Morton County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20129 · population 2,694 · 730 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 752 records for Morton County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 413 days; the most frequent are hail reports (350 records). The deadliest single record is the June 23, 1951 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 2005, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Straight Line Winds” on February 17, 2022.
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
- 752on 413 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $14Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 2022
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 Morton County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 350 since 1957. 57% of its hail reports since 1957 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 | 350 | 193 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $490K | 27 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 158 | 107 | 1963-2025 | 0 | 0 | $207K | 71 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 108 | 65 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 5 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 65 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 16 | 2003-2021 | 0 | 0 | $366K | 17 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 16 | 1951-2016 | 1 | 2 | $13M | 104 of 105 |
| Floods | 9 | 6 | 1998-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 104 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 105 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 88 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 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 Morton County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Morton County from 1951 to 2016, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 2 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Morton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-06-23 22:00, as SPC files it | Rolla | F1 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
| 1972-05-09 15:45, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 2.7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Morton County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-15 | Rolla, Morton County | EF0 3.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-15 | Elkhart, Morton County | EF1 1.8 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2005-05-30 | Richfield, Morton County | F0 3.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-13 | Richfield, Morton County | F0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-29 | Rolla, Morton County | F1 1.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-06 | Rolla, Morton County | F2 6.6 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 2 | $167K |
| 1996-05-31 | Rolla, Morton County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-31 | Rolla, Morton County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-31 | Rolla, Morton County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-15 | Morton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-06-26 | Morton County | F1 7.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-05-18 | Morton County | F2 33.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1972-05-09 | Morton County | F3 2.7 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-05-15 | Morton County | F0 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951-08-07 | Morton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-06-23 | Morton County | 1 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1951-05-14 | Morton County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951-04-26 | Morton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-04-26 | Morton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-04-20 | Morton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Morton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 15, 2016 tornado ($98,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
The tornado pulled the center of the irrigation sprinkler out of the concrete. There was some damage to outbuildings near the path of the tornado. It appeared that perhaps 5 inches of rain fell in 2 hours.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 632237)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-09 | Heavy SnowMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-20 | Dense FogMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | Dense FogMorton County · forecast zone Morton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-03 | HailRichfield, Morton County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-02 | HailRolla, Morton County | 1.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-06-23 | TornadoMorton County | 1 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 2001-04-06 | TornadoRolla, Morton County Rapidly moving tornado completely destroyed a mobile home. Female occupant ended up in some bushes and had a broken arm. Male occupant had debris in his eye. Their truck was rolled into trees and nearby outbuildings were demolished. Location of this home was north of Rolla. Elsewhere, 20 power poles were taken down, ... | F2 6.6 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 2 | $167K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-05-31 | HailRolla, Morton County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $470K |
| 2006-08-15 | Heavy RainRolla, Morton County | 0 | 0 | $366K | |
| 2001-04-06 | TornadoRolla, Morton County | F2 6.6 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 2 | $167K |
| 2016-04-15 | TornadoElkhart, Morton County | EF1 1.8 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
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: May 18, 1977 (tornado, Morton 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 Morton 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 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 83 | 114 | 106 | 32 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 46 | 45 | 40 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 17 | 14 | 73 z |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 31 | 13 | 17 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 12 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 73 records against 14 in the decade before, 73 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Morton County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 19 · Mar 50 · Apr 84 · May 107 · Jun 209 · Jul 85 · Aug 79 · Sep 26 · Oct 18 · Nov 15 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morton County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Morton County: 5 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2017-06-16 | DR-4319 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-07-29 | DR-4010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
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 Morton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.0 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 | $2.4M | 142 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $293K | once in about 271 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $201K | 6.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $39K | 9.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $96K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $316K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $18K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $29K | once in about 1,776 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Morton 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 Morton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis