Deshler, Nebraska
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Deshler precinct. It lies in ZIP code area 68340. The Survey maps it on the Deshler quadrangle. 752 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,565 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresDeshler grew from 747 to 752 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 747 | |
| 2020 | 752 | +5 (+1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 13 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1898 USGS Hebron quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
- 1957 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Deshler quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Fairbury quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
10 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 10 fires within 5 miles of Deshler between 2008 and 2016, burning about 28 acres in total. None started naturally. None 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 burning | 3 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 July 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.5 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 14 July 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 13 July 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 12 July 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 7 May 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 3 April 2011 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 8 March 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 5 November 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 67 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Deshler in 67 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 28 hail, 21 thunderstorm wind, 10 tornado, 5 heavy rain. The reports record 1 death and 7 injuries. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2003 | Tornado (F2) | Deshler | 1 killed, 7 hurt, $10,000,000 | A strong tornado set down on the southeast side of Deshler near the fairgrounds and moved west through the south side of Deshler. The slow moving tornado lifted a couple of miles west of town. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | $2,500,000 | A swath of wind with gusts estimated to be as high as 90 MPH swept through the west-northwest portions of Thayer County. Peak measured gusts included the following: 85 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located four miles east-southeast of Deshler; 85 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located three miles west-southwest of Carleton; 83 MPH, measured by mesonet stations located four miles northwest of Deshler and one mile north of Deshler; 72 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located five miles south-southwest of Carleton. Widespread tree and crop damage was reported along and within a few miles either side of this path. Several large trees were snapped and large limbs were downed. Approximately four miles northwest of Deshler, emergency management reported a home suffered roof damage at a farmstead, and had several outbuilding damaged or destroyed. In Deshler, a large cinderblock wall was blown over at a local business and the steeple of a church was blown over onto the ground. Approximately 1.5 miles south-southwest of Deshler, a barn was displaced off of its foundation. In the Carlton and Davenport area, emergency management reported that at least 30 power poles were damaged or destroyed, with several being along Highway 4. |
| May 2015 | Tornado (EF2) | Deshler | $1,500,000 | This is a continuation of the tornado that touched down west-northwest of Webber in Jewell County, KS, traveling northeast through the very northwest corner of Republic County, KS, before entering Nebraska near the town of Hardy in Nuckolls County. It continued traveling northeast into Thayer County, lifting northwest of Deshler. This tornado was rated an EF2, with an estimated peak wind speed of 122 MPH. EF2 damage was noted in both Jewell County, KS and Nuckolls County, NE.||Damage along this tornado path included numerous pivots overturned and snapped power poles. There was a large amount of tree damage noted. In addition, in Thayer County, grain bins and outbuildings were destroyed, and irrigation piping was strewn across a road. |
| June 2022 | Tornado (EF0) | Deshler | $500,000 | This tornado touched down in Nuckolls County, just northwest of Ruskin, and moved southeast across town. In town, most of the damage was confined to trees. After passing through town, the tornado destroyed a shed and two empty grain bins south of town. As the tornado rapidly traveled southeast, it upset roughly a half-dozen irrigation pivots, damaged at least two more grain bins, peeled tin and shingles from the rooftops of at least two buildings, and damaged trees. After nearly 10 miles, the tornado lifted three miles north of Byron in Thayer County. |
| April 2016 | Hail | Deshler | $500,000 | Hail ranging from quarter to tennis ball size was reported along this path, with the largest stones in Deshler itself. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Deshler | $500,000 | A tornado damaged two farmsteads north of Byron. At one point, the tornado was up to one-quarter mile wide with a very clear path across a cornfield. At the first farm, the roof was torn from the house along with significant damage to the garage. It was a total loss. A machine shed was also ripped apart. At a second farm, damage as confined to metal buildings, grain bins and farm machinery. At one point, this was the largest of three tornadoes on the ground on the ground at one time. |
| June 2003 | Heavy Rain | Deshler | $500,000 | A heavy precipitation (HP) supercell dumped 10 to 15 inches of rain in western and northern Thayer County. At times, rain rates of 3 to 5 inches per hour were depicted by Doppler radar. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Deshler | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Deshler | $200,000 | The first of several tornadoes to occur in Thayer county. This tornado remained in open county and most damage was to pivots and power poles. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Deshler | $150,000 | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Deshler | $100,000 | The last of four tornadoes to occur near Deshler. Damage was primarily to crops and pivot systems. |
| April 2003 | Hail | Deshler | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Deshler | $50,000 | no account filed |
| September 2015 | Hail | Deshler | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 65 MPH resulted in downed tree limbs in Deshler. Most branches were around 2 inches in diameter, the largest being approximately 1 foot in diameter and 25 feet long. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Deshler | $25,000 | A tornado damaged a shed and several trees on it two mile path in southwest Thayer county. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Deshler | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Deshler | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | $5,000 | Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were estimated by a trained spotter. Tree limbs up to four inches in diameter snapped. |
| March 2009 | Hail | Deshler | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Deshler | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Deshler | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Flash Flood | Deshler | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 61 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located four miles east-northeast of Ruskin. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 58 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located four miles northwest of Deshler. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts of 63 MPH were measured by mesonet stations located three miles north of Chester and four miles south-southeast of Deshler. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 62 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located four miles south-southeast of Deshler. |
| April 2022 | Tornado (EF0) | Deshler | - | This tornado touched down in Nuckolls County just southeast of Ruskin, traveling northeast into Thayer County and lifting just northwest of Deshler. Along with tree damage, several pivots were overturned along this path. A shelter at a cemetery near the county line suffered minor damage, and an outbuilding west of Deshler lost a good portion of its roof. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 63 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located three miles southeast of Deshler. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 67 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located four miles east-southeast of Ruskin. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 65 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located four miles west-northwest of Deshler. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A wind gust of 61 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located three miles northwest of Deshler. |
| July 2020 | Heavy Rain | Deshler | - | A 24-hour total rainfall amount of 5.21 inches was recorded by a CoCoRaHS Observer located 4 miles east-northeast of Deshler. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts estimated to be near 60 MPH downed small tree branches in Deshler. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH. |
| June 2019 | Flood | Deshler | - | Water was over a gravel road two miles east north east of Byron. Also, a drainage culvert was partially washed out about one quarter of a mile north of Road D and Road 5500 intersection. Also, a bridge was washed out on Road 6100, south of Road G, also known as Stoddard Road. Also, water from Dry Creek was over Road 6200, just north of Road G (Stoddard Road). A 31-hour rainfall total of 3.56 inches was reported between 12 AM CDT June 21st to 7 AM CDT June 22nd from a CoCoRaHS observer, 4 miles east southeast of Ruskin. Most of the rain fell between 1-7 AM CDT June 21st. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | A 58 MPH wind gust was measured by a mesonet station located 3 miles south-southeast of Deshler. |
| October 2019 | Heavy Rain | Deshler | - | A 24-hour rainfall total of 3.39 inches occurred five miles south-southwest of Deshler. Most of this rain fell before 8 pm CDT on Oct. 1st. |
| October 2013 | Heavy Rain | Deshler | - | A rain total of 4.10 inches occurred. |
| April 2012 | Tornado (EF0) | Deshler | - | No damage was reported with this brief tornado touchdown approximately 2 miles east of Deshler. |
| June 2012 | Heavy Rain | Deshler | - | Rain total of 3.23 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 MPH, with tree damage reported in Deshler. |
| September 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts estimated at 60 MPH. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Deshler | - | A short lived tornado was video taped on a law enforcement car camera as they were watching the stronger tornado move through Deshler. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Deshler | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage in Deshler. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| April 2013 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| April 2009 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Deshler | - | no account filed |
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.
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 Deshler | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q967657 | The 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 828686. 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.





