How Likely Is a Tornado in Lincoln County, ID?
How likely is a tornado in Lincoln County, ID?
Lincoln County has recorded 4 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 18.9 years - our Minimal band. Put another way: Lincoln County sees more tornado activity than 13% of US counties. Idaho has 44 counties in this dataset; Lincoln County ranks 23 of them by frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
4 weak and 0 significant tornadoes make up Lincoln County's 4-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Lincoln County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Idaho has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Idaho this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
The storm that misses Lincoln County outright can still take its power out - outbreak-scale outages across Idaho are common well beyond the tracked path. A battery-backup unit handles that without a generator's setup or fuel.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Lincoln County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 1,201 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Lincoln County has about 5,556 residents.