Jewell County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20089 · population 2,931 · 910 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 748 records for Jewell County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 490 days; the most frequent are hail reports (332 records). The deadliest single record is the January 21, 2019 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Jewell, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1993, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires” on May 21, 2025.
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
- 748on 490 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 14 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $176Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 43strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2025
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 Jewell County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 332 since 1955. 50% 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 | 332 | 208 | 1955-2023 | 0 | 0 | $71M | 55 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 162 | 108 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 1 | $14M | 92 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 100 | 100 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $8.0M | 17 of 105 |
| Drought | 43 | 43 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $40M | 46 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 43 | 31 | 1950-2015 | 0 | 3 | $26M | 80 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 21 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | $32K | 56 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 11 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $242K | 49 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 13 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $356K | 22 of 105 |
| Floods | 12 | 12 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | $17M | 95 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2004-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 105 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 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 Jewell County had?
NOAA records 43 tornadoes in Jewell County from 1950 to 2015, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 3 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 43 tornadoes whose track touched Jewell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 43, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-05-27 18:04, as SPC files it | Esbon | EF3 | 5.74 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-29 19:40, as SPC files it | Glen Elder to Jewell | EF3 | 18.91 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-29 20:30, as SPC files it | ScandiaCrossed KS, NE | EF3 | 55.22 mi | 0 |
| 1986-09-18 19:15, as SPC files it | HardyCrossed KS, NE | F3 | 7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Jewell County (43)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-06 | Randall, Jewell County | EF1 3.11 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2015-05-06 | Formoso, Jewell County | EF1 4.28 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $311K |
| 2015-05-06 | Webber, Jewell County | EF2 3.55 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2015-05-06 | Esbon, Jewell County | EF2 12.58 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.9M |
| 2015-05-06 | Ionia, Jewell County | EF0 1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-27 | Salem, Jewell County | EF3 3.56 mi x 1,580 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.1M |
| 2012-03-19 | Montrose, Jewell County | EF0 0.81 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2012-02-28 | Randall, Jewell County | EF0 2.36 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 2010-06-20 | Esbon, Jewell County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-19 | Randall, Jewell County | EF1 2.1 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-29 | Randall, Jewell County | EF0 2.79 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $140K |
| 2008-05-29 | Formoso, Jewell County | EF0 2.33 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2008-05-29 | Jewell County | EF3 11.01 mi x 2,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.2M |
| 2001-05-08 | Randall, Jewell County | F0 1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-08 | Jewell County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-11 | Formoso, Jewell County | F0 3.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $117K |
| 2001-04-10 | Ionia, Jewell County | F0 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 1992-06-15 | Jewell County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Jewell County | F2 1.5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Jewell County | F1 2 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Jewell County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Jewell County | F1 6 mi x 550 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Jewell County | F1 5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-03-13 | Jewell County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-09-08 | Jewell County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-09-18 | Jewell County | F3 5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-06-14 | Jewell County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-07-09 | Jewell County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-06-19 | Jewell County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-04-14 | Jewell County | F2 17.7 mi x 330 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-05-22 | Jewell County | F1 4.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-04-27 | Jewell County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-05-17 | Jewell County | F1 16.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-05-10 | Jewell County | F1 9.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-06-04 | Jewell County | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-05-30 | Jewell County | F2 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-05-24 | Jewell County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1962-05-25 | Jewell County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-05-04 | Jewell County | F1 32.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-05-20 | Jewell County | F1 5.7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-08-22 | Jewell County | F0 2 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1950-05-18 | Jewell County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1950-05-08 | Jewell County | F2 6.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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 Jewell County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 18, 2025 flash flood ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindBurr Oak, Jewell County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindRandall, Jewell County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindJewell County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindJewell County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindBurr Oak, Jewell County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Flash FloodSalem, Jewell County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2025-03-19 | BlizzardJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-17 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-17 | Winter WeatherJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-01-21 | Winter WeatherJewell County · forecast zone Jewell Freezing drizzle spreading across the area resulted in slick conditions. A woman going out to get her mail at her home, approximately 5 miles east-southeast of Esbon, slipped on ice, fell and later died. The exact time of her fall is unknown. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-05-06 | TornadoEsbon, Jewell County This tornado started west of Mankato, traveling north and passing approximately 1 mile to the west of Burr Oak before turning more to the northeast and lifting. One woman was injured at her home approximately 4 miles south-southwest of Burr Oak. This tornado was rated an EF2, with an estimated peak wind speed of 130 ... | EF2 12.58 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.9M |
| 2013-05-27 | TornadoSalem, Jewell County This tornado affected two counties in north central Kansas, touching down north of Lebanon in Smith County and lifting north of Esbon in Jewell County. The maximum wind speed was estimated to be near 140 MPH, with a maximum path width of 1580 yards. Along its path, this tornado caused minor to major tree damage, ... | EF3 3.56 mi x 1,580 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.1M |
| 1995-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindBurr Oak, Jewell County | 0 | 1 | $97K | |
| 1950-05-08 | TornadoJewell County | F2 6.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-14 | HailMankato, Jewell County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $30M |
| 2002-12-01 | DroughtJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 2008-05-29 | TornadoJewell County | EF3 11.01 mi x 2,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.2M |
| 2003-06-22 | Flash FloodCountywide, Jewell County | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 1997-10-25 | Winter StormJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | |
| 2012-10-01 | DroughtJewell County · forecast zone Jewell | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | |
| 2011-06-02 | FloodIonia, Jewell County | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 2015-05-06 | Flash FloodBurr Oak, Jewell County | 0 | 0 | $3.4M |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 18, 1986 (tornado, Jewell 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 Jewell 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 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 42 | 47 | 99 | 106 | 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 27 | 61 | 27 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 29 | 36 | 18 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 21 | 20 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 1 | 18 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 34 · Mar 42 · Apr 80 · May 143 · Jun 152 · Jul 73 · Aug 64 · Sep 57 · Oct 21 · Nov 11 · Dec 34 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jewell County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Jewell County: 14 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4869 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2012-05-24 | DR-4063 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-07-29 | DR-4010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2010-08-10 | DR-1932 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1535 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | 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.
How many floods has Jewell County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for Jewell County from 2003 to 2025, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Jewell County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $12,000 on 1 claim filed in Jewell County; the most in one year was 1 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1993: 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 Jewell County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jewell County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | $3.3M | 7.9 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $599K | 34 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $235K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $946K | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $57K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $720K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $118K | 45 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $30K | once in about 4,088 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Jewell 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 Jewell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jewell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis