAurora$35,000no account filed
June 2003Tornado (F0)Aurora$30,000A brief touch down occurred just west of Aurora and was observed by an off duty NWS meteorologist.
July 2007Flash FloodAurora$30,000no account filed
October 1998Thunderstorm WindAurora$30,000no account filed
July 2015Thunderstorm WindAurora$25,000Wind gusts estimated to be near 60 MPH resulted in tree damage and power outages in Aurora.
May 2019HailAurora$25,000no account filed
June 2014HailAurora$25,000no account filed
May 2012HailAurora$25,000no account filed
May 1996LightningAurora$20,000no account filed
July 1997LightningAurora$15,000Lightning struck two homes in Aurora causing minor damage to each.
September 2015HailAurora$15,000no account filed
September 1997HailAurora$15,000no account filed
May 1998HailAurora$10,000no account filed
July 1996HailAurora$10,000no account filed
July 1996Thunderstorm WindAurora$10,000no account filed
July 2008Thunderstorm WindAurora$5,000no account filed
May 2007Flash FloodAurora$5,000no account filed
November 2000HailAurora$5,000no account filed
October 2023Thunderstorm WindAurora$3,000Wind gusts of 62 MPH were measured by the Aurora Airport AWOS and by a mesonet station located two miles west of Aurora. Minor tree damage was reported in Aurora by emergency management.
May 1996Thunderstorm WindAurora$1,500no account filed
May 2024Thunderstorm WindAurora-A wind gust of 60 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located two miles west of Aurora.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindAurora-A wind gust of 60 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located two miles west of Aurora.
June 2023Tornado (EFU)Aurora-Emergency management confirmed report of a tornado. Location was based on their information along with media/social media photos and videos showing the tornado developing near Interstate 80 and then moving passing just west of Aurora before dissipating. No damage was reported.
April 2022Thunderstorm WindAurora-A wind gust of 60 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located two miles west of Aurora.
May 2021Tornado (EFU)Aurora-This landspout was rated an unknown EF scale and unknown wind speed because of the lack of observable damage. The location was estimated based on pictures and videos.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindAurora-A wind gust of 73 MPH was recorded by a mesonet station located 3 miles south-southwest of Aurora.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindAurora-Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH.
August 2017Heavy RainAurora-A 24-hour precipitation amount of 4.06 inches was recorded.
August 2017Heavy RainAurora-A 24-hour precipitation amount of 6.00 inches was recorded 5 miles north of Aurora.
May 2016Heavy RainAurora-Storm total rainfall report was 4.01 inches.
October 2016HailAurora-Hail ranging in size from nickels to ping pong balls was reported.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindAurora-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 MPH.
April 2013HailAurora-Dime size hail covered Highway 34 from 1.5 mile to 3 miles east of Aurora.
November 2012HailAurora-Nickel size hail was accompanied by 50 mph winds.
June 2011HailAurora-Nickel size hail was reported south of Aurora on Highway 14.
June 2011Heavy RainAurora-Storm total rainfall amount of 3.13 inches was reported.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindAurora-Reports from the area included tree and barn damage as well as one overturned pivot.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindAurora-Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindAurora-A few tree limbs were knocked down.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindAurora-A brief gustnado occurred south of Aurora and was photographed by an off-duty NWS employee.
May 1994HailAurora-Baseball-size hail occurred in Aurora.
May 1994Thunderstorm WindAurora-Thunderstorm winds blew an old mobile home into the side of another building in Aurora. Small outbuildings and trees were also damaged. Thunderstorm winds also blew over two grain bins near Marquette.
August 2021HailAurora-no account filed
June 2017HailAurora-no account filed
May 2016HailAurora-no account filed
September 2015HailAurora-no account filed
June 2014HailAurora-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Hamilton County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Murphy5.8 miles12
Hampton6.3 miles15
Marquette9.4 miles14
Kronborg10.0 miles14
Giltner10.2 miles12
Stockham11.0 miles15
Phillips11.4 miles12
Overland14.5 miles14

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on AuroraAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q777123The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 827118. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

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.

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.