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Bayard, Nebraska

13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 1985. It stands in West Bayard precinct. It lies in ZIP code area 69334. It lies near Wildhorse Canyon. The Survey maps it on the Bayard quadrangle. 1,140 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,757 feet above sea level.

Bayard within Morrill County

On record in Bayard

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 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Bayard fell from 1,209 to 1,140 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
20101,209
20201,140-69 (-6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 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

85 since 2007

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 85 fires within 5 miles of Bayard between 2007 and 2020, burning about 2,571 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 6 were 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 burning49
Missing data/not specified/undetermined10
Equipment and vehicle use7
Railroad operations and maintenance7
Arson/incendiarism6
Misuse of fire by a minor2
Natural2
Fireworks1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

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
3 September 2012Arson/incendiarism5.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
25 September 2013Railroad operations and maintenance1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
2 September 2015Debris and open burningunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
14 September 2020Railroad operations and maintenance11 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
4 August 2013Debris and open burning1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
30 August 2020Arson/incendiarism2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
30 August 2020Arson/incendiarism2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
22 August 2007Debris and open burningunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Morrill County

Storms near this place

60 of 73 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bayard in 73 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 46 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 7 tornado, 3 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
June 2017Tornado (EF2)Bayard$2,500,000A long-track discontinuous tornado path was surveyed by the NWS damage team, initially touching down northwest of the Highway 26 and L62A intersection, 4 miles north-northwest of Bayard, NE. The tornado continued east along and north of L62A. Significant damage consistent of EF-2 tornadic damage was surveyed at a farmhouse approximately 6 miles northeast of Bayard. The house was severely damaged with the roof taken off and numerous exterior walls destroyed (DI 4, DOD 8). A detached garage was swept clean (DI 1, DOD 8) with several trucks slid from their original location. A flat bed and horse trailer were lofted 100 yards from their original position. Trees to the west of the residence were denuded. This storm produced additional damage some of which was due to straight-line winds along L62A. This damage included damage to a steel farm outbuilding, rolled mobile home, rolled semi tractor trailer, rolled center pivots, and continued tree denuding. The storm lifted northeast near Highway 385 with additional damage surveyed at Angora, including downed power poles and a train derailment. The discontinuous tornado continued northeast exiting Morrill County near Highway 385 by 1904 MST. This storm continued and produced additional damage in Box Butte County.
June 2010Tornado (EF1)Bayard$60,000An RV was completely destroyed. Estimated duration, path length and width.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindBayard$15,000Numerous trees were damaged or uprooted with two trees falling onto a house and damaging the roof. An outbuilding was destroyed along with some power outages.
June 2009Flash FloodBayard$10,000Heavy rainfall caused flooding which covered some roads and caused Indian Creek north of Bridgeport to overflow its banks, necessitating some evacuations.
June 2009Tornado (EF0)Bayard$10,000Narrow tornado flipped a center pivot.
May 1998HailBayard$10,000A storm produced golf ball size hail in Bayard.
July 2025HailBayard-Trained spotter reports half dollar size hail.
June 2025HailSouth Bayard-Storm chaser reported 3 inch diameter hail in western Morrill County.
July 2023HailBayard-Social media report of pea to quarter sized hail.
July 2023HailBayard-Report for 3SSE Bayard that lasted 3 minutes.
July 2023Flash FloodBayard-Station manager at KNEB reported flooding in and around Bayard.
June 2023HailBayard-A trained spotter measured 3.25 inch diameter hail 7 miles N of Bayard.
