Rawlins County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20153 · population 2,548 · 1,069 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,097 records for Rawlins County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 606 days; the most frequent are hail reports (483 records). The most damaging was the June 22, 1994 hail ($995,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 2005, 9 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
- 1,097on 606 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 016 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.1Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 53strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 11latest 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 Rawlins County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 483 since 1955. 52% of its hail reports since 1955 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 | 483 | 261 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 45 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 276 | 160 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $856K | 66 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 92 | 79 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $35K | 12 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 70 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 9 | $242K | 86 of 105 |
| Drought | 61 | 61 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 53 | 39 | 1950-2026 | 0 | 4 | $3.1M | 69 of 105 |
| Floods | 31 | 27 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $291K | 66 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 13 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 105 |
| Lightning | 7 | 6 | 2008-2019 | 0 | 3 | $136K | 23 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2017-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 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 Rawlins County had?
NOAA records 53 tornadoes in Rawlins County from 1950 to 2026, 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 54 tornadoes whose track touched Rawlins County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 53: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-10-17 21:07, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 3.8 mi | 0 |
| 1951-05-20 19:00, as SPC files it | McDonald | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
| 1951-05-14 19:30, as SPC files it | McDonald | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Rawlins County (53)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Ludell, Rawlins County | EFU 2.63 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-06 | Achilles, Rawlins County | EFU 3.31 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-11 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | EFU 1.78 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-11 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | EFU 1.16 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-26 | Herndon, Rawlins County | EFU 2.39 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-26 | Ludell, Rawlins County | EFU 1.85 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-26 | Herndon, Rawlins County | EF1 3.51 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-08-11 | Beardsley, Rawlins County | EFU 0.95 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-04-20 | Atwood, Rawlins County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-23 | Atwood, Rawlins County | EF1 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2007-04-23 | Atwood, Rawlins County | EF1 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-23 | Atwood, Rawlins County | EF1 12.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $434K |
| 2005-05-28 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-28 | Atwood, Rawlins County | F1 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-06-19 | Ludell, Rawlins County | F1 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2002-06-19 | Atwood, Rawlins County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-06-19 | Herndon, Rawlins County | F0 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2002-06-19 | Herndon, Rawlins County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-07-27 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-07-27 | Atwood, Rawlins County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-31 | Atwood, Rawlins County | F0 0.7 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-02 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | F1 0.7 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-22 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-08-06 | Herndon, Rawlins County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1996-07-23 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-22 | Herndon, Rawlins County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-22 | Herndon, Rawlins County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-22 | Mc Donald, Rawlins County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-11 | McDonald, Rawlins County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Rawlins County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-08 | Atwood, Rawlins County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-08 | Atwood, Rawlins County | F1 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-13 | Rawlins County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-13 | Rawlins County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-07 | Rawlins County | F0 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1990-05-18 | Rawlins County | F0 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-06-11 | Rawlins County | F1 20 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-06-24 | Rawlins County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1974-04-20 | Rawlins County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-10-17 | Rawlins County | F3 3.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-07-03 | Rawlins County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-06-17 | Rawlins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-06-03 | Rawlins County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1962-07-28 | Rawlins County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-05-28 | Rawlins County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1958-04-27 | Rawlins County | F2 4.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-07-05 | Rawlins County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-07-05 | Rawlins County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-05-27 | Rawlins County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1951-08-24 | Rawlins County | F2 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1951-05-20 | Rawlins County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1951-05-14 | Rawlins County | F3 | 0 | 4 | $3K step |
| 1950-08-06 | Rawlins County | F1 | 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 Rawlins County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 29, 2025 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodAtwood Municipal Airport, Rawlins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | TornadoLudell, Rawlins County | EFU 2.63 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | HailAchilles, Rawlins County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindAtwood, Rawlins County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindAtwood Municipal Airport, Rawlins County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | HailLudell, Rawlins County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | HailAtwood Municipal Airport, Rawlins County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindBeardsley, Rawlins County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-14 | DroughtRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-12-19 | Winter StormRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins Three to five inches of snow fell on top of 1/2 inch of ice. Six people were injured when their vehicle skidded on icy roads 10 miles south of Atwood. The vehicle left the road and hit a shed. | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 1951-05-14 | TornadoRawlins County | F3 | 0 | 4 | $3K step |
| 2016-12-23 | Winter WeatherRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins At least 4 accidents reported by Rawlins County Dispatch. At least two people were taken to the hospital. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2008-06-22 | LightningAtwood, Rawlins County Three workers were shocked when their natural gas drilling rig was struck by lightning. Two workers were taken to nearby hospitals and were treated, kept overnight, and released the next morning. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2020-02-19 | Winter WeatherRawlins County · forecast zone Rawlins A vehicle slid off Highway 25 and rolled multiple times 15 miles north of Colby, Kansas at 22:33 CST. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2010-09-06 | LightningAtwood, Rawlins County Lightning started a grass fire which consumed 500 acres of farmland west of Atwood. No loss of buildings or livestock was reported. Strong winds fanned the fire making it difficult to control. Five separate fire crews eventually responded to the scene. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation and heat ... | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-06-22 | HailMcDonald, Rawlins County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 2009-07-17 | HailLudell, Rawlins County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $454K |
| 2007-04-23 | TornadoAtwood, Rawlins County | EF1 12.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $434K |
| 2014-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindBlakeman, Rawlins County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $187K |
| 2017-08-10 | Thunderstorm WindAtwood, Rawlins County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $175K |
| 2007-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindMc Donald, Rawlins County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $149K |
| 2011-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindHerndon, Rawlins County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2023-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindMc Donald, Rawlins County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $48K |
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: June 11, 1984 (tornado, Rawlins 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 Rawlins 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 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 79 | 155 | 121 | 85 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 77 | 88 | 73 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 12 | 26 | 47 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 29 | 23 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 25 z | 30 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 7 |
Drought in the 2010s: 25 records against 6 in the decade before, 25 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 Rawlins 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?
52% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 32 · Feb 32 · Mar 32 · Apr 83 · May 210 · Jun 238 · Jul 199 · Aug 143 · Sep 41 · Oct 29 · Nov 19 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rawlins County
FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Rawlins County: 8 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4943 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-12-19 | DR-4897 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
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 Rawlins County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rawlins County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.2 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 | $810K | 94 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $773K | 8.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $83K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $44K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $638K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $29K | once in about 2,935 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $103K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $83 | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Rawlins 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 Rawlins CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rawlins County's FEMA declarations (CSV)11 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis