Kansas tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 105 counties with a record
Kansas has recorded 4,610 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 83 a year since 2000, with 250 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the May 25, 1955 Udall tornado (80 deaths in Kansas). Kansas ranks 2nd of 52 states and territories by count and 6th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Kansas, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 4,6101950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 83average
- Deaths
- 2382,817 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 2505% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 2008187 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Kansas?
Kansas averages about 83 tornadoes a year since 2000, 2nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2008 (187). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Kansas records 564 tornadoes since 1950, 6th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Kansas have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, Shawnee County leads Kansas: 45 days with a tornado record since 1950, 82.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Ford County has the most tornado records (115 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Kansas?
60% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in May and June. The busiest month is May (1,769 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 32 · Mar 227 · Apr 649 · May 1,769 · Jun 993 · Jul 346 · Aug 190 · Sep 145 · Oct 157 · Nov 83 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Kansas?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-25 | Udall · Sumner, CowleyWhole track: KS, OK; 80 deaths | F5 | 48.4 mi | 80 | 273 |
| 1991-04-26 | Andover · Sedgwick, Butler | F5 | 46 mi | 17 | 225 |
| 1966-06-08 | Topeka · Shawnee | F5 | 21.1 mi | 16 | 450 |
| 1978-06-17 | Vassar · Osage | F1 | 7.3 mi | 16 | 3 |
| 1958-06-10 | El Dorado · Butler | F4 | 9 mi | 15 | 5 |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg · Kiowa | EF5 | 25.8 mi | 11 | 63 |
| 1957-05-20 | Ruskin Heights · Franklin, Miami, JohnsonWhole track: KS, MO; 44 deaths | F5 | 56.8 mi | 7 | 31 |
| 1974-06-08 | Emporia · Lyon, Osage, Shawnee | F4 | 37.5 mi | 6 | 177 |
| 1999-05-03 | Wichita · Sumner, Sedgwick | F4 | 24 mi | 6 | 150 |
| 1951-06-27 | WaKeeney · Trego | F4 | 0.8 mi | 5 | 100 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Kansas), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Kansas?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Kansas
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-25 | Udall · Sumner, Cowley | F5 | 48.4 mi | 1,320 yd | 80 |
| 1991-04-26 | Andover · Sedgwick, Butler | F5 | 46 mi | 440 yd | 17 |
| 1966-06-08 | Topeka · Shawnee | F5 | 21.1 mi | 880 yd | 16 |
| 2007-05-04 | Greensburg · Kiowa | EF5 | 25.8 mi | 3,000 yd | 11 |
| 1957-05-20 | Ruskin Heights · Franklin, Miami, Johnson | F5 | 56.8 mi | 440 yd | 7 |
| 1990-03-13 | Hesston · Reno, Harvey, McPherson | F5 | 48 mi | 1,320 yd | 1 |
| 1990-03-13 | Goessel · Harvey, McPherson, Marion | F5 | 22 mi | 1,320 yd | 1 |
| 1955-05-25 | Blackwell · Sumner | F5 | 8.8 mi | 500 yd | 0 |
| 1958-06-10 | El Dorado · Butler | F4 | 9 mi | 300 yd | 15 |
| 1974-06-08 | Emporia · Lyon, Osage, Shawnee | F4 | 37.5 mi | 1,760 yd | 6 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Kansas
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-05-13 | Natoma · Wichita, Scott, Gove, Trego | F3 | 140.4 mi | 320 yd | 0 |
| 1973-09-25 | Salina · Rice, McPherson, Saline, Ottawa | F3 | 131.5 mi | 100 yd | 3 |
| 1956-04-02 | Silver Lake · Marion, Chase, Lyon, Wabaunsee | F3 | 127 mi | 790 yd | 0 |
| 1977-05-18 | Garden · Morton, Stevens, Grant, Haskell | F2 | 117.2 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1974-03-07 | St. Marys to Holton · Morris, Wabaunsee, Shawnee | F2 | 108.4 mi | 220 yd | 0 |
| 1956-04-02 | Virgil · Cowley, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood | F4 | 93.2 mi | 880 yd | 2 |
| 1976-04-14 | Seward, Meade, Gray, Ford | F1 | 73.2 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1954-08-05 | Kiowa, Pratt, Stafford, Rice | F1 | 73 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1955-06-04 | Kinsley to Larned · Ford, Edwards, Pawnee | F4 | 72.2 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 1955-06-04 | Ford, Edwards, Pawnee | F1 | 72.2 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Kansas county
All 105 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
Is Kansas in Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley has no official boundary; the Storm Prediction Center calls it a media nickname for the central U.S. area of relatively high tornado occurrence. By the record, Kansas ranks 17th of 50 states for tornadoes rated 1 or higher per square mile since 1950 (227 per 10,000 square miles), and it is one of the Plains states at the core of the area the name usually means.
Tornado Alley, measured: the states by density and maps of where tornadoes began in two eras.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database and Online Tornado FAQ. SPC's tornado FAQ.
The costliest tornadoes in Kansas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-04-14 | TornadoHaysville, Sedgwick County Significant damage to homes, many of them had a number missing outer walls. Seven homes were missing two to four walls, one home was completely destroyed. The trees associated with house completely stripped to nothing, this was also the case at many other locations along the path. A mobile home park to south had ... | EF3 13.2 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 38 | $643M |
| 2007-05-04 | TornadoMullinville, Kiowa County This killer tornado started in Comanche county and crossed into Kiowa county at 2003 CST / 2103 CDT. It curved north then northwest before making a complete loop northwest of Greensburg. Thus, the path was 25.8 miles. This tornado destroyed nearly 95 percent of the town of Greensburg and despite adequate warning, ... | EF5 25.8 mi x 3,000 yd | 11 | 63 | $356M |
| 1999-05-03 | TornadoPeck, Sedgwick County The same tornado that initially touched down 4 miles north of Wellington in Central Sumner County, SKYWARN reports indicate the tornado crossed the Sumner/Sedgwick County line at 1930, 1 mile west of Peck. Moving northeast at 30 kts, the tornado hit Haysville at 1935, destroying a subdivision just southwest of the ... | F4 14 mi x 880 yd | 6 | 150 | $248M |
| 2000-04-19 | TornadoDennis, Labette County The same tornado that formed 3 miles south of Cherryvale at 1930 CST in eastern Montgomery County, the tornado entered western Labette County at 1934 CST, 10 miles southwest of Dennis. Moving northeast around 35 mph, the tornado passed 4 miles south of Dennis at 1940 CST. At 1945 CST, the tornado entered southwest ... | F3 21 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 27 | $122M |
| 2008-06-11 | TornadoOgden, Riley County The tornado touched down to the southwest of Manahattan on a farm, and first destroyed a large machine shed, and threw a grain cart into an adjacent field. The tornado tracked to the northeast and destroyed several homes that were in the process of being built. Then, the tornado entered the Miller Ranch area of ... | EF4 8.64 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $90M |
| 2001-04-21 | TornadoHoisington, Barton County Initial touchdown occurred 1 mile southwest of Hoisington. The tornado rapidly achieved F3 intensity as it entered the west side of town. Moving northeast around 20 mph, the tornado intensified to F4 within 2-3 minutes. While crossing northwest Hoisington, the tornado inflicted a path about 2 miles long and about 2 ... | F4 5 mi x 660 yd | 1 | 28 | $72M |
| 2022-04-29 | TornadoAndover, Butler County A highly visible tornado tracked across portions of Andover, Kansas, during the early evening hours of April 29th, 2022. The tornado went through a highly populated portion of town, including 2 different subdivisions. Also a health club took a direct hit, but no injuries occurred due to actions taken by the health ... | EF3 9.78 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 4 | $37M |
| 2002-05-07 | TornadoPratt County This very large tornado moved southeast across much of Pratt. Damage was rated a STRONG F2. There were 14 homes destroyed, 15 with major damage and 230 with minor damage. Over 50 Pivot sprinklers were damaged or destroyed. Despite the very heavy damage, there were no injuries thanks in part to adequate warnings. | F2 22 mi x 1,800 yd | 0 | 0 | $33M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 8, 1966 (tornado, Shawnee County, 16 killed); April 26, 1991 (tornado, Butler County, 13 killed); April 26, 1991 (tornado, Sedgwick County, 4 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Kansas?
Kansas's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Kansas | United States | Kansas's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 560 | 4,837 | 11.6% |
| 1960s | 457 | 6,863 | 6.7% |
| 1970s | 303 | 8,633 | 3.5% |
| 1980s | 339 | 8,250 | 4.1% |
| 1990s | 790 | 12,205 | 6.5% |
| 2000s | 1,135 | 12,892 | 8.8% |
| 2010s | 768 | 12,232 | 6.3% |
| 2020-25 | 258 | 8,234 | 3.1% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Kansas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoBrewster, Thomas County | EFU 0.87 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoSedgwick, Harvey County | EFU 0.02 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoValley Center, Sedgwick County | EF2 0.09 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | TornadoLudell, Rawlins County | EFU 2.63 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | TornadoNickerson, Reno County | EFU 0.05 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | TornadoShady Brook, Dickinson County | EF1 0.46 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | TornadoNavarre, Dickinson County | EF0 1.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | TornadoAbilene Wright Airpark, Dickinson County | EF0 1.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | TornadoBerryton, Shawnee County | EF0 2.63 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | TornadoLawrence, Douglas County | EF0 0.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | TornadoNew Cambria, Saline County | EFU 0.05 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | TornadoHolland, Dickinson County | EF1 3.81 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in Kansas
FEMA has declared 36 disasters in Kansas for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 35 were major disasters, the latest on September 1, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4943 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 21 |
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4940 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 32 |
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4926 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 5 |
| 2025-09-11 | DR-4891 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 16 |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4883 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 11 |
| 2024-09-24 | DR-4824 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 17 |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4811 | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 14 |
| 2024-07-15 | DR-4800 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 13 |
| 2023-10-26 | DR-4747 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 21 |
| 2019-06-20 | DR-4449 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,and Mudslides | 70 |
| 2019-05-28 | EM-3412 | Tornadoes and Flooding | 33 |
| 2015-07-20 | DR-4230 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 44 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Shawnee County: the county's whole recordThe Kansas county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in KansasTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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- Severe thunderstorm wind in Kansas26,021 records
- Winter storms in Kansas7,432 records