Woodson County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20207 · population 3,111 · 498 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 368 records for Woodson County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 249 days; the most frequent are hail reports (132 records). The deadliest single record is the February 23, 2003 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Woodson, which covers the county: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1969, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires” on May 21, 2025.
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
- 368on 249 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 213 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 2025
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 Woodson County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 132 since 1961. 54% of its hail reports since 1961 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 | 132 | 77 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $813K | 101 of 105 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 68 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 4 | $1.8M | 79 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 41 | 40 | 1999-2026 | 1 | 1 | $649K | 66 of 105 |
| Drought | 35 | 35 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | $131K | 10 of 105 |
| Floods | 28 | 21 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $104K | 41 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 12 | 1956-2024 | 0 | 8 | $14M | 101 of 105 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 2006-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 5 | 2007-2021 | 1 | 0 | $7K | 55 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2007-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2023-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 104 of 105 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 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 Woodson County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Woodson County from 1956 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 8 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Woodson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-08 17:56, as SPC files it | Yates Center | F3 | 23 mi | 0 |
| 1991-04-26 19:35, as SPC files it | Virgil | F3 | 15 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Woodson County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-29 | Yates Center, Woodson County | EFU 0.05 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-26 | Batesville, Woodson County | EF2 5.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-02-28 | Neosho Falls, Woodson County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-30 | Yates Center, Woodson County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-30 | Yates Center, Woodson County | F0 1 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-08 | Toronto, Woodson County | F3 22 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 3 | $4.4M |
| 1991-04-26 | Woodson County | F3 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-04-07 | Woodson County | F2 14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-04-07 | Woodson County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-05-30 | Woodson County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-03-15 | Woodson County | F2 24 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1958-07-11 | Woodson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1956-04-02 | Woodson County | F4 16.3 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-04-02 | Woodson County | F4 1.3 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 5 | $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 Woodson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 25, 2012 thunderstorm wind ($9,640 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A roof was blown off an old armory building in Yates Center.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 410748)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | HailYates Center, Woodson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindToronto, Woodson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-31 | HailNeosho Falls, Woodson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindNeosho Falls, Woodson County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | HailYates Center, Woodson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormWoodson County · forecast zone Woodson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-03 | Flash FloodYates Center, Woodson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-14 | WildfireWoodson County · forecast zone Woodson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindWoodson County · forecast zone Woodson | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-02-23 | Winter StormWoodson County · forecast zone Woodson | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-04-13 | Heavy RainYates Center, Woodson County A fatal car accident happend at 10:45 pm when a pickup truck hydroplaned and crashed into a car. A 51 year old passanger of the car was killed. The Coffeyville Journal contributed to this report. | 1 | 0 | $7K | |
| 1956-04-02 | TornadoWoodson County | F4 1.3 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K step |
| 2003-05-08 | TornadoToronto, Woodson County Damage summary: Toronto: Outbuildings destroyed. 1N Toronto: Trees & limbs downed. 1W Batesville: Large trees uprooted and sheared off, sheet metal in trees, old wood shed destroyed. 1N Batesville: Oil tank 12-15 feet high toppled (leaked profusely), power pole blown over. 2NE Batesville: House destroyed, 2 vehicles ... | F3 22 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 3 | $4.4M |
| 2001-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County Flat bed-trailer overturned, barn destroyed, livestock trailer picked up and thrown, barrel rolled 1 1/2 blocks and destroyed and 2-story house displaced from foundation with most of top floor removed. In addition, a couple, both around 50 years of age, were lifted by the wind with one knocked unconscious by blown ... | 78 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $167K |
| 1994-04-09 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County Severe thunderstorm winds overturned a mobile home and rolled it five times, resulting in the injury of its two occupants-a man and his teenage son. They sustained bruises and cuts. Another mobile home was destroyed. Twelve barns were destroyed, along with some outbuildings and sheds. Total damage exceeded $100,000. | 0 | 2 | $995K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-08 | TornadoToronto, Woodson County | F3 22 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 3 | $4.4M |
| 2005-06-30 | HailYates Center, Woodson County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $627K |
| 1999-01-01 | Winter StormWoodson County · forecast zone Woodson | 0 | 0 | $443K | |
| 2004-06-12 | HailYates Center, Woodson County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $186K |
| 2001-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $167K |
| 2001-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2003-08-05 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $80K |
| 2001-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindYates Center, Woodson County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $58K |
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: March 15, 1982 (tornado, Woodson 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 Woodson 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 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 60 | 36 | 7 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 25 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 16 | 13 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 19 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 14 | 11 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
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 1961 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 25 · Mar 31 · Apr 47 · May 54 · Jun 83 · Jul 35 · Aug 26 · Sep 17 · Oct 14 · Nov 6 · Dec 10 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Woodson County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Woodson County: 20 major disasters, 4 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (18) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4869 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires |
| 2025-03-14 | FM-5556 | Fire | Yates Center Fire |
| 2024-07-15 | DR-4800 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | 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 |
| 2016-10-20 | DR-4287 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 2009-06-24 | DR-1848 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2008-02-01 | DR-1741 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 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 |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1579 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1535 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2003-05-06 | DR-1462 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1402 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1998-11-05 | DR-1258 | Severe Storm | Ks-Flooding 10/31/98 |
| 1973-09-28 | DR-403 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1973-05-02 | DR-378 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-07-15 | DR-267 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & 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 Woodson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Woodson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $196K | once in about 371 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $250K | 36 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $67K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $37K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $126K | 6.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $98K | 53 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $217K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $245K | 1.6 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 Woodson 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 Woodson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Woodson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis