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Overton, Nebraska

17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1896 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Overton precinct. It lies in ZIP code area 68863. The Survey maps it on the Overton quadrangle. 607 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,320 feet above sea level.

Overton within Dawson County

Population over time

2 figures

Overton grew from 594 to 607 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
2010594
2020607+13 (+2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 17 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

15 since 2005

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Overton between 2005 and 2018, burning about 222 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Equipment and vehicle use5
Debris and open burning1
Railroad operations and maintenance1
Smoking1
Fireworks1

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
28 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
3 July 2008Fireworksunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
9 April 2014Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
29 March 2008Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
22 March 2007Equipment and vehicle use65 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
18 March 2008Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
16 March 2007Smokingunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
6 February 2009Equipment and vehicle use60 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Dawson County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Overton: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Overton Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Dawson County

Storms near this place

60 of 70 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Overton in 70 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 38 hail, 26 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 2 tornado. 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
July 2019Flash FloodOverton$2,000,000no account filed
June 2013HailOverton$250,000Golf ball size hail fell in Overton.
June 2011HailOverton$250,000Hail up to the size of ping pong balls was reported on Interstate 80.
October 2023Tornado (EF0)Overton$225,000A short-lived tornado occurred about 3 miles northeast of Overton. This tornado upset at least two center irrigation pivots, and the associated rear flank downdraft damaged three more pivots. One farmstead reported tree damage. One helpful nugget of information was video from a nearby home showing the condensation funnel as it formed. The tornado likely dissipated in a pasture after a couple minutes.
May 2019FloodOverton$100,000Heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flooding of the Buffalo and Spring Creeks areas in central and southeastern Dawson County. Numerous county roads were affected, along with bridges crossing the creeks. Areas in and around Overton were most affected, as extensive flooding of Buffalo Creek affected mainly the north and east portions of town, and water was over parts of the eastbound lanes of Highway 30. To the south of Overton, near the Interstate 80 interchange, Spring Creek running out of its banks caused the flooding and closure of a truck stop, due to at least a few feet of water over the property. The road leading from Interstate 80 to Overton was also covered in water. ||Spring Creek crested at 8.74 feet in the early morning hours of May 29th, and that was the 3rd highest crest on record. Buffalo Creek crested at 11.33 feet just after midnight CDT on May 30th, and that was the 2nd highest crest on record.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindOverton$75,000A semi-tractor trailer was pushed over. Also, the storm chase vehicle was pushed sideways.
July 2018FloodOverton$50,000Heavy rain fell across portions of Dawson and Buffalo counties, and while ground-truth reports were mainly in the 3 to 5 inch range, radar estimation and an unofficial report exceeded 6 inches. Much of this water drained into the Elm Creek. The gauge, located just west of the town of Elm Creek, peaked just under 10 feet and remained above flood stage until the early evening of the 6th. At a stage of 9.5 feet, water covers County Road 56. A few other rural roads were affected. A home west of the creek near Highway 30 was affected by the excess water, and area culverts were full.
May 1998HailOverton$30,000no account filed
June 2013Thunderstorm WindOverton$25,000A semi-tractor trailer was blown over at mile marker 243 on Interstate 80 west of Overton, roughly halfway between the Lexington and Overton exits.
September 2017HailOverton$25,000no account filed
June 2011HailOverton$25,000no account filed
May 2000Thunderstorm WindOverton$25,000no account filed
July 2006HailOverton$20,000no account filed
May 1998HailOverton$20,000no account filed
May 1998HailOverton$20,000no account filed
May 2001HailOverton$15,000no account filed
May 2022Thunderstorm WindOverton$10,000Wind gusts were estimated to be near 70 MPH. Numerous tree limbs were downed, with a handful being at least six inches in diameter. Some tree limbs ended up in power lines. A few trees were uprooted.
June 2008HailOverton$10,000no account filed
June 2011FloodOverton$8,000Heavy rain in the Elm Creek area caused minor flooding in town. Foster's Family Foods, the local grocery store, reported water on the floor of the business, but little damage was incurred.
August 1996Thunderstorm WindOverton$8,000no account filed
August 2006Thunderstorm WindOverton$5,000no account filed
May 2004Thunderstorm WindOverton$5,000no account filed
July 2022Thunderstorm WindOverton$2,000Several tree limbs around four inches in diameter were downed in Overton.
June 2008HailOverton$2,000no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindOverton-A wind gust of 58 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located two miles east-southeast of Overton.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindOverton-A wind gust of 59 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located two miles east-southeast of Overton.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts of 60 MPH were measured by mesonet stations located three miles north of Overton and two miles east-southeast of Overton.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindOverton-A wind gust of 58 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located two miles east of Overton.
October 2023Tornado (EFU)Overton-This tornado was reported by the public to the NWS via pictures and video. No rating nor wind speed was assigned due to the lack of quality damage indicators in the area. The location is estimated.
July 2022HailOverton-Hail to at least quarter size fell at Overton Golf Club.
September 2017Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated to be near 65 MPH. The wind was accompanied by pea size hail.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH. A driver on Highway 30 near Road 440 reported difficulty keeping vehicle on the road.
June 2013HailOverton-Dime to nickel sized hail was reported. This report was courtesy of a Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network Observer.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts estimated near 60 mph knocked down tree branches 4 to 6 inches in diameter.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 MPH.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 MPH on Interstate 80.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 MPH.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated between 60 and 70 MPH. Small tree limbs were blown down.
July 2011HailOverton-Crop damage was reported in the area.
July 2011HailOverton-Hail up to the size of ping pong balls was covering the road just south of the Overton Interstate 80 interchange.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindOverton-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindOverton-Damage reports included 2 trees of 2 feet in diameter being blown down, 8 to 12 inch tree limbs knocked down, shingles lost from roofs, and a 16 foot fiberglass boat and trailer blown over.
May 2025HailOverton-no account filed
October 2023HailOverton-no account filed
October 2023HailOverton-no account filed
July 2022HailOverton-no account filed
April 2021HailOverton-no account filed
April 2021HailOverton-no account filed
May 2019HailOverton-no account filed
July 2018HailOverton-no account filed
March 2017Thunderstorm WindOverton-no account filed
October 2017HailOverton-no account filed
October 2017HailOverton-no account filed
April 2016HailOverton-no account filed
June 2011HailOverton-no account filed
May 2010HailOverton-no account filed
August 2007HailOverton-no account filed
March 2006HailOverton-no account filed
May 2005HailOverton-no account filed
May 2004HailOverton-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Dawson 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
Trued4.0 miles15
Josselyn4.7 miles17
Lexington11.2 miles17
Sumner14.7 miles16
Darr19.2 miles16
Eddyville19.4 miles10
Buffalo23.4 miles16
Cozad25.3 miles16

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 OvertonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q3287951The 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 831932. 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.

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.