June 2023HailBayard-A trained spotter measured softball sized hail 8 miles N of Bayard.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindBayard-Multiple reports on Facebook of downed trees and tree branches in and around Bayard. Time estimated based on radar.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindSouth Bayard-Tree limbs were reported being blown by the wind across area streets.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindBayard-Several power poles and large tree limbs were blown down northeast of Bayard.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindSouth Bayard-Estimated wind gusts reached up to 52 knots with no apparent damage from them.
July 2018FloodBayard-More than two inches of rain in an hour caused urban flooding in Bayard. Numerous streets were inundated with some debris flowing across Highway 26.
June 2017Tornado (EF1)Bayard-A brief tornado touched down on the east side of Bayard, NE producing damage consistent of EF-1 (DI 17, DOD 3) to the Chimney Rock Villa Nursing Home. The tornado lifted quickly as it moved east of Bayard. Many irrigation pivots overturned within 1-2 miles west of Bayard, as well as damage on the west side of town consistent with damaging straight-line winds.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindBayard-An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported at Bayard.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindBayard-Estimated wind gusts of 60 mph were reported about four miles north of Bayard. Tree branches were down on County Road 62A.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindBayard-Estimated wind gusts of 65 mph were reported at Bayard.
August 2016Flash FloodBayard-Many low lying areas were flooded at Bayard.
August 2016Heavy RainBayard-Two inches of rain was reported at Bayard.
July 2016HailBayard-Quarter size hail was reported at Bayard.
July 2016HailBayard-Quarter size hail was reported five miles southeast of Bayard.
June 2015HailBayard-Ping pong ball size hail was reported three miles east of Bayard.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Bayard-A landspout tornado touched down a few miles north of Bayard and traveled southeast across open country. It dissipated seven minutes later a mile east-northeast of Bayard. No damage was reported.
June 2015HailBayard-Golf ball size hail was observed three miles north of Bayard.
June 2015HailBayard-Golf ball size hail was reported three miles north of Bayard.
June 2015HailBayard-Tennis ball size hail was reported three miles north of Bayard.
July 2015HailBayard-Golf ball size hail was observed 15 miles north of Bayard.
May 2014HailBayard-Quarter size hail was observed south of Bayard.
July 2014HailBayard-Penny to quarter size hail was reported north of Bayard.
September 2014Heavy RainBayard-A spotter measured 2.95 inches of rain.
September 2014Heavy RainBayard-A spotter measured 4.2 inches of rain.
June 2014HailBayard-Softball size hail was observed from northeast of Minatare to northwest of Bayard along Highway 26.
August 2014HailSouth Bayard-Quarter to ping pong ball size hail was observed a few miles southwest of Bayard.
August 2013HailBayard-Pea to quarter size hail was reported in Bayard.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindBayard-Wind gusts were estimated at 50 to 60 mph in Bayard.
June 2013HailBayard-Marble to quarter size hail was reported in Bayard.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindBayard-Spotter estimated wind gust of 60 mph.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindBayard-Spotter estimated a wind gust of 60 mph.
July 2008HailBayard-Hail from 0.75 to 1.25 inches in diameter reported along track.
May 2008HailBayard-Hail reported from 1.0 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
September 2006HailBayard-A slow moving thunderstorm produced penny to nickle sized hail along track.
August 2004HailBayard-Hail up to 1 inch in diameter accumulated 2 inches deep.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindBayard-Trees blown down.
May 2003Tornado (F0)Bayard-Brief tornado reported over open country.
May 2003Tornado (F0)Bayard-Brief tornado touched down over open country.
May 2003HailBayard-Nickel to golfball sized hail.
June 1999HailBayard-3/4 inch hail along highway L62A 4 miles north of Bayard, NE
July 1994HailBayard-Large hail and strong thunderstorm winds damaged the siding and roof of a home and broke numerous windows in vehicles.
July 2024HailBayard-no account filed
May 2022HailBayard-no account filed
May 2022HailBayard-no account filed
June 2022HailSouth Bayard-no account filed
July 2019HailBayard-no account filed
July 2019HailBayard-no account filed
August 2019HailBayard-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Morrill 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
South Bayard2.7 miles13
Piper3.5 miles13
Moomaw Corner4.3 miles13
Craft4.4 miles13
Mohler5.5 miles13
Perrin5.7 miles13
Atkins6.2 miles13
DeGraw9.3 miles13

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 BayardAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q812107The 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 827222. 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.