Jefferson County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20087 · population 18,344 · 533 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,014 records for Jefferson County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 462 days; the most frequent are hail reports (379 records). The deadliest single record is the April 25, 2009 lightning: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1967, 17 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
- 1,014on 462 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 224 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $95Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Jefferson County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 379 since 1956. 46% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in April and May. 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 | 379 | 159 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 2 | $3.3M | 15 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 361 | 172 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.2M | 8 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 82 | 77 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 5 of 105 |
| Floods | 77 | 54 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $6.4M | 11 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 25 | 1951-2022 | 0 | 9 | $81M | 33 of 105 |
| Heat | 23 | 22 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 22 | 18 | 2001-2011 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 11 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 62 of 105 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 6 | $71K | 80 of 105 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 1 | 1 | – | 58 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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Jefferson County from 1951 to 2022, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 9 injuries recorded in the county. That is 33rd 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 41 tornadoes whose track touched Jefferson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: 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 Jefferson County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-05-19 17:47, as SPC files it | Ozawkie | F4 | 27.5 mi | 1 |
| 1984-04-26 22:02, as SPC files it | Troy | F3 | 32 mi | 0 |
| 1967-06-11 18:00, as SPC files it | Leona | F3 | 43.9 mi | 0 |
| 1966-05-11 14:15, as SPC files it | Meriden | F3 | 9.9 mi | 0 |
| 1960-05-19 18:04, as SPC files it | Oskaloosa | F3 | 11.5 mi | 0 |
| 1960-05-19 19:30, as SPC files it | Leavenworth | F3 | 13.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Jefferson County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-29 | Valley Falls, Jefferson County | EF1 9.86 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-30 | Mc Louth Airport, Jefferson County | EF0 0.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-21 | Ozawkie, Jefferson County | EF0 1.94 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-08 | Oskaloosa, Jefferson County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $756 |
| 2003-05-08 | Ozawkie, Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-08 | Winchester, Jefferson County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $41K |
| 2002-05-08 | Oskaloosa, Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2002-05-08 | Oskaloosa, Jefferson County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2002-05-08 | Oskaloosa, Jefferson County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2000-07-17 | Winchester, Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-11 | Williamstown, Jefferson County | F1 8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $185K |
| 2000-05-11 | Grantville, Jefferson County | F0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1998-06-29 | Perry, Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-05 | Thompsonville, Jefferson County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1992-09-07 | Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-04-26 | Jefferson County | F2 5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1991-04-26 | Jefferson County | F1 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Jefferson County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-11-15 | Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1984-04-26 | Jefferson County | F3 1 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1982-06-08 | Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-08 | Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1969-05-07 | Jefferson County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1963-09-04 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1962-08-06 | Jefferson County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1962-08-06 | Jefferson County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1962-08-06 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-10-12 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-10-12 | Jefferson County | F1 4.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-10-12 | Jefferson County | F0 3.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1960-05-19 | Jefferson County | F3 13.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1960-05-19 | Jefferson County | F4 7.9 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1960-05-19 | Jefferson County | F3 11.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1958-07-11 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-03-18 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951-05-31 | Jefferson County | F2 3 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-05-09 | Jefferson County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 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 Jefferson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 8, 2026 flash flood ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindThompsonville, Jefferson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindWinchester, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindNortonville, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindValley Falls, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Flash FloodWilliamstown, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindThompsonville, Jefferson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindGrantville, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindGrantville, Jefferson County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindPerry, Jefferson County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Flash FloodBuck Creek, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-04-27 | Flash FloodWilliamstown, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2026-04-23 | Thunderstorm WindNewman, Jefferson County | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-04-25 | LightningNewman, Jefferson County A group of seven motorcyclists riding together as members of the group Bikers Against Child Abuse were struck by lightning just before 5pm on the 25th. One biker was killed by the strike, and the rider next to him was injured and taken to the hospital, but released later that evening. The other 5 were not injured. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-01-12 | Dense FogJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson Temperatures below freezing and dense fog combined to produce slick roads and poor visibility which resulted in a 1 vehicle accident 2.5 miles west of McClouth that killed the female driver. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-05-07 | Heavy RainGrantville, Jefferson County Heavy rain caused a smoking roof to collapse injuring 6 people...none seriously. Also, Muddy Creek is out of it's banks and is beginning to run over highway 24. | 0 | 6 | $71K | |
| 1991-04-26 | TornadoJefferson County | F1 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 2016-05-26 | HailMeriden, Jefferson County Two injuries reported by the Emergency Manager. The victims refused treatment. Time was based on radar. | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2005-10-02 | Flash FloodCountywide, Jefferson County Highway 16 flooded with deep fast flowing water northwest of Valley Falls. Other roads over the county flooded as well including Highways 92 and 59. | 0 | 2 | $3.0M | |
| 1998-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindPerry, Jefferson County Very strong winds up to 90 mph and golf ball size hail produced widespread damage at the Perry Lake Marina and surrounding camp grounds. The winds tore a large section of the roof off a restaurant and a boat storage facility, damaged 50 boats, 20 severely, damaged the roof of 5 docks and destroyed a barn. The wind ... | 0 | 2 | $1.3M | |
| 1996-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindPerry Lake, Jefferson County Areas around the southern end of Perry Lake near the Perry State Park suffered extensive tree and property damage due to downburst winds estimated at 75 to 100 mph. RV's, campers, boats and other vehicles and objects were tossed around damaged or destroyed by the high winds. Some buildings were also damaged. | 0 | 2 | $292K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-10-02 | Flash FloodCountywide, Jefferson County | 0 | 2 | $3.0M | |
| 1997-05-18 | HailPerry, Jefferson County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 1998-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindPerry, Jefferson County | 0 | 2 | $1.3M | |
| 2005-10-02 | FloodJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1996-06-05 | TornadoThompsonville, Jefferson County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2005-10-01 | Flash FloodMeriden, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $635K | |
| 1996-06-05 | Flash FloodWilliamstown, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $376K | |
| 2005-09-23 | Flash FloodWilliamstown, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $302K |
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: April 26, 1984 (tornado, Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 19 | 46 | 172 | 100 | 23 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 41 | 103 | 77 | 101 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 42 | 15 | 13 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 30 | 19 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 9 | 13 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 25 · Mar 42 · Apr 127 · May 190 · Jun 232 · Jul 97 · Aug 101 · Sep 72 · Oct 37 · Nov 29 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jefferson County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Jefferson County: 15 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 2015-07-20 | DR-4230 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2008-02-01 | DR-1741 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-11-15 | DR-1615 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 1998-10-14 | DR-1254 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1991-04-29 | DR-903 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1977-09-20 | DR-539 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 77 flood or flash flood records for Jefferson County from 1996 to 2026, on 54 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Jefferson County ranks 1669th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-09-23 | 4 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.1 million on 49 claims filed in Jefferson County; the most in one year was 22 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 4 · 1993: 22 · 2005: 14 · 2007: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2019: 3; 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 Jefferson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $301K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $546K | 50 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $234K | once in about 482 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $7K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $774K | 14 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $99K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $182K | 15 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jefferson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis