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Lyon County, Kansas severe weather history spans 859 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 43.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #235 nationally and #21 in Kansas.
859
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
205
Direct injuries
$58.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Lyon County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lyon County, Kansas severe weather history averages 11.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 243 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 176 events fall before 1990 and 683 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lyon County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $53.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lyon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 376 | 0 | $51K | 4 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 343 | 1 | $235K | 87 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 61 | 1 | $4.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 49 | 7 | $53.2M | F4 | 1954–2026 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $281K | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $28K | 0 | 1996–2006 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2007 |
Decade by decade
Lyon County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
51 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 48 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-08 | EF4 | 6 | 177 | 37.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-21 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 10.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 127.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 52.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 44.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 17 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-03-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lyon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1974 | Tornado | 6 | 177 | $25.0M | |
| May 22, 2011 | Tornado | READING | 1 | 5 | $2.3M |
| Aug 18, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 5 | $0 | |
| Jul 10, 2015 | Flash Flood | PLYMOUTH | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 17 | $25.0M | |
| Aug 18, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Another tornado developed 3 miles southwest of Reading. This tornado proceeded to hit the town of Reading producing EF3 damage in the city. The tornado continued on a path that took it into Osage County Kansas where it produced additional damage before lifting approximately 4 miles south of Osage City. A single story home in Reading was swept off its foundation. There were several two story homes with significant damage to the second story or completely removed. A well anchored mobile home was lofted and thrown 50 yards into a tree. Vehicles were rolled and large chemical tank was thrown 100 yards. Winds estimated at 140 mph.
Flooding over the Kansas turnpike at mile marker 118. This shut down the northbound lanes. A 21 year old male driver hydroplaned and lost control of his vehicle. The vehicle left the road and was then swept downstream by the flood waters. He was not able to survive.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rains totaling 3 to 6 inches the morning of the 24th with flash flooding the result. Numerous rural roads and bridges were washed out or badly damaged. Damage totals were over 900 thousand dollars.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
32,186
Population (ACS)
$151K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING,LANDSLIDES,AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 28, 2019 | Severe Storm | TORNADOES AND FLOODING | EM |
| Jul 20, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Emporia 275
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lyon County, Kansas?
859 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $58.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lyon County?
Hail, with 376 recorded events — 43.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lyon County?
51 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 48 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lyon County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lyon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lyon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lyon County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 48 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lyon County, Kansas severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Logan County 837
- McPherson County 991
- Linn County 283
- Marion County 709
- Lincoln County 627
- Marshall County 634
Cite this page
“Lyon County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/lyon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.