Ottawa County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20143 · population 5,735 · 721 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 824 records for Ottawa County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 430 days; the most frequent are hail reports (383 records). The deadliest day on its record was January 16, 2003: ice storm records filed for Ottawa County that day count 2 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1973, 16 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
- 824on 430 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 416 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $357Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Ottawa County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 383 since 1956. 53% of its hail reports since 1956 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 | 383 | 189 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 28 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 223 | 135 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 43 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 70 | 64 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 4 | $55K | 49 of 105 |
| Floods | 49 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | 30 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 22 | 1955-2018 | 2 | 12 | $336M | 90 of 105 |
| Heat | 18 | 18 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | $325K | 24 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 14 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $199K | 66 of 105 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 10 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 105 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1999-2000 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 44 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 Ottawa County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Ottawa County from 1955 to 2018, the strongest rated EF3, with 2 deaths and 12 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 36 tornadoes whose track touched Ottawa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 2 of them in Ottawa County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-09-25 15:05, as SPC files it | SalinaCrossed KS, NE | F3 | 169.7 mi | 3 |
| 2007-05-05 22:39, as SPC files it | Bennington | EF2 | 11 mi | 1 |
| 2016-05-25 18:07, as SPC files it | Chapman | EF4 | 25.09 mi | 0 |
| 2018-05-01 18:41, as SPC files it | Minneapolis | EF3 | 15.78 mi | 0 |
| 2013-05-28 16:45, as SPC files it | Bennington | EF3 | 2.33 mi | 0 |
| 1992-06-15 20:52, as SPC files it | Delphos | F3 | 3 mi | 0 |
| 1973-09-25 16:20, as SPC files it | Bennington to Hanover | F3 | 69.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Ottawa County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-02 | Tescott, Ottawa County | EF0 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-01 | Tescott, Ottawa County | EF3 14.18 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-15 | Ada, Ottawa County | EF0 1.7 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-10-04 | Vine Creek, Ottawa County | EF0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-25 | Niles, Ottawa County | EF3 3.48 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2016-05-25 | Tescott, Ottawa County | EF0 0.47 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-06 | Wells, Ottawa County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-06 | Lindsey, Ottawa County | EF0 0.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-28 | Culver, Ottawa County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-28 | Lindsey, Ottawa County | EF3 2.33 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Niles, Ottawa County | EF1 7.67 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2007-05-05 | Delphos, Ottawa County | EF1 3.21 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Bennington, Ottawa County | EF2 11 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Bennington, Ottawa County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-21 | Minneapolis, Ottawa County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-21 | Culver, Ottawa County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-04-06 | Niles, Ottawa County | F0 2.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-08 | Niles, Ottawa County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-08 | Culver, Ottawa County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-07 | Bennington, Ottawa County | F0 5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $147K |
| 1995-05-12 | Bennington, Ottawa County | F0 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-07-01 | Delphos, Ottawa County | F0 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 1992-07-09 | Ottawa County | F1 1 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Ottawa County | F3 3 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-06-15 | Ottawa County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-09-25 | Ottawa County | F3 9.4 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 2 | $25M step |
| 1973-09-25 | Ottawa County | F3 20.7 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 2 | $25M step |
| 1971-06-09 | Ottawa County | F1 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-09-02 | Ottawa County | F0 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-04 | Ottawa County | F2 3.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-06-04 | Ottawa 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 Ottawa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 8, 2026 flash flood ($9,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindCulver, Ottawa County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindCulver, Ottawa County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Flash FloodTescott, Ottawa County | 0 | 0 | $9K | |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindTescott, Ottawa County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindMinneapolis, Ottawa County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | HailBennington, Ottawa County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Flash FloodMinneapolis, Ottawa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-17 | HailMinneapolis, Ottawa County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | HailTescott, Ottawa County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | HailTescott, Ottawa County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindSumnerville, Ottawa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | HailAda, Ottawa County | 1.75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-05-05 | TornadoBennington, Ottawa County The tornado touched down near the intersection of Granite Rd and 190th Rd approximately 3 miles south of the Ottawa State Fishing Lake. It lifted approximately 11 miles north of it's touchdown point, at Rifle Rd between 200th and 210th Rds. 38 structures were destroyed or damaged; including homes, mobile homes, ... | EF2 11 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2003-01-16 | Ice StormOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa Icy roads resulted in slick conditions and caused the driver of a van to lose control. The van slid into a ditch 2 miles northeast of Minneapolis and rolled over killing the female driver and injuring 2 female passengers. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 1973-09-25 | TornadoOttawa County | F3 9.4 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 2 | $25M step |
| 2003-01-16 | Ice StormOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa Icy roads caused the driver of a vehicle to lose control 1 mile east of Minneapolis. The vehicle rolled down the embankment and killed the female driver. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-05-25 | TornadoNiles, Ottawa County The 26 mile long violent tornado began 1-2 miles NNE of Niles Kansas and destroyed 2 homes in Ottawa county before crossing into Dickinson county. The tornado produced high end EF3 damage in extreme eastern Ottawa county. Only 3 minor injuries were reported but none requiring a trip to the hospital. | EF3 3.48 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
| 1973-09-25 | TornadoOttawa County | F3 20.7 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 2 | $25M step |
| 2008-12-24 | Winter WeatherOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa Three accidents were reported in the city of Ottawa, one of which involved three vehicles and left one individual injured. Three other accidents were reported elsewhere in the county. A glaze of ice and around one inch of snow were reported to have accumulated across the county. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2003-01-16 | Ice StormOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa Icy road conditions caused the driver of a vehicle to lose control 1 mile east of Minneapolis and collide with a tractor-trailer. The 32 year old female driver of the vehicle was injured. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-06-06 | HailTescott, Ottawa County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 2025-09-08 | FloodTescott, Ottawa County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 1997-05-07 | HailMinneapolis, Ottawa County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2025-09-08 | FloodCulver, Ottawa County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2010-07-19 | Excessive HeatOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa | 0 | 0 | $325K | |
| 2005-06-03 | FloodOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa | 0 | 0 | $302K | |
| 1995-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindAda, Ottawa County | 0 | 0 | $242K | |
| 1995-06-08 | HailMinneapolis, Ottawa County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $155K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 25, 1973 (tornado, Ottawa County, 1 killed); September 25, 1973 (tornado, Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 64 | 116 | 115 | 42 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 75 | 42 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 45 | 12 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 9 | 8 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 37 · Mar 31 · Apr 84 · May 180 · Jun 163 · Jul 125 · Aug 69 · Sep 58 · Oct 13 · Nov 10 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ottawa County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Ottawa County: 15 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4940 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-12-19 | DR-4897 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4811 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, 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 |
| 2019-02-25 | DR-4417 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-10-22 | DR-4150 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-07-29 | DR-4010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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 Ottawa County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 49 flood or flash flood records for Ottawa County from 1996 to 2026, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ottawa County ranks 1784th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $167,000 on 39 claims filed in Ottawa County; the most in one year was 23 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1987: 5 · 1990: 1 · 1993: 23 · 1996: 3 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2025: 3; 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 Ottawa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ottawa County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $959K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $727K | 8.7 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $224K | once in about 834 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $77K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $459K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $38K | 7.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $201K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Ottawa 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 Ottawa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ottawa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis