Riley County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20161 · population 71,953 · 610 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 852 records for Riley County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 500 days; the most frequent are hail reports (323 records). The deadliest single record is the December 21, 1997 ice storm, filed for the forecast zone Riley, which covers the county: 1 death, 2 injuries and $129,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1966, 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
- 852on 500 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 263 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $169Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest EF4
- 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 Riley County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 323 since 1956. 55% 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 | 323 | 174 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | 18 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 269 | 167 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 2 | $11M | 15 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 84 | 80 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 5 | $202K | 7 of 105 |
| Floods | 52 | 39 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 3 | $22M | 24 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 26 | 1950-2026 | 0 | 51 | $126M | 48 of 105 |
| Lightning | 21 | 18 | 1997-2008 | 1 | 1 | $1.4M | 3 of 105 |
| Heat | 20 | 20 | 1997-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 18 | 1998-2016 | 0 | 1 | $80K | 49 of 105 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 9 | 2002-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | $549K | 60 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 Riley County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Riley County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated EF4, with 0 deaths and 51 injuries recorded in the county. That is 48th of 105 Kansas counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 35 tornadoes whose track touched Riley County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-06-11 21:48, as SPC files it | Manhattan | EF4 | 8.64 mi | 0 |
| 1966-06-08 18:00, as SPC files it | Fort Riley | F3 | 13.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Riley County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-04 | Riley County | EF2 3.84 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-06 | Manhattan, Riley County | EF0 1.18 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-20 | Randolph, Riley County | EF0 0.23 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-11 | Manhattan, Riley County | EF2 0.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2022-06-11 | Zeandale, Riley County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-08-15 | Ogden, Riley County | EFU 1.37 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-11-22 | Manhattan Municipal, Riley County | EF0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-26 | Zeandale, Riley County | EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-11 | Ogden, Riley County | EF4 8.64 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $90M |
| 2007-05-05 | Zeandale, Riley County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Ogden, Riley County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2005-11-27 | Randolph, Riley County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Riley County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2005-11-27 | Keats, Riley County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-09-07 | Ogden, Riley County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-10-08 | Manhattan Airport, Riley County | F0 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $147K |
| 1996-06-22 | Keats, Riley County | F0 0.3 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-21 | Riley County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-10-18 | Riley County | F0 12.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1969-07-09 | Riley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-05-02 | Riley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-06-08 | Riley County | F3 13.8 mi x 660 yd | 0 | 50 | $2.5M step |
| 1962-05-18 | Riley County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1956-06-19 | Riley County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-03-18 | Riley County | F1 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1952-04-22 | Riley County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1951-05-30 | Riley County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1950-07-01 | Riley County | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1950-05-24 | Riley County | F1 10.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1950-05-09 | Riley County | 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 Riley County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 4, 2026 flash flood ($7,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindRocky Ford, Riley County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindRandolph, Riley County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | HailRandolph, Riley County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindManhattan Municipal, Riley County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindManhattan, Riley County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindRocky Ford, Riley County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindManhattan Municipal, Riley County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindEureka Lake, Riley County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-04 | Flash FloodWalsburg, Riley County | 0 | 0 | $7K | |
| 2026-06-04 | Flash FloodRandolph, Riley County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-06-04 | TornadoRiley County | EF2 3.84 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Flash FloodManhattan, Riley County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-12-21 | Ice StormRiley County · forecast zone Riley Freezing rain deposited one-fourth to one-half inches of glaze along interstate 35 east of Emporia and also near the Nebraska border. Other areas received somewhat less accumulations. The ice on the roads resulted in mostly minor accidents. One fatal accident occurred however when a pick-up truck lost control on an ... | 1 | 2 | $129K | |
| 1999-08-11 | LightningManhattan, Riley County Eyewitnesses claimed a lightning bolt directly struck a 41 year old woman as she was on an early morning jog along a street in Manhattan. She never regained consciousness and died 16 days later at a local hospital. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1966-06-08 | TornadoRiley County | F3 13.8 mi x 660 yd | 0 | 50 | $2.5M step |
| 2018-09-03 | Flash FloodKeats, Riley County Residents in the city of Keats were being evacuated due to the rapidly rising water on Wildcat Creek. The flooding of Wildcat creek resulted in an estimated 17.2 million dollars in losses to property. | 0 | 3 | $20M | |
| 2007-12-10 | Ice StormRiley County · forecast zone Riley Riley County: One of the hardest hit areas, Riley County reported some of the most widespread power outages for counties in northeast Kansas. 16,000 customers in Manhattan and surrounding areas alone were without power. For many, power periodically went up and down the 10th through 13th. Downed trees and power lines ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1998-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindZeandale, Riley County Strong winds overturned and destroyed a mobile home, injuring two people. | 0 | 2 | $45K | |
| 2007-12-06 | Winter WeatherRiley County · forecast zone Riley A mix of freezing drizzle, sleet and snow created hazardous driving conditions throughout the county. Twenty two traffic accidents were reported with at least one injury. One section of the K-18 bypass in Ogden was closed for a short time during the morning because of icy conditions. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-10-20 | Strong WindRiley County · forecast zone Riley Gradient winds sustained at 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph caused damage to four inflatable carnival rides in Randolph, KS. Three children in one of the larger inflatable rides were blown around inside the ride as a strong wind gust flipped the inflatable ride over. One of the children reported some minor injuries and ... | 39 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-06-11 | TornadoOgden, Riley County | EF4 8.64 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $90M |
| 2018-09-03 | Flash FloodKeats, Riley County | 0 | 3 | $20M | |
| 2022-06-11 | TornadoManhattan, Riley County | EF2 0.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2002-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindManhattan, Riley County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8.2M |
| 2008-06-02 | HailKeats, Riley County | 4.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6.9M |
| 2005-11-27 | TornadoOgden, Riley County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 1993-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindManhattan, Riley County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1998-06-10 | HailManhattan, Riley County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $724K |
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: June 8, 1966 (tornado, Riley 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 Riley 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 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 37 | 103 | 90 | 45 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 10 | 22 | 24 | 32 | 53 | 66 | 60 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 46 | 14 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 22 | 19 | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 26 · Mar 32 · Apr 95 · May 147 · Jun 215 · Jul 107 · Aug 93 · Sep 38 · Oct 18 · Nov 23 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Riley County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Riley County: 14 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4940 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2019-05-28 | EM-3412 | Severe Storm | Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2018-10-19 | DR-4403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-07-29 | DR-4010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2010-08-10 | DR-1932 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1776 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1966-06-10 | DR-219 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Severe Storms |
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 Riley County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 52 flood or flash flood records for Riley County from 1997 to 2026, on 39 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Riley County ranks 593rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $9.2 million on 406 claims filed in Riley County; the most in one year was 197 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 3 · 1992: 11 · 1993: 197 · 1994: 3 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1999: 4 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 2 · 2004: 4 · 2005: 1 · 2007: 10 · 2008: 8 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 30 · 2011: 45 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 40 · 2019: 20 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 2; 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 Riley County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Riley County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $862K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.6M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | once in about 424 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $7.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $594K | 49 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $992K | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $28K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Riley 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 Riley CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Riley County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis