Wyandotte County, Kansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 20209 · population 169,235 · 152 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 559 records for Wyandotte County, Kansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 364 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (196 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 2003 tornado: 2 deaths, 30 injuries and $24.9 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1969, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on December 19, 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
- 559on 364 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 378 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $116Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Wyandotte County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 196 since 1956. 57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 196 | 126 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 1 of 105 |
| Hail | 188 | 117 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $820K | 1 of 105 |
| Floods | 53 | 42 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8.0M | 1 of 105 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 31 | $6.2M | 1 of 105 |
| Drought | 21 | 21 | 2012-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 105 |
| Heat | 19 | 19 | 1999-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 of 105 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 9 | 1958-2008 | 2 | 47 | $99M | 9 of 105 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 105 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 105 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2003-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 105 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 22 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 Wyandotte County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Wyandotte County from 1958 to 2008, the strongest rated F4, with 2 deaths and 47 injuries recorded in the county. That is 9th 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Wyandotte County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 15:18, as SPC files it | KansasCrossed KS, MO | F4 | 21 mi | 2 |
| 1961-05-07 15:15, as SPC files it | KansasCrossed KS, MO | F4 | 26.2 mi | 0 |
| 1952-05-22 17:10, as SPC files it | Kansas | F4 | 26.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kansas.
Every tornado record filed for Wyandotte County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-12 | Bonner Spgs, Wyandotte County | EF0 0.24 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-04-15 | Bonner Spgs, Wyandotte County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | Bonner Spgs, Wyandotte County | F4 15 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 30 | $25M |
| 1966-05-15 | Wyandotte County | F2 2.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K step |
| 1965-08-27 | Wyandotte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-05-07 | Wyandotte County | F4 1.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1961-05-07 | Wyandotte County | F4 2.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 12 | $2.5M step |
| 1961-05-07 | Wyandotte County | F4 1.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1960-04-15 | Wyandotte County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1959-06-11 | Wyandotte County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-06-22 | Wyandotte County | F1 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Wyandotte County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 15, 2010 winter weather (31 injuries).
A snow squall reduced visibilities to near zero on I-70. A 40 car pileup was reported near Bonner Springs around 1:30 pm with minor injuries (indirect).
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 216371)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-15 | HailKansas City, Wyandotte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailTurner, Wyandotte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailMorris, Wyandotte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailNearman, Wyandotte County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailPiper, Wyandotte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailMuncie, Wyandotte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailPiper, Wyandotte County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailWolcott, Wyandotte County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | HailPomeroy, Wyandotte County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowWyandotte County · forecast zone Wyandotte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtWyandotte County · forecast zone Wyandotte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | DroughtWyandotte County · forecast zone Wyandotte | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoBonner Spgs, Wyandotte County Tornado touched down just north-northwest of the Kansas Speedway around 318 pm CST. This tornado initially produced F0 to F1 damage, but produced F3 damage to 2 homes, just south of Parallel Parkway near I-435. The tornado grew to a width to near 500 yards in Kansas City, Kansas, where some marginal F4 damage was ... | F4 15 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 30 | $25M |
| 2005-07-21 | HeatWyandotte County · forecast zone Wyandotte Oppressive heat and humidity was observed across the area from July 21st to July 25th. Afternoon heat indices ranged from 105 to 110 degrees. A 78 year old female from Bonner Springs in Wyandotte county died from heat related causes on July 23rd. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-02-15 | Winter WeatherWyandotte County · forecast zone Wyandotte A snow squall reduced visibilities to near zero on I-70. A 40 car pileup was reported near Bonner Springs around 1:30 pm with minor injuries (indirect). | 0 | 31 | – | |
| 1961-05-07 | TornadoWyandotte County | F4 2.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 12 | $2.5M step |
| 1966-05-15 | TornadoWyandotte County | F2 2.5 mi x 33 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoBonner Spgs, Wyandotte County | F4 15 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 30 | $25M |
| 2002-01-30 | Ice StormWyandotte County · forecast zone Wyandotte | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | |
| 1999-06-28 | Flash FloodCountywide, Wyandotte County | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2004-08-27 | Flash FloodBonner Spgs, Wyandotte County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2004-08-27 | Flash FloodKansas City, Wyandotte County | 0 | 0 | $781K | |
| 2006-03-12 | HailBonner Spgs, Wyandotte County | 2.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $220K |
| 2008-07-02 | HailMorris, Wyandotte County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $685 |
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: May 7, 1961 (tornado, Wyandotte County); May 7, 1961 (tornado, Wyandotte County); May 7, 1961 (tornado, Wyandotte 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 Wyandotte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 9 | 14 | 13 | 21 | 16 | 29 | 26 | 68 |
| Hail | 4 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 48 | 36 | 32 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 28 | 10 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 20 | 21 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 29 · Mar 59 · Apr 52 · May 103 · Jun 107 · Jul 85 · Aug 41 · Sep 19 · Oct 18 · Nov 11 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wyandotte County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Wyandotte County: 22 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-19 | DR-4897 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4811 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2019-06-20 | DR-4449 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,and Mudslides |
| 2017-11-07 | DR-4347 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-09-23 | DR-4035 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-06-25 | EM-3324 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1885 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3282 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-04-13 | DR-1638 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight Line Winds |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3236 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1579 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding |
| 2004-09-30 | DR-1562 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1998-10-14 | DR-1254 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-22 | DR-1000 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-09-20 | DR-539 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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.
How many floods has Wyandotte County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 53 flood or flash flood records for Wyandotte County from 1996 to 2025, on 42 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wyandotte County ranks 573rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $10.8 million on 434 claims filed in Wyandotte County; the most in one year was 74 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 20 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 25 · 1983: 13 · 1984: 12 · 1985: 8 · 1986: 19 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 3 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 9 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 59 · 1995: 15 · 1996: 15 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 74 · 1999: 38 · 2001: 5 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 43 · 2005: 1 · 2007: 11 · 2008: 4 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2025: 15 · 2026: 1; 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 Wyandotte County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wyandotte County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $68.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | $5.8M | 6.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very High | $1.1M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very High | $1.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $8.0M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $15M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively High | $3.3M | 9.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $10M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $887K | 50 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 Wyandotte 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in KansasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Wyandotte CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wyandotte County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis