Johnson County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20091 · population 609,569 · 474 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,514 records for Johnson County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 619 days; the most frequent are hail reports (657 records). The deadliest single record is the October 4, 1998 flash flood: 2 deaths and $14.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1969, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on October 26, 2023.
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
- 1,514on 619 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 531 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $87Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 45strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2023
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 Johnson County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 657 since 1959. 46% of its hail reports since 1959 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 | 657 | 248 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 12 | $5.3M | 2 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 568 | 259 | 1955-2026 | 1 | 6 | $4.5M | 2 of 105 |
| Floods | 109 | 73 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 0 | $16M | 4 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 58 | 58 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $9.1M | 9 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 33 | 1952-2024 | 0 | 12 | $51M | 4 of 105 |
| Drought | 23 | 23 | 2012-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 105 |
| Heat | 19 | 19 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 8 | 2000-2023 | 0 | 1 | $17K | 73 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 5 | 2007-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 105 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 10 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 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 Johnson County had?
NOAA records 45 tornadoes in Johnson County from 1952 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 12 injuries recorded in the county. That is 4th of 105 Kansas counties and 192nd 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 49 tornadoes whose track touched Johnson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 45: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 44 people, 0 of them in Johnson County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-05-20 18:15, as SPC files it | Ruskin HeightsCrossed KS, MO | F5 | 69.4 mi | 44 |
| 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 |
| 1966-04-19 15:25, as SPC files it | Overland Park | F3 | 7.7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Johnson County (45)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-19 | Gardner Airport, Johnson County | EF1 0.88 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-19 | Overland Park, Johnson County | EF1 2.63 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-19 | Zarah, Johnson County | EF1 1.63 mi x 105 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-08 | Craig, Johnson County | EF1 9.53 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-15 | Aubry, Johnson County | EF0 1.36 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2018-05-02 | Morse, Johnson County | EF1 4.72 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-06 | Kenneth, Johnson County | EF0 0.32 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-06 | Clearview Vlg, Johnson County | EF1 2.37 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-06 | Olathe Cedar Park, Johnson County | EF0 0.23 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-06 | Provence Vlg, Johnson County | EF0 0.09 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-06 | Olathe, Johnson County | EF0 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Lenexa, Johnson County | EF0 0.05 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Stanley, Johnson County | EF0 0.05 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Stanley, Johnson County | EF0 0.68 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2008-09-12 | Stanley, Johnson County | EF0 0.12 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-09-12 | Cedar, Johnson County | EF0 0.11 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2008-09-12 | Clearview Vlg, Johnson County | EF0 0.11 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-09-12 | Ocheltree, Johnson County | EF0 0.03 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-16 | Edgerton To, Johnson County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 2 | $19K |
| 1993-03-30 | Desoto To 0.25, Johnson County | F1 0.3 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1990-06-08 | Johnson County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-03-24 | Johnson County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-05-25 | Johnson County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-05-15 | Johnson County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1981-06-20 | Johnson County | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-31 | Johnson County | F2 3.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1977-05-04 | Johnson County | F3 14.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1977-05-04 | Johnson County | F2 7.8 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-03-13 | Johnson County | F0 4.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-08-22 | Johnson County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-04-30 | Johnson County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-31 | Johnson County | F1 0.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1969-07-09 | Johnson County | F2 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1966-04-19 | Johnson County | F3 7.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1965-07-09 | Johnson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-04-26 | Johnson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-26 | Johnson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-26 | Johnson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-22 | Johnson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1958-07-11 | Johnson County | F1 1.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-06-21 | Johnson County | F1 9 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1957-06-11 | Johnson County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-06-30 | Johnson County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-05-31 | Johnson County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-05-22 | Johnson County | F4 10.9 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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 Johnson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 19, 2025 lightning ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindEdgerton, Johnson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailStanley, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailStanley, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailStanley, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailBonita, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailCountryside, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailOcheltree, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailMorse, Johnson County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailStanley, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailStanley, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailStanley, Johnson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailPrairie Vlg, Johnson County | 1.25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-04 | Flash FloodOverland Park, Johnson County Thunderstorms on the evening of October 4th produced very heavy rainfall resulting in major flash flooding over the Kansas counties of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Up to 3 to 5 inches of rain fell in a three hour period between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM CDT. In Lenexa, KS, over 5 inches of rain fell between 7:00 PM ... | 2 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2014-01-31 | Winter WeatherJohnson County · forecast zone Johnson A fatality accident occurred due to icy roads after a winter storm moved through the area. Two vehicles were parked beside a road of an exit ramp off I-35, with people standing between the cars. An 18-wheeler was exiting the interstate and struck the back of one of the vehicles. One of the people between the cars was ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-08-31 | Flash FloodOverland Park, Johnson County Flooding on various creeks and roadways due to torrential rains. An 18 year old Johnson county male died swimming in a rain swollen Indian Creek. Indian Creek crested at 12.6 feet or 0.6 feet above flood stage. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1991-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindJohnson County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1993-09-22 | HailShawnee, Johnson County Twelve members of a football team were injured after being caught in a storm that produced golfball hail driven by 75-knot winds. The hail dented numerous vehicles while the high winds uprooted trees and broke large limbs. | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 12 | $102K |
| 1995-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindSpring Hill, Johnson County Severe thunderstorms moved across Johnson County. A 70 mph wind gust was observed at the intersection of U.S. Route 169 and 199th Street, and a 65 mph wind gust occurred near Stanley. Gusts up to 60 mph were recorded at the New Century Airport in Olathe, at the intersection of Interstate 435 and Johnson Drive. ... | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 1966-04-19 | TornadoJohnson County | F3 7.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1995-05-16 | TornadoEdgerton To, Johnson County A small tornado was associated with strong thunderstorms which produced downburst winds. It crossed into the far southwest portion of the county, west of Interstate 35, from Douglas county. In this area, 20 to 25 utility poles were snapped off and there was some minor structural damage to outbuildings. Several trees ... | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 2 | $19K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-04 | Flash FloodOverland Park, Johnson County | 2 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2002-01-30 | Ice StormJohnson County · forecast zone Johnson | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | |
| 1993-09-21 | HailEdgerton, Johnson County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1993-09-22 | HailSpring Hill, Johnson County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1993-03-30 | TornadoDesoto To 0.25, Johnson County | F1 0.3 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1996-10-23 | Heavy SnowJohnson County · forecast zone Johnson | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 1999-06-28 | Flash FloodCountywide, Johnson County | 0 | 0 | $886K | |
| 2017-03-06 | Thunderstorm WindJohnson Co Exec, Johnson County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $602K |
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: April 19, 1966 (tornado, Johnson County); May 4, 1977 (tornado, Johnson 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 Johnson 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 | 9 | 39 | 28 | 34 | 55 | 206 | 174 | 112 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 25 | 38 | 59 | 56 | 91 | 161 | 136 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 16 | 53 | 34 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 23 | 23 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 13 | 10 |
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 1959 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 42 · Mar 123 · Apr 179 · May 326 · Jun 340 · Jul 177 · Aug 122 · Sep 106 · Oct 30 · Nov 23 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Johnson County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Johnson County: 9 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | 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 |
| 2017-11-07 | DR-4347 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1977-09-20 | DR-539 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-07-15 | DR-267 | 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 Johnson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 109 flood or flash flood records for Johnson County from 1996 to 2025, on 73 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Johnson County ranks 300th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $13.2 million on 1,155 claims filed in Johnson County; the most in one year was 160 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 51 · 1980: 9 · 1981: 18 · 1982: 160 · 1983: 105 · 1984: 142 · 1985: 16 · 1986: 75 · 1987: 5 · 1988: 2 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 42 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 76 · 1994: 5 · 1995: 12 · 1996: 3 · 1998: 140 · 1999: 11 · 2001: 10 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 7 · 2004: 10 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 7 · 2008: 17 · 2010: 41 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 25 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 10 · 2017: 100 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 13; 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 Johnson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Johnson County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $257 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 | $6.0M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very High | $55M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very High | $5.2M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $5.1M | 52 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively High | $15M | 9.2 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $27M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $31M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $110M | 2.5 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 Johnson 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 Johnson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Johnson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis