Kiowa County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20097 · population 2,453 · 723 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 744 records for Kiowa County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 394 days; the most frequent are hail reports (396 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 2007 tornado: 11 deaths, 63 injuries and $356 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1973, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 22, 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
- 744on 394 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1175 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $370Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 64strongest EF5
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Kiowa County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 396 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 | 396 | 192 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 131 | 102 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | 75 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 86 | 70 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 37 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 64 | 33 | 1954-2025 | 11 | 74 | $361M | 38 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 20 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 21 | 19 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $58K | 53 of 105 |
| Floods | 10 | 8 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 99 of 105 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 86 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 78 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 Kiowa County had?
NOAA records 64 tornadoes in Kiowa County from 1954 to 2025, the strongest rated EF5, with 11 deaths and 74 injuries recorded in the county. That is 38th 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 65 tornadoes whose track touched Kiowa 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 12 people, 11 of them in Kiowa County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-05-04 20:03, as SPC files it | Greensburg | EF5 | 25.8 mi | 11 |
| 2007-05-04 21:39, as SPC files it | Macksville | EF3 | 18.22 mi | 1 |
| 1956-04-03 00:10, as SPC files it | MiamiCrossed KS, MO, OK | F4 | 41.8 mi | 0 |
| 2025-05-18 20:44, as SPC files it | Greensburg | EF3 | 10.41 mi | 0 |
| 2025-05-18 21:04, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 15.84 mi | 0 |
| 2012-04-14 19:27, as SPC files it | Greensburg | EF3 | 48.02 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-23 18:25, as SPC files it | Mullinville | EF3 | 20.9 mi | 0 |
| 2007-05-04 21:03, as SPC files it | Greensburg to Belpre | EF3 | 23.5 mi | 0 |
| 2002-05-07 17:51, as SPC files it | Mullinville | F3 | 10 mi | 0 |
| 1973-09-25 18:35, as SPC files it | Protection to Haviland | F3 | 58 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Kiowa County (64)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-18 | Brenham, Kiowa County | EF3 15.09 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | EF3 10.41 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Brenham, Kiowa County | EF1 2.82 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-12 | Joy, Kiowa County | EFU 4.59 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-12 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF1 3.48 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-12-25 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | EF0 6.34 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-12-25 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF0 2.93 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-06-04 | Belvidere, Kiowa County | EF0 2.02 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-06-04 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF1 0.97 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2012-04-30 | Brenham, Kiowa County | EF0 0.6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-30 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF0 0.68 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Brenham, Kiowa County | EF1 4.9 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF3 12.12 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-20 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF0 1.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-09 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF0 0.58 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-26 | Wellsford, Kiowa County | EF0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF0 1.2 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Wellsford, Kiowa County | EF0 2.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Belvidere, Kiowa County | EF0 3.61 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Brenham, Kiowa County | EF0 1.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | EF0 1.6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Greensburg Airport, Kiowa County | EF0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF0 1.24 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF2 5.7 mi x 760 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF2 9.6 mi x 2,815 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Wellsford, Kiowa County | EF0 1.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Haviland, Kiowa County | EF1 4.83 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | EF1 1.65 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Greensburg Airport, Kiowa County | EF0 7.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg Airport, Kiowa County | EF0 0.46 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | EF0 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | EF0 0.73 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Joy, Kiowa County | EF0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Wellsford, Kiowa County | EF1 3.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg Airport, Kiowa County | EF2 10.3 mi x 3,344 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg Airport, Kiowa County | EF1 4.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF1 1.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | EF5 25.8 mi x 3,000 yd | 11 | 63 | $356M |
| 2006-09-15 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-04-23 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-11 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-07 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F1 12.1 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-07 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | F3 10 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.3M |
| 2002-05-07 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-07 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-07 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-23 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-11 | Mullinville, Kiowa County | F0 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-04-09 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-07 | Greensburg, Kiowa County | F0 5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-07 | Belvidere, Kiowa County | F0 7 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-03-08 | Kiowa County | F1 16 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-08-01 | Kiowa County | F1 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1981-06-03 | Kiowa County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-06-16 | Kiowa County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-05-02 | Kiowa County | F1 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-05-13 | Kiowa County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1962-05-20 | Kiowa County | F2 25.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-08-20 | Kiowa County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Kiowa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 25, 2025 flash flood ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindKiowa County · forecast zone Kiowa | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowKiowa County · forecast zone Kiowa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-08 | HailGreensburg, Kiowa County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-01 | Thunderstorm WindWellsford, Kiowa County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindGreensburg Airport, Kiowa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindGreensburg, Kiowa County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-03 | Thunderstorm WindMullinville, Kiowa County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-25 | Flash FloodMullinville, Kiowa County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-05-18 | TornadoBrenham, Kiowa County | EF3 15.09 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | TornadoGreensburg, Kiowa County | EF3 10.41 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | TornadoBrenham, Kiowa County | EF1 2.82 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindKiowa County · forecast zone Kiowa | 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoMullinville, Kiowa County This killer tornado started in Comanche county and crossed into Kiowa county at 2003 CST / 2103 CDT. It curved north then northwest before making a complete loop northwest of Greensburg. Thus, the path was 25.8 miles. This tornado destroyed nearly 95 percent of the town of Greensburg and despite adequate warning, ... | EF5 25.8 mi x 3,000 yd | 11 | 63 | $356M |
| 1956-04-03 | TornadoKiowa County | F4 7.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1986-08-01 | TornadoKiowa County | F1 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 2002-05-07 | TornadoMullinville, Kiowa County This tornado moved slowly east/northeast at first and then turned south/southeast striking two farms. One person was thrown from the house and into the yard. | F3 10 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.3M |
| 1999-04-14 | High WindKiowa County · forecast zone Kiowa After a strong upper system dumped 1 to 3 inches of rain across a large part of the area, the associated deep cyclone rippled across the area. A tightening gradient and downward mixing of strong winds aloft, brought widespread high wind to the area. There were at least two injuries from the wind blowing vehicles off ... | 0 | 1 | $18K | |
| 1958-06-06 | TornadoKiowa County | F1 7.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoMullinville, Kiowa County | EF5 25.8 mi x 3,000 yd | 11 | 63 | $356M |
| 1996-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindHaviland, Kiowa County | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 1996-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMullinville, Kiowa County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2002-05-07 | TornadoMullinville, Kiowa County | F3 10 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.3M |
| 1999-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindGreensburg, Kiowa County | 0 | 0 | $124K | |
| 2021-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindHaviland, Kiowa County | 99 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2006-04-23 | Thunderstorm WindHaviland, Kiowa County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $73K |
| 2013-06-04 | TornadoMullinville, Kiowa County | EF1 0.97 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
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: April 3, 1956 (tornado, Kiowa 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 Kiowa 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 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 90 | 165 | 102 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 38 | 30 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 40 | 15 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 35 | 8 | 5 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 16 | 5 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
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 26 · Feb 27 · Mar 46 · Apr 87 · May 185 · Jun 168 · Jul 49 · Aug 58 · Sep 41 · Oct 20 · Nov 15 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Kiowa County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Kiowa County: 17 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4883 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-05-25 | DR-4654 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4504 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3481 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-19 | DR-4403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2017-02-24 | DR-4304 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2010-08-10 | DR-1932 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2007-05-06 | DR-1699 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1675 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 1973-09-28 | DR-403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Kiowa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kiowa County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.0 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 | $2.0M | 69 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $554K | once in about 149 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $485K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $46K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $585K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $270K | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $12K | 10 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 Kiowa 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 Kiowa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Kiowa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis