Sherman County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20181 · population 5,926 · 1,056 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,859 records for Sherman County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 924 days; the most frequent are hail reports (712 records). The deadliest single record is the March 14, 2025 dust storm, filed for the forecast zone Sherman, which covers the county: 8 deaths and 45 injuries. 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
- 1,859on 924 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1290 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $85Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 110strongest 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 Sherman County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 712 since 1955. 58% 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 | 712 | 338 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 5 | $36M | 9 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 604 | 339 | 1955-2026 | 2 | 4 | $2.9M | 9 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 181 | 142 | 1996-2026 | 8 | 59 | $8.9M | 1 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 110 | 66 | 1952-2026 | 0 | 0 | $36M | 8 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 105 | 103 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 21 | $795K | 36 of 105 |
| Drought | 66 | 66 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 105 |
| Floods | 56 | 36 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $88K | 55 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 16 | 14 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2012-2024 | 0 | 1 | $42K | 6 of 105 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-2009 | 0 | 0 | $344 | 57 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2000-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 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 Sherman County had?
NOAA records 110 tornadoes in Sherman County from 1952 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 8th of 105 Kansas counties and 279th of 3,080 U.S. 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 113 tornadoes whose track touched Sherman County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 110: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-05-19 19:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1960-05-04 17:20, as SPC files it | Brewster | F3 | 7.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Sherman County (110)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-16 | Edson, Sherman County | EFU 0.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-02 | Kanorado, Sherman County | EFU 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-18 | Kanorado Airport, Sherman County | EFU 0.07 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-08-08 | Kanorado, Sherman County | EFU 1.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-11 | Edson, Sherman County | EFU 0.76 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-13 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EFU 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-05-23 | Kanorado Airport, Sherman County | EFU 1.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-03 | Kanorado, Sherman County | EFU 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-03 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EFU 1.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-27 | Kanorado Airport, Sherman County | EF0 1.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-17 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-27 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-08-05 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-08-05 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-07-17 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-30 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-09-14 | Ruleton, Sherman County | EF0 2.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-23 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF0 1.87 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-23 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF1 6.36 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2010-05-23 | Ruleton, Sherman County | EF0 0.05 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-20 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-20 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF0 1.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-10-11 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-07-06 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-23 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | EF0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 2.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2007-03-28 | Goodland, Sherman County | EF2 7 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $142K |
| 2007-03-28 | Edson, Sherman County | EF0 3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Goodland, Sherman County | EF0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-28 | Goodland, Sherman County | EF0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-06-16 | Goodland, Sherman County | F1 0.7 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2006-06-16 | Goodland, Sherman County | F1 1 mi x 8 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2006-06-16 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-14 | Kanorado, Sherman County | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-04 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-04 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-01 | Ruleton, Sherman County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-01 | Ruleton, Sherman County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-01 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-06-19 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-31 | Ruleton, Sherman County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-31 | Ruleton, Sherman County | F2 7 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-31 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-31 | Caruso, Sherman County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-06-29 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-30 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-24 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-22 | Goodland Airport, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-05 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-25 | Goodland, Sherman County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-25 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-19 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-16 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-07-24 | Edson, Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Kanorado, Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Kanorado, Sherman County | F0 0.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Goodland, Sherman County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Sherman County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | HailGoodland, Sherman County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | HailGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | HailKanorado, Sherman County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | HailRuleton, Sherman County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | HailKanorado Airport, Sherman County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | HailRuleton, Sherman County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | HailRuleton, Sherman 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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-14 | Dust StormSherman County · forecast zone Sherman A wall of dust formed along the cold front that was advancing across the east half of the county. Loose soil from a field near I-70 added to the dust in the air. The visibility fell to zero at MM 28 just east of Edson leading to a multi-vehicle accident in both east and westbound lanes. Seventy-one vehicles, and 80 ... | 8 | 45 | – | |
| 2009-12-23 | Winter WeatherSherman County · forecast zone Sherman Two to four inches of snow fell during the day, causing numerous traffic accidents, including a two vehicle accident resulting in one fatality and three injuries. The property damage noted relates only to the injury accident. | 1 | 3 | $55K | |
| 2004-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland, Sherman County Widespread tree damage in town with 6-8 inch diameter branches down. Near zero visibility in blowing dirt resulted in a fatal accident on interstate-70 when the driver slowed down due to reduced visibility and was hit from behind. | 61 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2009-12-22 | Winter WeatherSherman County · forecast zone Sherman Light freezing drizzle and fog produced slick roads and numerous slide offs on Interstate 70. One accident resulted in a fatality when the driver lost control of the vehicle and was ejected as it rolled over. Property damage listed is only from the fatality accident. | 1 | 0 | $28K | |
| 2002-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland, Sherman County Wind gusts between 60 and 65 mph were common from Sherman County to Gove County. Due to dry conditions and recently plowed fields, the strong winds produced areas of blowing dust, which limited visibilities to near zero. One fatality occurred when a car hit a semi-trailer truck from the rear on Interstate 70 about 13 ... | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $82K |
| 2001-01-13 | Winter StormSherman County · forecast zone Sherman A strong winter storm system brought a variety of severe winter weather to all of Northwest Kansas on the morning of January 13th before finally ending in the evening of the same day. Freezing drizzle iced up roads and sidewalks during the morning hours before switching over to all snow by noon. Several accidents ... | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2016-09-15 | HailGoodland, Sherman County Hail sizes ranged from golf ball to baseball size. Siding on the west side of houses and west facing windows in buildings across the north half of town were broken out due to the combined effect of the very large hail and 70 MPH winds. Many vehicles had dents and broken windows from the hail. Two adults and a child ... | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2011-12-31 | High WindSherman County · forecast zone Sherman Reported at Goodland. At 5 W of Goodland a mesonet site reported a peak gust of 73 MPH. From 1:45 PM MST until 3:30 MST I-70 was closed from Goodland to the Colorado border due to a multi car accident near Ruleton. At 3 S of Goodland a semi pulling an empty livestock trailer was blown over on K-27. In Goodland a ... | 67 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $127K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-07-20 | HailGoodland Airport, Sherman County | 4.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $34M |
| 2024-05-25 | High WindSherman County · forecast zone Sherman | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.6M |
| 2020-10-11 | High WindSherman County · forecast zone Sherman | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 1994-05-03 | HailEdson, Sherman County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1994-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland, Sherman County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 1999-06-10 | HailRuleton, Sherman County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $443K |
| 2006-12-29 | Winter StormSherman County · forecast zone Sherman | 0 | 0 | $439K | |
| 2004-08-10 | HailGoodland, Sherman County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $312K |
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 23, 1962 (tornado, Sherman County); May 19, 1982 (tornado, Sherman 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 Sherman 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 | 2 | 22 | 28 | 37 | 109 | 183 | 201 | 130 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 26 | 18 | 39 | 59 | 170 | 166 | 119 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 44 | 55 | 74 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 26 | 13 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 36 | 32 | 32 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 34 z | 26 |
Drought in the 2010s: 34 records against 6 in the decade before, 34 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 Sherman 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?
58% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 40 · Mar 67 · Apr 121 · May 402 · Jun 442 · Jul 290 · Aug 225 · Sep 87 · Oct 60 · Nov 27 · Dec 53 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sherman County
FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Sherman 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-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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-07-29 | DR-4010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 Sherman County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sherman County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 8.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $149K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $300K | 68 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $604K | 5.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $717K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $15K | once in about 2,909 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $73K | 45 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 Sherman 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 Sherman CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sherman County's FEMA declarations (CSV)11 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis