Bourbon County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20011 · population 14,356 · 635 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 642 records for Bourbon County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 415 days; the most frequent are hail reports (173 records). The most damaging was the April 7, 2013 hail ($38.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1969, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 22, 2025.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 642on 415 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $104Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2025
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Bourbon County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 173 since 1961. 49% of its hail reports since 1961 fell in April and May. The rank column places the county among Kansas's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 173 | 101 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $41M | 100 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 162 | 111 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | 53 of 105 |
| Floods | 108 | 95 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | 6 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 62 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 35 of 105 |
| Drought | 45 | 39 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $44M | 29 of 105 |
| Heat | 23 | 19 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 17 | 1955-2024 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | 97 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 4 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 9 | 2009-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 5 | 1997-2015 | 0 | 0 | $84K | 95 of 105 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 2010-2011 | 0 | 0 | $36K | 18 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 3 | 2006-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 31 of 105 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Bourbon County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Bourbon County from 1955 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 20 tornadoes whose track touched Bourbon County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Bourbon County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-26 | Uniontown, Bourbon County | EF0 3.34 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2014-04-27 | Hammond, Bourbon County | EF1 7.63 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $623K |
| 2013-07-29 | Petersburg, Bourbon County | EF1 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2009-05-13 | Bronson, Bourbon County | EF1 12.62 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $138K |
| 2006-05-03 | Garland, Bourbon County | F0 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Ft Scott, Bourbon County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-04-19 | Hiattville, Bourbon County | F2 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-02-11 | Bourbon County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-09-27 | Bourbon County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-09-24 | Bourbon County | F2 7.2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-06-22 | Bourbon County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-04-12 | Bourbon County | F1 4.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-04-03 | Bourbon County | F2 0.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-03-12 | Bourbon County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-03-12 | Bourbon County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-04-28 | Bourbon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1955-06-05 | Bourbon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1955-05-26 | Bourbon County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Bourbon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 8, 2025 hail ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Hail to two inches in diameter occurred in Fort Scott, Kansas.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1251751)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-26 | HailFt Scott, Bourbon County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | Heavy RainFt Scott, Bourbon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | FloodFulton, Bourbon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | FloodFulton, Bourbon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormBourbon County · forecast zone Bourbon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindUniontown, Bourbon County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindFt Scott, Bourbon County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindFt Scott Airport, Bourbon County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-08 | HailHammond, Bourbon County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-06-08 | HailDevon, Bourbon County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-08 | HailBronson, Bourbon County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindMarmaton, Bourbon County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-04-07 | HailFt Scott, Bourbon County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $38M |
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtBourbon County · forecast zone Bourbon | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2011-08-01 | DroughtBourbon County · forecast zone Bourbon | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2022-12-01 | DroughtBourbon County · forecast zone Bourbon | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeBourbon County · forecast zone Bourbon | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | |
| 2023-12-01 | DroughtBourbon County · forecast zone Bourbon | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | |
| 1998-09-13 | Flash FloodCountywide, Bourbon County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2009-07-08 | HailBronson, Bourbon County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.8M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 24, 1973 (tornado, Bourbon County); September 27, 1973 (tornado, Bourbon County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Bourbon County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 75 | 42 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 23 | 45 | 49 | 25 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 28 | 43 | 30 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 41 | 13 | 14 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 21 z | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 16 | 5 | 0 |
Drought in the 2010s: 21 records against 6 in the decade before, 21 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Bourbon County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its hail reports since 1961 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 35 · Feb 31 · Mar 45 · Apr 89 · May 103 · Jun 103 · Jul 69 · Aug 50 · Sep 43 · Oct 27 · Nov 16 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bourbon County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Bourbon County: 15 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4883 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-07-15 | DR-4800 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4504 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3481 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-06-20 | DR-4449 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,and Mudslides |
| 2013-10-22 | DR-4150 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2009-09-30 | DR-1860 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-06-25 | DR-1849 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1776 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-07-02 | DR-1711 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1402 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1998-10-14 | DR-1254 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1986-10-22 | DR-780 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-07-15 | DR-267 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Bourbon County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 108 flood or flash flood records for Bourbon County from 1996 to 2026, on 95 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bourbon County ranks 1530th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.4 million on 64 claims filed in Bourbon County; the most in one year was 19 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 1 · 1986: 7 · 1990: 2 · 1992: 7 · 1993: 7 · 1994: 13 · 1998: 19 · 2007: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Bourbon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bourbon County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.2 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 6.6 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $684K | 14 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $255K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $130K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $657K | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $623K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $192K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $750K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bourbon County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in KansasEvery Kansas tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in KansasThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Kansas recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Bourbon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bourbon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis