Morris County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20127 · population 5,370 · 695 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 638 records for Morris County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 399 days; the most frequent are hail reports (277 records). The deadliest single record is the July 13, 2000 heat, filed for the forecast zone Morris, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1969, 26 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
- 638on 399 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 38 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 39strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Morris County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 277 since 1956. 49% 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 | 277 | 154 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 64 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 131 | 88 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 1 | $327K | 84 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 65 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 41 of 105 |
| Floods | 45 | 31 | 1996-2022 | 1 | 0 | $1.5M | 36 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 32 | 1953-2026 | 0 | 7 | $19M | 36 of 105 |
| Heat | 21 | 21 | 1999-2012 | 2 | 0 | – | 15 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 18 | 1997-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 16 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $52K | 57 of 105 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | $30K | 82 of 105 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $941 | 68 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 Morris County had?
NOAA records 39 tornadoes in Morris County from 1953 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 36th 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 37 tornadoes whose track touched Morris County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 39: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-06-06 20:15, as SPC files it | Parkerville | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1953-05-10 04:00, as SPC files it | Eskridge | F3 | 52.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Morris County (39)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | Houcke, Morris County | EF1 3.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | Dunlap, Morris County | EF1 1.08 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-19 | Dunlap, Morris County | EF1 0.62 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-04-29 | Latimer, Morris County | EF1 14.96 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-05-14 | Houcke, Morris County | EFU 3.69 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-19 | Dunlap, Morris County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-25 | Dwight, Morris County | EF1 5.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-14 | Burdick, Morris County | EF0 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-27 | Council Grove Res, Morris County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Burdick, Morris County | EF0 0.57 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-19 | Latimer, Morris County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-30 | Council Grove, Morris County | EF0 2.8 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Parkerville, Morris County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Wilsey, Morris County | F0 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Burdick, Morris County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Delavan, Morris County | F1 15 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $378K |
| 1999-05-04 | Dwight, Morris County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-04 | Burdick, Morris County | F1 5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
| 1997-10-08 | White City, Morris County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-07 | Council Grove, Morris County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-06-07 | Morris County | F2 0.5 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 1 | $29K |
| 1992-07-09 | Morris County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-04-26 | Morris County | F0 7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-03-13 | Morris County | F2 30 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-06-22 | Morris County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-05-06 | Morris County | F1 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-06-09 | Morris County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-03-07 | Morris County | F2 4.5 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-03-07 | Morris County | F2 9.4 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-06-06 | Morris County | F3 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-21 | Morris County | F1 2 mi x 467 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-06-17 | Morris County | F2 6.2 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1964-06-13 | Morris County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-22 | Morris County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-22 | Morris County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-22 | Morris County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1959-05-04 | Morris County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1958-06-15 | Morris County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-05-16 | Morris County | F1 2.5 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $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.
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 Morris County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 13, 2010 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Near Council Grove numerous power lines were blown down. Two large trees, 15 and 18 inches respectively, were uprooted, and a grain bin was caved in.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 255721)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindDelavan, Morris County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindBurdick, Morris County | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindDwight, Morris County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindCouncil Grove, Morris County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | HailWhite City, Morris County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | TornadoHoucke, Morris County | EF1 3.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | HailSkiddy, Morris County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | HailBurdick, Morris County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-23 | TornadoDunlap, Morris County | EF1 1.08 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormMorris County · forecast zone Morris | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-03 | HailDunlap, Morris County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-19 | Thunderstorm WindLatimer, Morris County | 70 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-07-13 | HeatMorris County · forecast zone Morris Two people died from dehydration in Council Grove. One was an 85 year old male and the other was his 82 year old wife. The two were found dead in their home. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-05-31 | Flash FloodCouncil Grove, Morris County Very heavy rains of 4 to 10 inches produced widespread flooding over the county. Many roads, especially in rural areas, were underwater, closed and/or damaged. About 1130pm CST, in Council Grove, an 11 year old boy was wading in rain water when he stepped off into a drainage ditch and was sucked into a culvert under a ... | 1 | 0 | $132K | |
| 1969-06-17 | TornadoMorris County | F2 6.2 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1995-06-07 | TornadoMorris County A tornado struck a pickup throwing the driver into a nearby ditch. The truck was found about one-quarter mile away with the engine about 200 yards from the remains of the nearly destroyed truck chassis. The driver sustained severe injuries and required at least 30 stitches. The driver had barbed wire and clothing ... | F2 0.5 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 1 | $29K |
| 1986-08-01 | Thunderstorm WindMorris County | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-17 | HailCouncil Grove, Morris County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2005-06-03 | FloodMorris County · forecast zone Morris | 0 | 0 | $453K | |
| 1995-05-16 | HailWhite City, Morris County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $436K |
| 2005-11-27 | TornadoDelavan, Morris County | F1 15 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $378K |
| 1995-05-16 | HailParkerville, Morris County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $300K |
| 1996-05-31 | Flash FloodCouncil Grove, Morris County | 1 | 0 | $132K | |
| 1995-05-16 | HailWhite City, Morris County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2006-08-25 | Thunderstorm WindWhite City, Morris County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $59K |
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: March 13, 1990 (tornado, Morris County); April 26, 1991 (tornado, Morris 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 Morris 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 | 7 | 15 | 44 | 101 | 75 | 23 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 29 | 37 | 23 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 40 | 12 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 23 | 10 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 30 · Mar 44 · Apr 87 · May 132 · Jun 108 · Jul 60 · Aug 66 · Sep 26 · Oct 14 · Nov 26 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morris County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Morris County: 24 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (21) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4940 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4926 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-12-19 | DR-4897 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-09-11 | DR-4891 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4811 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-07-15 | DR-4800 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-04-28 | DR-4774 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2013-10-22 | DR-4150 | 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 |
| 2009-06-25 | DR-1849 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-06-24 | DR-1848 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1579 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1535 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-09-28 | DR-403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Morris County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morris County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $231K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $481K | 8.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $75K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $475K | once in about 434 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $100K | 28 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $396K | 6.2 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 Morris 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 Morris CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morris County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis