Wilson County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20205 · population 8,607 · 570 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 544 records for Wilson County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 331 days; the most frequent are hail reports (206 records). The deadliest single record is the May 8, 2009 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and $702,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1976, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 15, 2024.
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
- 544on 331 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $38Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2024
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 Wilson County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 206 since 1956. 43% 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 | 206 | 114 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $35K | 83 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 125 | 94 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 1 | $1.4M | 58 of 105 |
| Floods | 54 | 41 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $31M | 22 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 47 | 47 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1.4M | 58 of 105 |
| Drought | 41 | 41 | 2011-2024 | 0 | 0 | $459K | 8 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 25 | 9 | 2014-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 16 | 1954-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | 94 of 105 |
| Heat | 14 | 14 | 2006-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2008-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 100 of 105 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2005-2011 | 0 | 0 | $244K | 25 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2007-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 78 of 105 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 74 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 Wilson County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Wilson County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 24 tornadoes whose track touched Wilson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Wilson County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-26 | Lafontaine, Wilson County | EFU 0.06 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-27 | Fredonia, Wilson County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-27 | Lafontaine, Wilson County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-27 | Benedict, Wilson County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Coyville, Wilson County | EF0 0.91 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Benedict, Wilson County | EF1 1.28 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Fredonia, Wilson County | EF0 0.99 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Buxton, Wilson County | EF2 5.28 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-07 | Coyville, Wilson County | EF0 0.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-07 | Neodesha, Wilson County | EF0 0.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-01 | Fredonia, Wilson County | EF0 0.58 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-01 | Buxton, Wilson County | EF0 0.67 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-30 | Coyville, Wilson County | F1 10 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2006-03-30 | Fredonia, Wilson County | F0 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-04-28 | Fredonia, Wilson County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-05-20 | Wilson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-09-24 | Wilson County | F1 20.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-06-17 | Wilson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1963-08-06 | Wilson County | F1 17.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-06-13 | Wilson County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-03-26 | Wilson County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-03-05 | Wilson County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1954-03-24 | Wilson County | F2 22.2 mi x 880 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 Wilson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2019 thunderstorm wind ($17,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A microburst caused major damage along Tank Ave. between 4th and 8th streets. Trees were uprooted and power poles were snapped off.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 840314)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindBuffalo, Wilson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | TornadoLafontaine, Wilson County | EFU 0.06 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | HailFredonia, Wilson County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormWilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Thunderstorm WindNeodesha, Wilson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-12 | HailBuffalo, Wilson County | 2.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindBuffalo, Wilson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindWilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-18 | Winter WeatherWilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindAltoona, Wilson County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindFredonia, Wilson County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-27 | TornadoFredonia, Wilson County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindNew Albany, Wilson County A mobile home was blown 40 feet and ended up wrapped around a large tree and was totally demolished. A 54 year old woman of the home was found in the wreckage and died. A church in town was totally destroyed and also the town post office was a total loss after it collapsed. Numerous trees were also down across town. | 87 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $702K |
| 2012-02-28 | Thunderstorm WindNeodesha, Wilson County Winds estimated around 90 mph destroyed a home a few miles northeast of Neodesha. One injury (direct) was reported. The Independence Daily Reporter contributed to this report. | 78 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $64K |
| 2008-12-16 | Winter WeatherWilson County · forecast zone Wilson One to two inches of snow produced slick conditions across portions of Southeast Kansas. One such such accident near Fredonia involved a vehicles at a railrood crossing. Once the vehicle crossed the crossing it lost control and rolled into the ditch. A passenger in the vehicle was injured and taken to the hospital. | 0 | 1 | $11K | |
| 2008-01-31 | Winter StormWilson County · forecast zone Wilson Snow accumulated 3 inches in Fredonia, but likely accumulated near 6 inches across extreme southwest portions of the county. An 8-year-old boy was injured (indirect) when the car he was riding in lost control in the snow and slammed into a snowbank on northbound U.S. Highway 400 near the Granby Street turnoff. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-07-01 | Flash FloodFredonia, Wilson County | 0 | 0 | $31M | |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindNew Albany, Wilson County | 87 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $702K |
| 2000-03-10 | Heavy SnowWilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | $428K | |
| 2011-07-01 | DroughtWilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | $328K | |
| 2009-01-26 | Winter StormWilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | $275K | |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindFredonia, Wilson County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $165K |
| 2016-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindNeodesha, Wilson County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 2012-02-28 | Thunderstorm WindNeodesha, Wilson County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $64K |
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: September 24, 1973 (tornado, Wilson County); May 20, 1982 (tornado, Wilson 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 Wilson 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 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 27 | 96 | 42 | 22 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 50 | 26 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 25 | 22 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 22 | 15 | 9 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 21 | 20 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 23 · Mar 46 · Apr 84 · May 89 · Jun 100 · Jul 58 · Aug 53 · Sep 26 · Oct 19 · Nov 9 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wilson County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Wilson County: 13 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-15 | DR-4800 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2013-10-22 | DR-4150 | 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 |
| 2009-06-25 | DR-1849 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1776 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-07-02 | DR-1711 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1402 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1998-11-05 | DR-1258 | Severe Storm | Ks-Flooding 10/31/98 |
| 1986-10-22 | DR-780 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-07-13 | DR-514 | Flood | Severe Storms, High Winds & 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.
How many floods has Wilson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 54 flood or flash flood records for Wilson County from 1998 to 2024, on 41 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wilson County ranks 1470th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.7 million on 72 claims filed in Wilson County; the most in one year was 31 in 2007. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1986: 10 · 1992: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2007: 31 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2019: 10 · 2024: 5; 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 Wilson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wilson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.0 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 | $456K | 39 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $748K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $82K | 8.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $106K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $350K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $685K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $176K | 6.4 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 Wilson 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 Wilson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wilson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis