Wichita County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20203 · population 2,136 · 719 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 754 records for Wichita County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 449 days; the most frequent are hail reports (329 records). The deadliest single record is the December 15, 2021 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Wichita, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $599,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 2005, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on October 26, 2023.
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
- 754on 449 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 28 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $18Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 2023
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 Wichita County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 329 since 1957. 48% of its hail reports since 1957 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 | 329 | 192 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 1 | $11M | 25 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 114 | 75 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $701K | 102 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 88 | 57 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 2 | $2.8M | 68 of 105 |
| Drought | 77 | 65 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 70 | 54 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $902K | 10 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 27 | 1950-2024 | 0 | 4 | $1.6M | 67 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 11 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 105 |
| Floods | 16 | 15 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | $22 | 76 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2021-2022 | 1 | 1 | $599K | 15 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 Wichita County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Wichita County from 1950 to 2024, 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 37 tornadoes whose track touched Wichita County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Wichita County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-07-12 19:20, as SPC files it | Marienthal | F2 | 20 mi | 1 |
| 1999-06-22 18:53, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 4 mi | 0 |
| 1968-05-13 13:40, as SPC files it | Natoma | F3 | 140.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Wichita County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-13 | Marienthal, Wichita County | EFU 0.02 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-27 | Selkirk, Wichita County | EF0 0.93 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-22 | Lydia, Wichita County | EF0 3.85 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-21 | St Theresa, Wichita County | EF0 0.43 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-21 | St Theresa, Wichita County | EF0 0.11 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-21 | St Theresa, Wichita County | EF0 0.17 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-21 | St Theresa, Wichita County | EF0 0.13 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-28 | Lydia, Wichita County | EF0 0.25 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-28 | Lydia, Wichita County | EF0 1.91 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-24 | Lydia, Wichita County | EF0 4.65 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-10 | Marienthal, Wichita County | EF1 0.89 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2010-05-10 | Marienthal, Wichita County | EF0 1.34 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-23 | Leoti, Wichita County | EF0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-08 | Selkirk, Wichita County | EF0 2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-27 | Leoti, Wichita County | F0 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-27 | Leoti, Wichita County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-30 | Marienthal, Wichita County | F0 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-22 | Leoti, Wichita County | F3 4 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $443K |
| 1996-05-31 | Horace, Wichita County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-26 | Leoti, Wichita County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 1995-03-25 | Coronado, Wichita County | F0 2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-12 | Selkirk, Wichita County | F0 0.1 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-15 | Wichita County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-15 | Wichita County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-15 | Wichita County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-15 | Wichita County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-10 | Wichita County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-10 | Wichita County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-05-27 | Wichita County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-05-28 | Wichita County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-05-13 | Wichita County | F3 3.6 mi x 320 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1959-07-16 | Wichita County | F0 2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-07-12 | Wichita County | F2 4.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-06-12 | Wichita County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1951-06-20 | Wichita County | F2 48.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1951-05-08 | Wichita County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1950-06-16 | Wichita County | F1 29.9 mi x 33 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 Wichita County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 4, 2025 high wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLeoti, Wichita County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSt Theresa, Wichita County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLeoti Airport, Wichita County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLeoti, Wichita County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLeoti, Wichita County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSelkirk, Wichita County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | HailLeoti, Wichita County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindSt Theresa, Wichita County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindMarienthal, Wichita County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindSt Theresa, Wichita County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindSt Theresa, Wichita County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindSt Theresa, Wichita County | 53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-15 | WildfireWichita County · forecast zone Wichita High winds knocked over power lines near the towns of Marienthal and Lydia, sparking two large fires. The fire near Marienthal began around 14:30 PM CST burning fields and one home. The Marienthal fire burned approximately 1200 acres and was put out around 22:30 PM CST. The Lydia fire began around 13:50 PM CST burning ... | 1 | 1 | $599K | |
| 2007-02-24 | BlizzardGreeley County and Wichita County · forecast zone Greeley Visibility down to zero at times in Tribune. One fatality occurred when a motorist stopped to assist at an accident which occurred during the storm. A semi-trailer hit the victim and the people he was trying to help. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1968-05-13 | TornadoWichita County | F3 3.6 mi x 320 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 2022-04-22 | HailLeoti, Wichita County Multiple reports of hail associated with second storm that moved through Leoti. Hail ranged in size from half-dollar to baseball in size over a duration of 10 minutes. Hail busted windows in a home and damaged a car. There was one injury where someone was hit in the head by the large hail while retrieving a dog stuck ... | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2020-12-27 | Winter WeatherWichita County · forecast zone Wichita Multiple snow bands moved across Wichita county, producing only a trace of snow. While snow accumulations were low, roads became slick. At 8:07 am CST on December 29th, a passenger vehicle accident was reported on KS-25 near mile marker 118. One person was injured. Key impacts: traffic accident. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2020-10-25 | Winter WeatherWichita County · forecast zone Wichita Dispatch reported of four incidents of vehicles sliding off on KS-25 between 6:30 and 8:30 CST on Oct. 25th due to hazardous driving conditions due to freezing rain. One vehicle slid off the road at mile marker 123. Three vehicles including one KSDOT truck slid off between mile markers 114 and 116. One injury was ... | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-05-16 | HailLeoti, Wichita County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.0M |
| 2006-12-29 | Winter StormScott County and Wichita County · forecast zone Wichita | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2006-12-29 | Winter StormGreeley County and Wichita County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1993-05-22 | HailSelkirk, Wichita County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2001-04-11 | High WindGreeley County and Wichita County · forecast zone Greeley | 0 | 0 | $833K | |
| 2021-12-15 | WildfireWichita County · forecast zone Wichita | 1 | 1 | $599K | |
| 1999-06-22 | TornadoLeoti, Wichita County | F3 4 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $443K |
| 2023-07-20 | Thunderstorm WindMarienthal, Wichita County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $276K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 13, 1968 (tornado, Wichita County); June 16, 1950 (tornado, Wichita County); June 20, 1951 (tornado, Wichita 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 Wichita 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 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 86 | 93 | 70 | 60 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 23 | 24 | 47 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 43 | 21 | 12 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 12 | 40 z | 25 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 13 | 20 | 29 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
Drought in the 2010s: 40 records against 12 in the decade before, 40 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 Wichita 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?
48% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 26 · Mar 35 · Apr 61 · May 141 · Jun 137 · Jul 122 · Aug 84 · Sep 30 · Oct 17 · Nov 17 · Dec 40 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wichita County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Wichita County: 5 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | 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 |
| 2017-06-16 | DR-4319 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-01-07 | DR-1675 | 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 Wichita County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wichita County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.7 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 | $1.8M | 8.4 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 76 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $720K | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $39K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $227K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $117K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $4K | once in about 4,417 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $10K | once in about 2,488 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Wichita 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 Wichita CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wichita County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis