PlainHazard

Brown County, Kansas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20013 · population 9,503 · 571 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 591 records for Brown County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 361 days; the most frequent are hail reports (206 records). The deadliest single record is the July 1, 2000 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone Brown, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1973, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on September 1, 2026.

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
591on 361 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
413 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$21Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
44strongest F3
FEMA declarations
19latest 2026

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 Brown County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 206 since 1957. 59% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in May and June. 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.

Brown County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 206 119 1957-2023 0 0 $926K 75 of 105
Severe thunderstorm wind 169 108 1956-2026 0 4 $924K 42 of 105
Winter storms 71 70 1996-2025 2 1 $37K 8 of 105
Tornadoes 44 30 1950-2023 0 5 $16M 16 of 105
Floods 33 24 1998-2021 0 0 $2.8M 42 of 105
Heat 17 17 1999-2012 0 0 – 17 of 105
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 14 13 2000-2009 2 3 – 10 of 105
High wind and dust storms 12 12 1996-2019 0 0 $48K 60 of 105
Drought 10 10 1999-2012 0 0 – 66 of 105
Extreme cold 8 8 1996-2022 0 0 – 24 of 105
Lightning 7 7 1996-2007 0 0 $50K 7 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 Brown County had?

NOAA records 44 tornadoes in Brown County from 1950 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 16th of 105 Kansas counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 48 tornadoes whose track touched Brown County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 44: 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Brown County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1959-05-18 18:50, as SPC files itPowhattanF30.5 mi0
1950-05-05 03:30, as SPC files itHiawathaF317.3 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.

Every tornado record filed for Brown County (44)
Every tornado recorded in Brown County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2023-05-12 Reserve, Brown County EF0 0.01 mi x 15 yd 0 0 –
2023-05-12 Hamlin, Brown County EF2 1.48 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2018-10-08 Hamlin, Brown County EF0 3.12 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2015-05-15 Robinson, Brown County EF0 0.05 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2014-06-03 Willis, Brown County EF1 2.62 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2008-06-05 Sycamore Spgs, Brown County EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2007-08-24 Everest, Brown County EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2006-04-15 Horton, Brown County F0 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2006-04-15 Robinson, Brown County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $37K
2006-04-15 Willis, Brown County F1 4 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $220K
2006-04-15 Horton, Brown County F0 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $146K
2006-03-30 Fairview, Brown County F1 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $220K
2005-06-04 Hiawatha, Brown County F2 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $604K
1999-04-05 Hiawatha, Brown County F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-13 Hiawatha, Brown County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-13 Reserve, Brown County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-13 Morrill, Brown County F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1996-03-24 Morrill, Brown County F0 1 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $94K
1993-05-06 Everest, Brown County F1 6 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $1.1M
1993-05-06 Fairview, Brown County F2 8 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $1.1M
1987-05-27 Brown County F1 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1987-05-27 Brown County F1 9 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1986-09-22 Brown County F0 0.2 mi x 23 yd 0 0 $25K step
1986-09-22 Brown County F0 1 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $250K step
1984-06-07 Brown County F2 18 mi x 300 yd 0 5 $2.5M step
1983-06-13 Brown County F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd 0 0 $250 step
1983-05-12 Brown County F0 2.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1979-03-29 Brown County F0 1.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $3K step
1973-04-19 Brown County F2 0.2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $30 step
1967-06-07 Brown County 0 0 –
1964-08-20 Brown County F1 0 0 –
1964-08-20 Brown County F1 3.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1964-06-11 Brown County F0 0 0 –
1962-05-31 Brown County F2 6.9 mi x 13 yd 0 0 $250 step
1962-05-31 Brown County F1 0 0 –
1962-05-31 Brown County F1 0 0 –
1961-10-12 Brown County F1 0 0 $250 step
1961-05-07 Brown County F2 0 0 $25K step
1959-05-18 Brown County F2 1 mi x 880 yd 0 0 $3K step
1959-05-18 Brown County F3 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1954-03-18 Brown County 0 0 $250 step
1954-03-18 Brown County F2 0 0 –
1951-03-02 Brown County 0 0 $250 step
1950-05-05 Brown County F3 14 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $250K step

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 Brown County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 18, 2010 winter weather (1 death).

Light snow falling across Brown county caused a motorist to lose control of her van and collide with a southbound semi truck on US-75 at the intersection of US-75 and HWY 36.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 270591)
The 12 most recent records kept for Brown County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindMercier, Brown County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-05-19 Thunderstorm WindPowhattan, Brown County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-04-01 Thunderstorm WindEverest, Brown County 54 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-03-04 BlizzardBrown County · forecast zone Brown 0 0 –
2025-01-05 BlizzardBrown County · forecast zone Brown 0 0 –
2024-08-14 Thunderstorm WindEverest, Brown County 66 kt wind 0 0 –
2023-07-28 Thunderstorm WindEverest, Brown County 69 kt wind 0 0 –
2023-05-12 HailBaker, Brown County 2.00 in hail 0 0 –
2023-05-12 TornadoReserve, Brown County EF0 0.01 mi x 15 yd 0 0 –
2023-05-12 TornadoHamlin, Brown County EF2 1.48 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2021-12-15 Thunderstorm WindEverest, Brown County 65 kt wind 0 0 –
2021-06-11 Thunderstorm WindFairview, Brown County 65 kt wind 0 0 –

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

Records with deaths or injuries in Brown County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2000-07-01 Dense FogBrown County · forecast zone Brown Dense fog contributed to two fatal accidents 10 miles west of Horton near the junction of U.S. Highway 75 and highway 20. A pickup truck driven by a 35 year old male struck a semi-trailer that had just pulled onto highway 75 from a gas station killing the 35 year old pickup truck driver. Three minutes later a ... 2 3 –
2010-12-18 Winter WeatherBrown County · forecast zone Brown Light snow falling across Brown county caused a motorist to lose control of her van and collide with a southbound semi truck on US-75 at the intersection of US-75 and HWY 36. 1 0 –
1997-12-24 Heavy SnowBrown County · forecast zone Brown A very wet snow fell in all of North Central, Northeast and East Central Kansas. The precipitation was mostly snow from the onset in North Central Kansas. In East Central and most of Northeast Kansas however heavy rain turned to heavy snow with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour shortly after the changeover ... 1 0 –
1984-06-07 TornadoBrown County F2 18 mi x 300 yd 0 5 $2.5M step
1984-06-07 Thunderstorm WindBrown County 0 4 –
2003-02-23 Winter StormBrown County · forecast zone Brown A winter storm brought one to 4 inches of snow to parts of northeast and east central Kansas with the largest amount near 4 inches reported near Garnett. Strong winds caused considerable blowing and drifting snow. Many schools were closed for a time. Numerous vehicle accidents occurred. One mile west of Baldwin a ... 0 1 –

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.

The costliest records in Brown County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2007-05-06 Flash FloodHiawatha, Brown County 0 0 $2.8M
2005-06-04 TornadoHiawatha, Brown County F2 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $604K
1997-07-01 HailFairview, Brown County 4.00 in hail 0 0 $552K
1997-07-01 HailHiawatha, Brown County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $368K
1999-04-05 Thunderstorm WindFairview, Brown County 0 0 $266K
2006-03-30 TornadoFairview, Brown County F1 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $220K
2006-04-15 TornadoWillis, Brown County F1 4 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $220K
2006-04-15 TornadoHorton, Brown County F0 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $146K

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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 7, 1984 (tornado, Brown 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 Brown 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).

Brown County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail276182976599
Severe thunderstorm wind4105629593323
Winter storms––––1045124
Tornadoes69277832
Floods––––212163
Heat––––1880

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

59% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 24 · Feb 24 · Mar 36 · Apr 51 · May 89 · Jun 160 · Jul 60 · Aug 69 · Sep 29 · Oct 6 · Nov 16 · Dec 27 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Brown County

FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Brown County: 16 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and flood (3).

Declarations including Brown County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-09-01DR-4940Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2022-02-17DR-4640Severe StormSevere Storms and Straight Line Winds
2020-03-29DR-4504BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3481BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-20DR-4449Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,and Mudslides
2015-07-20DR-4230Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2010-08-10DR-1932Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2010-03-09DR-1885Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Snowstorm
2008-07-09DR-1776Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes
2008-02-01DR-1741Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-12-12EM-3282Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-05-06DR-1699Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2005-09-10EM-3236HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-02-08DR-1579Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding
1993-07-22DR-1000FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1984-06-22DR-714Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1977-09-20DR-539FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1973-09-28DR-403Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1973-05-02DR-378FloodSevere 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 Brown County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 33 flood or flash flood records for Brown County from 1998 to 2021, on 24 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Brown County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $15,000 on 1 claim filed in Brown County; the most in one year was 1 in 2026. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

2026: 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 Brown County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Brown County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.2 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Brown County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
DroughtRelatively Moderate$759K15 modeled event-days a year
WildfireRelatively Low$226Konce in about 531 years (modeled)
HailRelatively Low$457K7.9 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$588K11 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Low$1.7Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$121Kabout once a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$311K5.4 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$30K11 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 Brown County

  1. Nemaha County 650
  2. Jackson County 606
  3. Brown County 591
  4. Richardson County, NE 513
  5. Atchison County 386
  6. Doniphan County 281

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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