How Likely Is a Tornado in Madison County, ID?
Madison County's tornado history, by the numbers
Madison County has recorded 6 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 12.7 years - our Minimal band. Put another way: Madison County sees more tornado activity than 19% of US counties. Within Idaho alone, Madison County ranks 13 of 44 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
5 weak and 1 significant tornadoes make up Madison County's 6-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 469 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. Madison County has about 55,549 residents.