Edwards County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20047 · population 2,905 · 622 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 687 records for Edwards County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 347 days; the most frequent are hail reports (359 records). The most damaging was the August 2, 1996 thunderstorm wind ($3.4 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1965, 27 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
- 687on 347 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 08 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $21Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 53strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 29latest 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 Edwards County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 359 since 1955. 55% of its hail reports since 1955 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 | 359 | 156 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $968K | 33 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 135 | 90 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 1 | $6.7M | 72 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 76 | 67 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 53 | 30 | 1952-2025 | 0 | 7 | $13M | 29 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 16 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 21 | 18 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 105 |
| Floods | 10 | 9 | 1996-2017 | 0 | 0 | $383K | 91 of 105 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 82 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 105 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 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 Edwards County had?
NOAA records 53 tornadoes in Edwards County from 1952 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 29th 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 59 tornadoes whose track touched Edwards County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 53: 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, 0 of them in Edwards County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-05-04 21:39, as SPC files it | Macksville | EF3 | 18.22 mi | 1 |
| 1955-06-04 17:00, as SPC files it | Kinsley to Larned | F4 | 72.2 mi | 0 |
| 2025-05-18 21:04, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 15.84 mi | 0 |
| 2016-05-24 19:00, as SPC files it | Belpre | EF3 | 8.3 mi | 0 |
| 2012-04-14 19:27, as SPC files it | Greensburg | EF3 | 48.02 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-23 20:16, as SPC files it | Belpre | EF3 | 18.2 mi | 0 |
| 2007-05-04 21:03, as SPC files it | Greensburg to Belpre | EF3 | 23.5 mi | 0 |
| 2004-03-27 13:13, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 10 mi | 0 |
| 1973-09-25 18:30, as SPC files it | Belpre | F3 | 18.5 mi | 0 |
| 1971-05-09 16:50, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 9 mi | 0 |
| 1970-06-13 21:00, as SPC files it | Kinsley | F3 | 7.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Edwards County (53)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-18 | Lewis, Edwards County | EF2 7.68 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Kinsley Municipal Airport, Edwards County | EF0 4.18 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-07-17 | Ardell, Edwards County | EF0 0.01 mi x 1 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-12 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF1 6.58 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-12 | Centerview, Edwards County | EF1 6.32 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-18 | Kinsley, Edwards County | EF0 1.42 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-17 | Lewis, Edwards County | EF2 7.6 mi x 565 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-17 | Offerle, Edwards County | EF2 4.46 mi x 620 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-06 | Lewis, Edwards County | EFU 2.81 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Centerview, Edwards County | EF3 8.3 mi x 1,100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Hodges, Edwards County | EF2 5.4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Hodges, Edwards County | EF1 4.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-11 | Ardell, Edwards County | EF0 0.75 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-30 | Kinsley, Edwards County | EF0 0.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Fellsburg, Edwards County | EF3 25.2 mi x 1,720 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Fellsburg, Edwards County | EF1 9.34 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-15 | Belpre, Edwards County | EF1 2.8 mi x 870 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-15 | Fellsburg, Edwards County | EF1 3.4 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-15 | Hodges, Edwards County | EF1 2.75 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2009-06-15 | Kinsley Municipal Airport, Edwards County | EF0 3.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-15 | Ardell, Edwards County | EF0 2.62 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF0 1.5 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Offerle, Edwards County | EF2 13.1 mi x 950 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Kinsley Municipal Airport, Edwards County | EF2 5.4 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Belpre, Edwards County | EF2 3.4 mi x 1,160 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF2 5.2 mi x 1,935 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-23 | Hodges, Edwards County | EF0 1.29 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-23 | Williams, Edwards County | EF0 0.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF1 3.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Belpre, Edwards County | EF0 2.44 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF2 2.7 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Centerview, Edwards County | EF1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF1 1.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Trousdale, Edwards County | EF3 13.2 mi x 3,872 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.1M |
| 2004-03-27 | Kinsley, Edwards County | F3 8.5 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $828K |
| 2004-03-27 | Kinsley, Edwards County | F0 1.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-11 | Kinsley, Edwards County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-07 | Offerle, Edwards County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-07 | Offerle, Edwards County | F0 0.7 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-01 | Belpre, Edwards County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-01 | Lewis, Edwards County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-10 | Offerle, Edwards County | F0 7.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-23 | Belpre, Edwards County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-23 | Lewis, Edwards County | F1 12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-09-25 | Edwards County | F3 18.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-09 | Edwards County | F3 9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-06-13 | Edwards County | F3 7.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1958-07-26 | Edwards County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-06-12 | Edwards County | F2 | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1957-07-21 | Edwards County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-10-29 | Edwards County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1952-08-07 | Edwards County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1952-04-08 | Edwards County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Edwards County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 23, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($6,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Delayed report. Emergency management reported damage to roofs, garage doors, and trees down in town. Time estimated by radar.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1273538)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-16 | WildfireEdwards County · forecast zone Edwards | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowEdwards County · forecast zone Edwards | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindKinsley Municipal Airport, Edwards County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2025-05-28 | HailOfferle, Edwards County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | TornadoLewis, Edwards County | EF2 7.68 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | TornadoKinsley Municipal Airport, Edwards County | EF0 4.18 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-24 | HailNettleton, Edwards County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-24 | HailNettleton, Edwards County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-24 | HailNettleton, Edwards County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-16 | HailArdell, Edwards County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindEdwards County · forecast zone Edwards | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindEdwards County · forecast zone Edwards | 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-12 | TornadoEdwards County | F2 | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1956-10-29 | TornadoEdwards County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2011-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindArdell, Edwards County A truck driver from an overturned semi on Highway 50 had several deep cuts and gashes. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | TornadoBelpre, Edwards County This tornado moved out of Stafford county and did EF2 damage to a house and barn just west of the Stafford/Edwards county line. A Female received a serious injury when she was blown down the stairs. Pivot sprinklers and trees received EF1-2 damage. The tornado started in the southeast part of Edwards county, moved ... | EF2 3.4 mi x 1,160 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoTrousdale, Edwards County This 2.2 wide monster moved out of Kiowa county at 2231 CST. It caused high end EF3 damage to farms, trees, machinery, pivot sprinklers and power lines. It killed dozens of cattle and horses. As the tornado dissipated, it curved back to the west. | EF3 13.2 mi x 3,872 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.1M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindLewis, Edwards County | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 1996-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindKinsley, Edwards County | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoTrousdale, Edwards County | EF3 13.2 mi x 3,872 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.1M |
| 2009-06-15 | TornadoHodges, Edwards County | EF1 2.75 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 1995-05-22 | HailKinsley, Edwards County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $968K |
| 2004-03-27 | TornadoKinsley, Edwards County | F3 8.5 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $828K |
| 1996-08-21 | FloodEdwards County · forecast zone Edwards | 0 | 0 | $376K | |
| 2020-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindBelpre, Edwards County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $114K |
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: October 29, 1956 (tornado, Edwards County); June 13, 1970 (tornado, Edwards County); May 9, 1971 (tornado, Edwards 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 Edwards 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 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 87 | 133 | 65 | 50 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 47 | 28 | 10 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 38 | 14 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 11 | 5 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 23 · Feb 19 · Mar 36 · Apr 90 · May 188 · Jun 138 · Jul 66 · Aug 44 · Sep 30 · Oct 17 · Nov 16 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Edwards County
FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Edwards County: 26 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (20) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4940 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4943 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-12-19 | DR-4897 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4883 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4869 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires |
| 2024-04-28 | DR-4774 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2022-02-17 | DR-4640 | Severe Storm | Severe 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 |
| 2017-02-24 | DR-4304 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2015-07-20 | DR-4230 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-10-22 | DR-4150 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2012-05-24 | DR-4063 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2007-07-02 | DR-1711 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-05-06 | DR-1699 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1675 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2006-01-26 | DR-1626 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-09-28 | DR-403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1965-06-23 | DR-201 | Flood | 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 Edwards County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 10 flood or flash flood records for Edwards County from 1996 to 2017, on 9 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Edwards County ranks 2358th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1,669 on 10 claims filed in Edwards County; the most in one year was 2 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1995: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 2; 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 Edwards County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Edwards County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.1 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 High | $2.3M | 66 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $50K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $295K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $58K | once in about 1,415 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $386K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $18K | once in about 1,590 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Edwards 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 Edwards CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Edwards County's FEMA declarations (CSV)29 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis