Clark County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20025 · population 1,991 · 975 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 796 records for Clark County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 384 days; the most frequent are hail reports (471 records). The most damaging was the August 20, 1997 hail ($3.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1973, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on September 24, 2024.
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
- 796on 384 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 02 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $8.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 41strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2024
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 Clark County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 471 since 1962. 62% of its hail reports since 1962 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 471 | 203 | 1962-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | 76 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 145 | 102 | 1977-2025 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 101 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 63 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 22 | 1955-2019 | 0 | 0 | $276K | 102 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 15 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 17 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 105 |
| Floods | 10 | 9 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 103 of 105 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 105 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 101 of 105 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1996-1997 | 0 | 0 | $94K | 55 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2004-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2017-2026 | 0 | 2 | $3.6M | 24 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 Clark County had?
NOAA records 41 tornadoes in Clark County from 1955 to 2019, the strongest rated EF3, 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 41 tornadoes whose track touched Clark County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 41, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-17 19:37, as SPC files it | Minneola | EF3 | 29.62 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-23 18:25, as SPC files it | Mullinville | EF3 | 20.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Clark County (41)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-17 | Minneola, Clark County | EF1 7.71 mi x 275 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-17 | Minneola, Clark County | EF0 0.42 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-16 | Minneola, Clark County | EF1 4.03 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-30 | Clark State Lake, Clark County | EF0 0.43 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Clark State Lake, Clark County | EF1 6.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Clark State Lake, Clark County | EF1 7.1 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Clark State Lake, Clark County | EF1 1.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Clark State Lake, Clark County | EF3 11.3 mi x 3,170 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Sitka, Clark County | EF0 2.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Sitka, Clark County | EF1 10 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Sitka, Clark County | EF0 4.4 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Ashland, Clark County | EF0 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Englewood, Clark County | EF0 2.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Sitka, Clark County | EF1 2.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Sitka, Clark County | EF0 4.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Sitka, Clark County | EF0 6.04 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-23 | Sitka, Clark County | EF0 1.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-23 | Sitka, Clark County | EF1 7.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-26 | Clark State Lake, Clark County | F0 0.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-26 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-26 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-26 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-26 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-26 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.4 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-15 | Ashland, Clark County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-15 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 1.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-08-12 | Englewood, Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-08-12 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-07 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 4.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-31 | Sitka, Clark County | F1 4.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-08-20 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-04-09 | Ashland, Clark County | F2 0.8 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1994-04-09 | Ashland, Clark County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-04-09 | Minneola, Clark County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-06-10 | Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-08-31 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1972-07-28 | Clark County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-05-25 | Clark County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1958-06-12 | Clark County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-04-14 | Clark County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-17 | Clark County | F2 | 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 Clark County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 17, 2026 wildfire (2 injuries).
The Ranger Road fire was a large wildfire that began in Beaver County, OK during the early afternoon hours of February 17th. Fueled by strong southwesterly winds and low relative humidity, the fire spread quickly into Kansas. Evacuations were ordered for the town of Englewood, Ashland, and all of southern Clark County. Two firefighters were injured battling the blaze in the county. It was reported by local ranchers that hundreds of cattle perished in the fire. The exact acreage burned in Clark County is unknown, but the total acreage burned from the fire was 283,383. The fire was controlled February 24.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1319960)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 | WildfireClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-16 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailAshland Krier Airport, Clark County | 3.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailAshland, Clark County | 3.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailAshland, Clark County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-03 | Thunderstorm WindAshland Krier Airport, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindAshland Krier Airport, Clark County | 51 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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 | WildfireClark County · forecast zone Clark The Ranger Road fire was a large wildfire that began in Beaver County, OK during the early afternoon hours of February 17th. Fueled by strong southwesterly winds and low relative humidity, the fire spread quickly into Kansas. Evacuations were ordered for the town of Englewood, Ashland, and all of southern Clark ... | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-08-20 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 4.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 2017-03-06 | WildfireClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 1998-05-06 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $308K |
| 1998-05-24 | HailMinneola, Clark County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $290K |
| 1994-04-09 | TornadoAshland, Clark County | F2 0.8 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2021-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindMinneola, Clark County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2006-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindAshland, Clark County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 1996-08-01 | Thunderstorm WindMinneola, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $6K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 28, 1972 (tornado, Clark 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 Clark 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 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 103 | 212 | 114 | 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 31 | 52 | 20 | 20 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 42 | 16 | 13 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 24 | 5 | 0 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
62% of its hail reports since 1962 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 23 · Mar 43 · Apr 78 · May 237 · Jun 168 · Jul 67 · Aug 66 · Sep 42 · Oct 15 · Nov 15 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clark County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Clark County: 13 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (10) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4824 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-05-25 | DR-4654 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2017-03-06 | FM-5171 | Fire | Clark County Fire |
| 2017-02-24 | DR-4304 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2013-10-22 | DR-4150 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-06-24 | DR-1848 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1776 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 2008-02-01 | DR-1741 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1675 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1579 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Clark County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 79 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 96 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $368K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $531K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $33K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $453K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $183K | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $18K | 9.7 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 Clark 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 Clark CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clark County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis