Neosho County, Kansas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20133 · population 15,904 · 571 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 653 records for Neosho County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 405 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (246 records). The deadliest single record is the December 8, 2007 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Neosho, which covers the county: 1 death and 5 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1969, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 15, 2024.

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
653on 405 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
29 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$41Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
29strongest F3
FEMA declarations
21latest 2024

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 Neosho County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 246 since 1958. 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.

Neosho County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 246 167 1958-2026 0 0 $7.8M 11 of 105
Hail 189 107 1960-2026 0 0 $2.2M 91 of 105
Winter storms 52 52 1999-2026 1 5 $873K 45 of 105
Floods 50 42 1998-2026 0 0 $19M 21 of 105
Drought 31 31 2011-2023 0 0 $131K 38 of 105
Heavy rain 29 15 2014-2024 1 0 – 8 of 105
Tornadoes 29 23 1954-2009 0 4 $11M 54 of 105
Heat 14 14 2006-2021 0 0 – 27 of 105
High wind and dust storms 7 7 2000-2025 0 0 $8K 88 of 105
Extreme cold 3 3 2007-2021 0 0 – 62 of 105
Lightning 3 3 2004-2009 0 0 $74K 26 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 Neosho County had?

NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Neosho County from 1954 to 2009, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 4 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Neosho County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29: 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Neosho County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2005-04-21 16:54, as SPC files itGalesburgF35 mi0
2000-04-19 19:30, as SPC files itParsonsF334 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.

Every tornado record filed for Neosho County (29)
Every tornado recorded in Neosho County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2009-06-09 Chanute, Neosho County EF0 1.63 mi x 65 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-01 Johnson Airport Ch, Neosho County EF0 0.73 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-01 Earlton, Neosho County EF0 0.38 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2005-11-27 Erie, Neosho County F1 6 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $181K
2005-09-13 Thayer, Neosho County F0 0.5 mi x 55 yd 0 0 –
2005-06-30 Chanute, Neosho County F0 0.5 mi x 55 yd 0 0 –
2005-04-21 South Mound, Neosho County F1 7 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $23K
2005-04-21 Galesburg, Neosho County F3 5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $302K
2003-05-04 St Paul, Neosho County F0 4 mi x 110 yd 0 0 $24K
2000-06-04 South Mound, Neosho County F0 1 mi x 110 yd 0 0 –
2000-04-19 South Mound, Neosho County F0 4 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $43K
2000-04-19 Erie, Neosho County F2 15 mi x 440 yd 0 3 $3.1M
1988-11-15 Neosho County F2 7.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1988-11-15 Neosho County F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $25K step
1986-04-07 Neosho County F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1983-06-03 Neosho County F1 7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1982-05-30 Neosho County F0 0 0 –
1982-05-20 Neosho County F1 2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-05-11 Neosho County F2 0 0 $250K step
1973-05-01 Neosho County F1 3.6 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $25K step
1973-03-08 Neosho County F2 8.4 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-03-08 Neosho County F2 12.8 mi x 440 yd 0 1 $250K step
1964-04-26 Neosho County 0 0 $250 step
1960-05-19 Neosho County F1 2 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $250 step
1960-04-29 Neosho County F1 0 0 $3K step
1959-10-04 Neosho County F1 0 0 –
1955-07-23 Neosho County 0 0 –
1954-05-31 Neosho County F2 48.6 mi x 210 yd 0 0 $25K step
1954-05-31 Neosho County F2 48.6 mi x 210 yd 0 0 $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 Neosho County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 30, 2023 heavy rain (1 death).

Heavy rain was occurring according to the nearby airport observation at Chanute Martin Johnson Airport when a car crossed the center line and hit a semi freightliner head-on. Unfortunately the driver of the car died from this car crash near the intersection of Kansas Highway 39 and Brown Road.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1147683)
The 12 most recent records kept for Neosho County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindJohnson Airport Ch, Neosho County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-08 Flash FloodSouth Mound, Neosho County 0 0 –
2026-05-30 Thunderstorm WindErie, Neosho County 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-30 HailChanute, Neosho County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-27 HailSouth Mound, Neosho County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-26 HailErie, Neosho County 1.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-17 Thunderstorm WindSt Paul, Neosho County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-17 HailSt Paul, Neosho County 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-17 HailThayer, Neosho County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-15 HailSt Paul, Neosho County 1.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-15 HailErie, Neosho County 1.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-31 HailErie, Neosho 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Neosho County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2007-12-08 Winter WeatherNeosho County · forecast zone Neosho At 7 pm on the evening of December 8th a car traveling on U.S. 59 was struck head on by a SUV. The accident resulted in 5 injuries and one fatality. The Chanute Tribune contributed to this report. 1 5 –
2023-11-30 Heavy RainJohnson Airport Ch, Neosho County Heavy rain was occurring according to the nearby airport observation at Chanute Martin Johnson Airport when a car crossed the center line and hit a semi freightliner head-on. Unfortunately the driver of the car died from this car crash near the intersection of Kansas Highway 39 and Brown Road. 1 0 –
2000-04-19 TornadoErie, Neosho County Forming at 1920 CST 6 miles southwest of Erie, the tornado moved northeast around 35 mph passing just south of Erie at 1931 CST. F2 intensity for much of it's track, the tornado injured 3 people on the southern periphery of Erie as it destroyed or heavily damaged 12 homes, several mobile homes, as well as a few trees. ... F2 15 mi x 440 yd 0 3 $3.1M
1973-03-08 TornadoNeosho County F2 12.8 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.

The costliest records in Neosho County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2007-07-01 Flash FloodChanute, Neosho County 0 0 $17M
2000-04-19 TornadoErie, Neosho County F2 15 mi x 440 yd 0 3 $3.1M
1998-06-29 Thunderstorm WindErie, Neosho County 0 0 $1.8M
2005-06-30 Thunderstorm WindChanute, Neosho County 78 kt wind 0 0 $1.5M
1993-04-12 HailShaw, Neosho County 1.75 in hail 0 0 $1.0M
2005-06-30 Thunderstorm WindErie, Neosho County 78 kt wind 0 0 $756K
2005-06-30 Thunderstorm WindSt Paul, Neosho County 87 kt wind 0 0 $604K
1998-08-09 HailGalesburg, Neosho County 4.50 in hail 0 0 $453K

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: March 8, 1973 (tornado, Neosho County); March 8, 1973 (tornado, Neosho County); May 11, 1973 (tornado, Neosho 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 Neosho 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).

Neosho County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind325251233664834
Hail0581440673817
Winter storms––––2211514
Floods––––120227
Drought––––001714
Heavy rain––––00425

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in Neosho County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 24 · Feb 29 · Mar 36 · Apr 96 · May 136 · Jun 102 · Jul 64 · Aug 74 · Sep 42 · Oct 16 · Nov 17 · Dec 17 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Neosho County

FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Neosho County: 17 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and biological (2).

Declarations including Neosho County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-07-15DR-4800Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2020-03-29DR-4504BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3481BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-20DR-4449Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,and Mudslides
2019-05-28EM-3412Severe StormTornadoes and Flooding
2019-02-25DR-4417Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2017-06-16DR-4319SnowstormSevere Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2015-07-20DR-4230Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2010-03-09DR-1885Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Snowstorm
2009-06-25DR-1849Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2007-12-12EM-3282Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-07-02DR-1711Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2005-09-10EM-3236HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-08-23DR-1600Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2003-05-06DR-1462Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2002-02-06DR-1402Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2000-05-03DR-1327Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
1998-11-05DR-1258Severe StormKs-Flooding 10/31/98
1986-10-22DR-780FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1976-07-13DR-514FloodSevere Storms, High Winds & Flooding
1969-07-15DR-267TornadoTornadoes, 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 Neosho County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 50 flood or flash flood records for Neosho County from 1998 to 2026, on 42 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Neosho County ranks 1304th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.5 million on 100 claims filed in Neosho County; the most in one year was 42 in 2007. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 3 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 11 · 1990: 4 · 1993: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2007: 42 · 2009: 8 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2019: 17 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2026: 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 Neosho County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Neosho County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.9 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Neosho County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$266Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$595K23 modeled event-days a year
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$132K8.9 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$793K5.3 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Low$2.4Monce in about 3 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$632K16 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively Low$289K6.7 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Low$931K1.4 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 Neosho County

  1. Montgomery County 927
  2. Crawford County 790
  3. Labette County 712
  4. Neosho County 653
  5. Bourbon County 642
  6. Allen County 563
  7. Wilson County 544
  8. Woodson County 368

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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