Harper County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20077 · population 5,481 · 801 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 857 records for Harper County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 471 days; the most frequent are hail reports (365 records). The most damaging was the July 1, 2011 drought ($13.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1967, 20 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
- 857on 471 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 016 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $38Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 64strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Harper County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 365 since 1955. 56% 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 | 365 | 196 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 43 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 245 | 143 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | 50 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 64 | 44 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 1 | $7.8M | 13 of 105 |
| Drought | 56 | 56 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 12 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 55 | 54 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 9 | $470K | 84 of 105 |
| Floods | 39 | 30 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 1 | $12M | 52 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 13 | 2001-2026 | 0 | 0 | $49K | 79 of 105 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 2006-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2008-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2007-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 96 of 105 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2001-2004 | 0 | 1 | $42K | 49 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 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 Harper County had?
NOAA records 64 tornadoes in Harper County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 13th 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 67 tornadoes whose track touched Harper County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 64: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-12 19:40, as SPC files it | Harper | F4 | 1.2 mi | 0 |
| 2012-05-19 17:16, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 9.72 mi | 0 |
| 2012-05-19 17:33, as SPC files it | Harper | EF3 | 9.68 mi | 0 |
| 1964-05-05 20:45, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 33 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Harper County (64)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-17 | Harper County | EF0 0.06 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-25 | Waldron, Harper County | EF2 6.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-23 | Harper County | EFU 0.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-23 | Attica, Harper County | EFU 0.81 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-06 | Anthony, Harper County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-12-14 | Harper County | EF0 5.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-19 | Attica, Harper County | EF3 9.68 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-19 | Duquoin, Harper County | EF3 5.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Waldron, Harper County | EF1 22.33 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-03-07 | Attica, Harper County | EF0 0.53 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-03-07 | Attica, Harper County | EF0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-06 | Attica, Harper County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-03-21 | Corwin, Harper County | F0 0.5 mi x 55 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-29 | Freeport, Harper County | F1 2.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2004-05-29 | Harper County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-29 | Anthony, Harper County | F2 8 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $586K |
| 2004-05-29 | Attica, Harper County | F1 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2004-05-29 | Attica, Harper County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-12 | Danville, Harper County | F1 3.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2004-05-12 | Attica, Harper County | F1 4 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-12 | Harper County | F4 1.2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $547K |
| 2004-05-12 | Danville, Harper County | F0 1.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-12 | Harper County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2004-05-12 | Harper County | F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $344K |
| 2004-05-12 | Harper County | F2 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $219K |
| 2004-05-12 | Harper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-12 | Attica, Harper County | F2 1.8 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $219K |
| 2004-05-12 | Attica, Harper County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-09 | Harper County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2002-06-12 | Freeport, Harper County | F0 1 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-08 | Anthony, Harper County | F0 2 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-05 | Crystal Spgs, Harper County | F0 1 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-03 | Attica, Harper County | F0 1 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-05 | Duquoin, Harper County | F0 2 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 1998-05-24 | Waldron, Harper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 1997-05-25 | Attica, Harper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-25 | Anthony, Harper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-25 | Anthony, Harper County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-03-08 | Harper County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-04-26 | Harper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-04-17 | Harper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1990-05-25 | Harper County | F1 10 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Harper County | F1 12 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-05-10 | Harper County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-04-26 | Harper County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-04-26 | Harper County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1981-06-30 | Harper County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-30 | Harper County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-05-17 | Harper County | F1 7.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-06-16 | Harper County | F1 13.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1974-04-20 | Harper County | F0 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1973-10-18 | Harper County | F1 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-10-11 | Harper County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-06-10 | Harper County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1969-05-13 | Harper County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-09-05 | Harper County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-05-17 | Harper County | F2 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-04 | Harper County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1957-06-30 | Harper County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1956-04-02 | Harper 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 Harper County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 30, 2018 thunderstorm wind ($5,876 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Power outages were reported.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 755437)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindHarper County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindAnthony, Harper County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindHarper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | HailHarper County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | HailAnthony, Harper County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | HailAnthony, Harper County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtHarper County · forecast zone Harper | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindAnthony, Harper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-05 | DroughtHarper County · forecast zone Harper | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-17 | HailBluff City, Harper County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindHarper County · forecast zone Harper | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailAnthony, Harper County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-04-23 | Thunderstorm WindHarper County Historic Red Barn, 115 years old and under renovation, collapsed. All three men pinned in the rubble were injured. One man required air med-evac to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita where, upon arrival, he was listed in critical condition. (By Friday Night, his condition had been upgraded to "fair".) A 2nd required ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $117K |
| 2010-12-23 | Winter WeatherHarper County · forecast zone Harper Periodic light freezing drizzle and light freezing rain created a thin glaze of ice across the area, resulting in numerous traffic accidents countywide. Two injuries were reported due to the traffic accidents. Property damage amounts are rough estimates. The Harper Advocate contributed to this report. | 0 | 2 | $16K | |
| 2009-01-26 | Winter WeatherHarper County · forecast zone Harper A light glaze of ice due to freezing drizzle, sleet and light snow resulted in an injury accident on Highway 160 just west of Bluff Road. A 54-year-old Wichita man was traveling eastbound on Highway 160 when he lost control of his vehicle, entering the ditch, hitting a tree and finally overturning the vehicle. The ... | 0 | 2 | $41K | |
| 2008-12-18 | Winter WeatherHarper County · forecast zone Harper Icy roads due to freezing drizzle and foggy conditions during the early morning hours resulted in two injury accidents. The first one occurred just before 9 am when a 33 year old Belle Plaine man lost control of his pickup on a Highway 160 bridge about 12 miles east of Harper. The man was ejected from the cab after ... | 0 | 2 | $48K | |
| 2007-12-22 | Winter StormHarper County · forecast zone Harper Seven to eight inches was reported in Anthony. Two people were injured in an auto accident at 1430 CST on K-44 one mile east of Anthony. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2010-02-08 | Winter WeatherHarper County · forecast zone Harper Snowfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches led to a roll over accident near Anthony, Kansas. The vehicle lost control on an icy bridge, slamming into a guardrail and rolling the car. The driver of the car was injured in the accident. | 0 | 1 | $7K | |
| 2009-04-26 | Flash FloodCorwin, Harper County Heavy rainfall from numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon, evening and overnight hours on the 26th produced widespread flooding across much of Harper county. Rainfall amounts across the county ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Numerous roads were closed countywide. It is estimated that around 100 homes were flooded or ... | 0 | 1 | $6.9M | |
| 2004-05-12 | TornadoHarper County Large destructive tornado completely demolished a two story farm house and 5 other barns associated with the homestead. Five cars were also dismantled as the engines were spread across the shaven wheat fields. Very few automobile body parts could be located. | F4 1.2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $547K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-01 | DroughtHarper County · forecast zone Harper | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2009-04-26 | Flash FloodCorwin, Harper County | 0 | 1 | $6.9M | |
| 2004-05-29 | TornadoFreeport, Harper County | F1 2.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1998-11-01 | FloodHarper County · forecast zone Harper | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2009-07-20 | HailRunnymede, Harper County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2007-05-06 | Flash FloodHarper County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 1996-09-14 | FloodHarper County · forecast zone Harper | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2004-05-29 | TornadoAnthony, Harper County | F2 8 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $586K |
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 18, 1973 (tornado, Harper County); May 17, 1981 (tornado, Harper County); March 13, 1990 (tornado, Harper 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 Harper 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 | 6 | 26 | 13 | 81 | 169 | 51 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 40 | 108 | 39 | 26 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 7 | 2 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 33 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 19 | 18 | 15 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 16 | 15 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
56% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 30 · Mar 60 · Apr 112 · May 201 · Jun 202 · Jul 94 · Aug 53 · Sep 34 · Oct 24 · Nov 15 · Dec 12 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Harper County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Harper County: 19 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4943 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-09-11 | DR-4891 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2013-04-26 | DR-4112 | Snowstorm | Snowstorm |
| 2012-05-24 | DR-4063 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2009-06-25 | DR-1849 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2008-10-31 | DR-1808 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, 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 |
| 2007-05-06 | DR-1699 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1579 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, 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 |
| 1973-09-28 | DR-403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | 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 Harper County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 39 flood or flash flood records for Harper County from 1996 to 2019, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Harper County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $0 on 1 claim filed in Harper County; the most in one year was 1 in 1992. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1992: 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 Harper County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Harper County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.8 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 | $1.3M | 70 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $935K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $157K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $336K | once in about 504 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.7M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $450K | 6.4 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $290K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Harper 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 Harper CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Harper County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis