Douglas County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20045 · population 118,666 · 456 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,068 records for Douglas County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 534 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (385 records). The deadliest single record is the June 19, 1981 tornado: 1 death and 33 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1967, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,and Mudslides” on June 20, 2019.
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
- 1,068on 534 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2105 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $181Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 41strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2020
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 Douglas County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 385 since 1955. 47% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 385 | 201 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 9 | $17M | 4 of 105 |
| Hail | 375 | 170 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.8M | 5 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 80 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 14 | $1.6M | 3 of 105 |
| Floods | 76 | 59 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 8 | $12M | 8 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 33 | 1951-2026 | 1 | 63 | $139M | 3 of 105 |
| Lightning | 27 | 20 | 1996-2004 | 0 | 1 | $473K | 1 of 105 |
| Heat | 22 | 22 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 10 | – | 3 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 16 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $23K | 38 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 16 | 15 | 2002-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 105 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 57 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $712K | 30 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | $15K | 66 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 Douglas County had?
NOAA records 41 tornadoes in Douglas County from 1951 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 63 injuries recorded in the county. That is 3rd of 105 Kansas counties and 163rd of 3,080 U.S. 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 43 tornadoes whose track touched Douglas County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 41: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-06-19 18:30, as SPC files it | Lawrence | F3 | 7.7 mi | 1 |
| 2019-05-28 17:05, as SPC files it | Lawrence to Bonner Springs | EF4 | 29.07 mi | 0 |
| 1952-05-22 17:10, as SPC files it | Kansas | F4 | 26.9 mi | 0 |
| 1977-05-04 18:05, as SPC files it | Olathe | F3 | 31.6 mi | 0 |
| 1964-04-12 15:26, as SPC files it | McLouth | F3 | 33.8 mi | 0 |
| 1962-08-06 19:00, as SPC files it | Baldwin | F3 | 4.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Douglas County (41)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-09 | Lawrence, Douglas County | EF0 0.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-15 | Baldwin Airport, Douglas County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-15 | Baldwin Airport, Douglas County | EFU 0.28 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-28 | Lone Star, Douglas County | EF3 16.66 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 4 | – |
| 2019-05-28 | Globe, Douglas County | EF2 9.51 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 12 | – |
| 2015-07-06 | Eudora, Douglas County | EF1 5.93 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-02-28 | Globe, Douglas County | EF1 2.78 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-21 | Worden, Douglas County | EF0 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-09-12 | Baldwin Airport, Douglas County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-09-12 | Eudora, Douglas County | EF1 0.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-02 | Clinton, Douglas County | EF2 2.22 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $356K |
| 2007-03-30 | Clinton, Douglas County | EF0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-08-23 | Lone Star, Douglas County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-08 | Lawrence, Douglas County | F2 0.7 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 6 | $10M |
| 2003-05-08 | Lone Star, Douglas County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-08 | Globe, Douglas County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-10-04 | Lawrence, Douglas County | F1 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $136K |
| 1995-05-16 | Baldwin City, Douglas County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 1993-09-21 | Lawrence, Douglas County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1993-09-21 | Lawrence, Douglas County | F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-06 | Pleasant Grove, Douglas County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-15 | Douglas County | F0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-03-01 | Douglas County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-03-12 | Douglas County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-06-02 | Douglas County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-19 | Douglas County | F3 7.7 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 33 | $25M step |
| 1980-05-31 | Douglas County | F2 3.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-05-04 | Douglas County | F3 16.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-07-09 | Douglas County | F2 2.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1966-06-12 | Douglas County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-04-12 | Douglas County | F3 33.8 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1964-04-02 | Douglas County | F1 7.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-08-06 | Douglas County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-08-06 | Douglas County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-08-06 | Douglas County | F3 4.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1962-07-11 | Douglas County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1958-11-17 | Douglas County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-06-11 | Douglas County | F2 1.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-07-07 | Douglas County | F1 8.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1952-05-22 | Douglas County | F4 2.7 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1951-06-08 | Douglas County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Douglas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 27, 2026 flash flood ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence Airport, Douglas County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | TornadoLawrence, Douglas County | EF0 0.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | HailBaldwin, Douglas County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | HailClinton, Douglas County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindPleasant Grove, Douglas County | 74 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-06-19 | TornadoDouglas County | F3 7.7 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 33 | $25M step |
| 1998-12-20 | Ice StormDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas Freezing drizzle and snow caused icy road conditions and resulted in 4 fatal accidents which killed 4 people. A two vehicle accident occurred on Highway 10 near Eudora. and killed a woman. A vehicle slid on Interstate 35 in Lyon county during the afternoon and crossed the median strip where it collided with a tractor ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-05-28 | TornadoGlobe, Douglas County NWS employees surveyed the track and found damage beginning around 2 miles southeast of Overbrook that continued northeast into Douglas county. The sporadic damage path continued to just east southeast of Lone Star Lake in Douglas County where it merged with a larger circulation that eventually become the long track ... | EF2 9.51 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 12 | – |
| 2011-07-14 | Excessive HeatDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time. Six people were admitted to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion during this time period. | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2007-12-06 | Winter WeatherDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas A mixture of freezing drizzle, sleet and snow created hazardous driving conditions throughout the county. Lawrence Police responded to twenty nine non-injury accidents and three injury accidents. A trained spotter reported that roadways were slick due to the mix of sleet and rain, followed by approximately 2 inches of ... | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2003-05-08 | TornadoLawrence, Douglas County A tornado touched down in the southwest part of Lawrence and did considerable damage to the area. An apartment complex suffered major damage as did several other homes and residences in the area. Six people were injured and treated at a Lawrence hospital. | F2 0.7 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 6 | $10M |
| 2008-12-09 | Winter WeatherDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas Three quarters of an inch to one inch of snow was reported to have fallen in Douglas County. Local law enforcement and emergency management relayed fifty-four accident reports from across the county. Five injuries were reported with these wrecks. | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 1998-10-04 | Flash FloodLawrence, Douglas County Thunderstorms from the afternoon of the 4th to the early morning of the 5th produced heavy rains and flash flooding across counties of northeast and east central Kansas.There were numerous reports of road closures, stalled vehicles and stranded motorists. Road closures included US Highway 24 from Williamstown to ... | 0 | 5 | $2.0M |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindLawrence, Douglas County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $12M |
| 2003-05-08 | TornadoLawrence, Douglas County | F2 0.7 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 6 | $10M |
| 2006-04-23 | HailLawrence, Douglas County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.9M |
| 1998-11-01 | Flash FloodLawrence, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $4.5M | |
| 1996-06-05 | Flash FloodLawrence, Douglas County | 0 | 3 | $4.1M | |
| 1995-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindGlobe, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 1995-05-16 | TornadoBaldwin City, Douglas County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 1998-10-04 | Flash FloodLawrence, Douglas County | 0 | 5 | $2.0M |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 19, 1981 (tornado, Douglas County, 1 killed).
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 Douglas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 11 | 15 | 25 | 52 | 89 | 106 | 82 |
| Hail | 1 | 10 | 19 | 24 | 49 | 169 | 88 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 47 | 16 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 27 | 24 | 17 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 31 · Mar 64 · Apr 133 · May 207 · Jun 182 · Jul 144 · Aug 104 · Sep 82 · Oct 24 · Nov 30 · Dec 34 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Douglas County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Douglas County: 17 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2019-05-28 | EM-3412 | Severe Storm | Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-05-06 | DR-1699 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2006-04-13 | DR-1638 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight Line Winds |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1579 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding |
| 2004-09-30 | DR-1562 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2003-05-06 | DR-1462 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1402 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1998-11-05 | DR-1258 | Severe Storm | Ks-Flooding 10/31/98 |
| 1998-10-14 | DR-1254 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1981-07-18 | DR-644 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding & Tornadoes |
| 1973-09-28 | DR-403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-07-15 | DR-267 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-229 | 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 Douglas County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 76 flood or flash flood records for Douglas County from 1996 to 2026, on 59 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Douglas County ranks 1085th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.9 million on 150 claims filed in Douglas County; the most in one year was 44 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1981: 2 · 1988: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 25 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 44 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 14 · 2004: 7 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 17 · 2019: 13 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 1 · 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 Douglas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Douglas County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $46.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | $1.3M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $12M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.5M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.4M | 7.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.3M | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | 9.8 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $20M | 2 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 Douglas 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in KansasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Douglas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Douglas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis