Stafford County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20185 · population 4,061 · 792 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 808 records for Stafford County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 371 days; the most frequent are hail reports (437 records). The deadliest single record is the May 24, 2011 tornado: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1965, 25 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
- 808on 371 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 38 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $9.2Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 72strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Stafford County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 437 since 1958. 54% of its hail reports since 1958 fell in April and May. 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 | 437 | 187 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 2 | – | 49 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 159 | 106 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.3M | 80 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 82 | 66 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 57 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 72 | 34 | 1952-2019 | 3 | 5 | $7.9M | 45 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 16 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 14 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $22K | 69 of 105 |
| Floods | 14 | 13 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 85 of 105 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 82 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 Stafford County had?
NOAA records 72 tornadoes in Stafford County from 1952 to 2019, the strongest rated EF3, with 3 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 45th 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 74 tornadoes whose track touched Stafford County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 72: 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, 3 of them in Stafford County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-24 15:52, as SPC files it | Hudson to Great Bend | EF2 | 11.81 mi | 2 |
| 2007-05-04 21:39, as SPC files it | Macksville | EF3 | 18.22 mi | 1 |
| 2007-05-04 22:34, as SPC files it | Macksville | EF3 | 17.4 mi | 1 |
| 2025-05-18 22:17, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 32.65 mi | 0 |
| 2012-04-14 19:27, as SPC files it | Greensburg | EF3 | 48.02 mi | 0 |
| 2012-04-14 20:10, as SPC files it | St. John | EF3 | 39.67 mi | 0 |
| 2008-05-23 20:16, as SPC files it | Belpre | EF3 | 18.2 mi | 0 |
| 1965-05-25 18:38, as SPC files it | Pratt | F3 | 25.3 mi | 0 |
| 1964-05-05 20:10, as SPC files it | Stafford | F3 | 20.4 mi | 0 |
| 1964-04-22 15:15, as SPC files it | Ellinwood to Holyrood | F3 | 59.7 mi | 0 |
| 1955-06-04 18:30, as SPC files it | Hudson | F3 | 6.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Stafford County (72)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-26 | Leesburg, Stafford County | EF0 0.22 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-18 | Seward, Stafford County | EF0 0.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-18 | Seward, Stafford County | EF0 0.58 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-11 | Hudson, Stafford County | EF0 3.43 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Macksville Smith Arp, Stafford County | EF2 10.7 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Quivira Refuge, Stafford County | EF1 14.34 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Seward, Stafford County | EF1 9.75 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Hudson, Stafford County | EF1 6.6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-14 | Dillwyn, Stafford County | EF3 29.9 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-24 | Hudson, Stafford County | EF2 8.4 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 1 | – |
| 2009-06-15 | Macksville Smith Arp, Stafford County | EF2 8.8 mi x 1,400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-15 | Dillwyn, Stafford County | EF1 2 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-07-08 | Seward, Stafford County | EF0 0.51 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-07-08 | Seward, Stafford County | EF0 0.81 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-26 | Macksville, Stafford County | EF1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 2008-05-23 | St John, Stafford County | EF0 8.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Dillwyn, Stafford County | EF0 5.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Macksville Smith Arp, Stafford County | EF3 9.1 mi x 1,900 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Leesburg, Stafford County | EF1 8.9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Bedford Station, Stafford County | EF0 4.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Seward, Stafford County | EF0 1.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | St John Schulz Airport, Stafford County | EF1 15.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | St John Schulz Airport, Stafford County | EF1 4.95 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Dillwyn, Stafford County | EF0 1.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Dillwyn, Stafford County | EF2 9.1 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Macksville Smith Arp, Stafford County | EF2 13 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Hudson, Stafford County | EF1 5.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Macksville, Stafford County | EF3 17.4 mi x 1,515 yd | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | Macksville, Stafford County | EF3 7.1 mi x 2,110 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2006-06-22 | Macksville, Stafford County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-11 | Stafford County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-11 | Stafford County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-20 | St John, Stafford County | F0 1.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-20 | Seward, Stafford County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-24 | St John, Stafford County | F0 0.4 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-06-13 | Stafford County | F0 4.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-23 | Radium, Stafford County | F0 1.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-23 | Radium, Stafford County | F0 1.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-23 | St John, Stafford County | F0 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-22 | St. John, Stafford County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1993-05-07 | St. John, Stafford County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-07 | Byers, Stafford County | F2 16.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1993-05-07 | Seward, Stafford County | F0 0.5 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-07 | Radium, Stafford County | F0 0.5 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-05-07 | Macksville, Stafford County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-24 | Stafford County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-04-28 | Stafford County | F1 10 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1991-03-26 | Stafford County | F0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-07-15 | Stafford County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-07-04 | Stafford County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-06-20 | Stafford County | F1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-11-19 | Stafford County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-11-19 | Stafford County | F1 17.6 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-05-25 | Stafford County | F3 13.8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1964-05-05 | Stafford County | F3 20.4 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-04-22 | Stafford County | F3 25.7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1959-05-04 | Stafford County | F1 19.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-04 | Stafford County | F1 19.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-06-12 | Stafford County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-04 | Stafford County | F3 6.8 mi x 400 yd | 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 Stafford County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 28, 2011 thunderstorm wind ($79,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Trees up to 2 feet in diameter were blown down and several irrigation sprinklers were rolled over. Also, hail up to 3/4 of an inch in diameter covered the ground.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 327659)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindMacksville Smith Arp, Stafford County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailDillwyn, Stafford County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-29 | High WindStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailHudson, Stafford County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailHudson, Stafford County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailQuivira Refuge, Stafford County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-08 | HailNeola, Stafford County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindNeola, Stafford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindMacksville, Stafford County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindMacksville, Stafford County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | HailSeward, Stafford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-24 | TornadoHudson, Stafford County This tornado moved north/northwest and unfortunately claimed two lives. The tornado hit a house (among trees, outbuildings, fences) and the persons involved were parked under a tree in the drive way of the home. Tragically, the very large tree was uprooted and landed on the vehicle. A female (age 21) that was in the ... | EF2 8.4 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 1 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoMacksville, Stafford County This killer tornado formed just east of another large but dissipating tornado that was approaching Macksville. Unfortunately a law officer watching the dissipating tornado was unaware that this one was rapidly forming and could not get out of harms way. His car was thrown at least 1/4 of a mile and was found in a ... | EF3 17.4 mi x 1,515 yd | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1985-08-06 | HailStafford County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1964-04-22 | TornadoStafford County | F3 25.7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoMacksville, Stafford County This tornado moved out of northwest Pratt county and dissipated just south of Macksville. It did strong EF3 damage to farms, trees, machinery and vehicles. A Blazer was carried over 3/4 of a mile and was barely recognizable as a vehicle. Several dozen head of cattle were killed along with wildlife in the area. One ... | EF3 7.1 mi x 2,110 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1999-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSt John, Stafford County One trailer home was completely destroyed and the occupant received minor cuts and bruises, but lucky to be alive according to the Emergency Manager. Trees were down all over the place and several roofs received quite a bit of damage. Several pivot sprinklers overturned or damaged and a patrol car window pushed out. ... | 0 | 1 | $531K | |
| 1965-05-25 | TornadoStafford County | F3 13.8 mi x 250 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSt John, Stafford County | 0 | 1 | $531K | |
| 2008-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindSt John, Stafford County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2008-05-26 | TornadoMacksville, Stafford County | EF1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 2002-03-08 | Thunderstorm WindHudson, Stafford County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2011-05-28 | Thunderstorm WindLeesburg, Stafford County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $79K |
| 2004-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMacksville, Stafford County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2007-08-08 | Thunderstorm WindBedford Station, Stafford County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 1995-05-22 | TornadoSt. John, Stafford County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
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: May 25, 1965 (tornado, Stafford County); November 19, 1973 (tornado, Stafford County); July 4, 1979 (tornado, Stafford 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 Stafford 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 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 114 | 179 | 107 | 22 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 69 | 31 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 42 | 18 | 11 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 29 | 10 | 0 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 | 4 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its hail reports since 1958 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 27 · Mar 36 · Apr 119 · May 228 · Jun 160 · Jul 73 · Aug 63 · Sep 27 · Oct 12 · Nov 22 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Stafford County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Stafford County: 24 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (17) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4883 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2017-02-24 | DR-4304 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2013-04-26 | DR-4112 | Snowstorm | Snowstorm |
| 2012-05-24 | DR-4063 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-07-29 | DR-4010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-06-24 | DR-1848 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 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 |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1675 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 1965-06-23 | DR-201 | Flood | 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Stafford County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Stafford County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.1 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 High | $2.3M | 71 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $140K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $452K | once in about 447 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.6M | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $818K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $352K | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $28K | 9.8 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 Stafford 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 Stafford CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Stafford County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis