Ness County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20135 · population 2,686 · 1,075 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 830 records for Ness County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 410 days; the most frequent are hail reports (436 records). The most damaging was the May 9, 1996 hail ($3.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1967, 19 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
- 830on 410 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 04 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 46strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Ness County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 436 since 1958. 62% of its hail reports since 1958 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 | 436 | 204 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 90 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 179 | 124 | 1965-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | 94 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 88 | 69 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 91 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 46 | 28 | 1955-2016 | 0 | 4 | $14M | 99 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 36 | 17 | 1999-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 18 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 76 of 105 |
| Floods | 16 | 14 | 1999-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 96 of 105 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 98 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2017-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 102 of 105 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 78 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 88 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 Ness County had?
NOAA records 46 tornadoes in Ness County from 1955 to 2016, the strongest rated F4, 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 53 tornadoes whose track touched Ness County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 46: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-04-30 18:25, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F4 | 26.6 mi | 0 |
| 2016-05-24 17:12, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 11.02 mi | 0 |
| 2016-05-24 18:11, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 7.7 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-23 18:29, as SPC files it | Ransom | EF3 | 9.01 mi | 0 |
| 2007-03-28 20:01, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 29.09 mi | 0 |
| 1990-04-25 17:00, as SPC files it | Brownell | F3 | 37 mi | 0 |
| 1972-04-30 16:00, as SPC files it | Utica | F3 | 13.1 mi | 0 |
| 1972-04-30 17:30, as SPC files it | Ransom | F3 | 6.8 mi | 0 |
| 1972-04-30 18:38, as SPC files it | Bazine | F3 | 2.7 mi | 0 |
| 1962-06-16 19:05, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 34.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Ness County (46)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-05-27 | Osgood, Ness County | EF0 0.85 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Laird, Ness County | EF2 2.9 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Ness City, Ness County | EF0 1.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Ness City, Ness County | EF0 6.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Laird, Ness County | EF1 2.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-24 | Beeler, Ness County | EF3 8.52 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-11-16 | Laird, Ness County | EF1 3.93 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-11-16 | Beeler, Ness County | EF2 13.3 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-18 | Brownell, Ness County | EF0 0.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-14 | Beeler, Ness County | EF0 0.49 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-16 | Laird, Ness County | EF1 1.02 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2010-05-10 | Arnold, Ness County | EF0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-31 | Utica, Ness County | EF0 0.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Osgood, Ness County | EF3 6.41 mi x 715 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Beeler, Ness County | EF0 1.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Arnold, Ness County | EF2 1.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Laird, Ness County | EF2 11.8 mi x 1,410 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Laird, Ness County | EF0 3.61 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Beeler, Ness County | EF0 1.6 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-22 | Utica, Ness County | EF1 3.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Laird, Ness County | EF3 16.44 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 0 | $463K |
| 2006-06-16 | Brownell, Ness County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-03 | Ness City, Ness County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-03 | Ness City, Ness County | F0 1.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-07-03 | Ness City, Ness County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-31 | Ness City, Ness County | F1 15 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 1996-05-31 | Ness City, Ness County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-30 | To 4 Ne, Ness County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1993-04-30 | Ness County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-25 | Ness County | F3 4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-04-25 | Ness County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-07-05 | Ness County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1972-05-22 | Ness County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-04-30 | Ness County | F4 2.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-04-30 | Ness County | F3 2.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-04-30 | Ness County | F3 6.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-06-09 | Ness County | F2 7.7 mi x 117 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1970-06-13 | Ness County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-06-11 | Ness County | F0 14.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-06-16 | Ness County | F3 2.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1960-05-04 | Ness County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1960-05-04 | Ness County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1959-05-28 | Ness County | F2 2.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-10-29 | Ness County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-10-29 | Ness County | F1 2.5 mi x 333 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-04 | Ness County | 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 Ness County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 16, 2011 tornado ($29,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
There was minor damage to a home and moderate damage to a large metal outbuilding.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 329492)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindNess County · forecast zone Ness | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-05 | Thunderstorm WindNess City, Ness County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-05 | Thunderstorm WindLaird, Ness County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-05 | Thunderstorm WindLaird, Ness County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-19 | HailUtica, Ness County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindLaird, Ness County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindBazine, Ness County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | HailRansom, Ness County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | High WindNess County · forecast zone Ness | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindNess County · forecast zone Ness | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindNess County · forecast zone Ness | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-12 | Winter StormNess County · forecast zone Ness | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-06-16 | TornadoNess County | F3 2.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1971-06-09 | TornadoNess County | F2 7.7 mi x 117 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-05-09 | HailNess City, Ness County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 1996-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindNess City, Ness County | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 1998-05-24 | HailRansom, Ness County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2007-03-28 | TornadoLaird, Ness County | EF3 16.44 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 0 | $463K |
| 1999-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindBrownell, Ness County | 0 | 0 | $354K | |
| 1993-04-30 | TornadoTo 4 Ne, Ness County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1996-05-31 | TornadoNess City, Ness County | F1 15 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2011-06-16 | TornadoLaird, Ness County | EF1 1.02 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
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 25, 1990 (tornado, Ness 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 Ness 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 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 106 | 150 | 136 | 26 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 68 | 48 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 40 | 23 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 0 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 1 | 26 | 6 | 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
62% of its hail reports since 1958 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 22 · Mar 26 · Apr 47 · May 220 · Jun 181 · Jul 116 · Aug 69 · Sep 68 · Oct 23 · Nov 11 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ness County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Ness County: 17 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (11) and snowstorm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4940 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4943 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4869 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires |
| 2022-05-25 | DR-4654 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2017-03-06 | FM-5174 | Fire | Ness County Fire |
| 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 |
| 2013-04-26 | DR-4112 | Snowstorm | Snowstorm |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1776 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1675 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2006-01-26 | DR-1626 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1535 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1967-07-18 | DR-229 | 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 Ness County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 16 flood or flash flood records for Ness County from 1999 to 2020, on 14 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ness County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $0 on 2 claims filed in Ness County; the most in one year was 1 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1996: 1 · 2015: 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 Ness County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ness County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $717K | 60 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $628K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $55K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $62K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $790K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $311K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $394K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $47K | once in about 2,723 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Ness 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 Ness CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ness County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis