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McPherson County, Kansas severe weather history spans 991 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 43.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #144 nationally and #15 in Kansas.
991
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$90.6M
Property damage
The record
What the McPherson County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, McPherson County, Kansas severe weather history averages 13.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 311 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 105 events fall before 1990 and 886 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the McPherson County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $83.6M 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 McPherson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 432 | 0 | $916K | 4 | 1959–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 395 | 0 | $6.0M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 53 | 1 | $83.6M | F5 | 1950–2018 |
| Flood | 44 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 39 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $77K | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2015–2015 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
McPherson County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
54 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 44 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-03-13 | EF5 | 1 | 0 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF5 | 1 | 60 | 48.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1950-06-08 | EF4 | 1 | 5 | 17.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-06-15 | EF4 | 0 | 10 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-09-25 | EF3 | 3 | 42 | 169.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-05-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 60.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 49.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-09-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in McPherson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1950 | Tornado | 1 | 5 | $250K | |
| Jun 16, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 1, 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | MOUNDRIDGE | 0 | 3 | $1.5M |
| Feb 29, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | MOUNDRIDGE | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| Jun 13, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Rather extensive damage occurred across the town of Moundridge due to extreme straight line winds estimated at 90 to 100 mph. Three businesses and one residence received major damage. Numerous trees were uprooted across the town. The damage path was relatively narrow, indicating an intense channel microburst. Three individuals received minor injuries.
Extensive damage from wind driven hail occurred in and around the town of Galva, Kansas. The winds were estimated to be between 65 and 75 mph causing damage to numerous houses and downing tress across town. Tree limbs eight inches in diameter were knocked down. An RV storage unit had it's roof taken off from the damaging winds. Homes received damage to siding from wind driven half dollar sized hail. The roof of the school had damage as well.
Damaging wind gusts estimated at 75 mph derailed a train, with 33 rail cars knocked off the tracks. Two drivers were aboard the train, but were unharmed. The rail cars contained grain products, and other household goods. Cleanup took over a week to complete.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
30,205
Population (ACS)
$211K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Mar 5, 2017 | Fire | HIGHLAND HILLS FIRE | FM |
| Jul 20, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 22, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Mc Pherson 267
- Moundridge 109
- Marquette 106
- Lindsborg 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in McPherson County, Kansas?
991 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $90.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in McPherson County?
Hail, with 432 recorded events — 43.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed McPherson County?
54 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 44 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover McPherson County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include McPherson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is McPherson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McPherson County as very low risk, placing it in the 39 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the McPherson 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
- Lyon County 859
- Marion County 709
- Logan County 837
- Marshall County 634
- Linn County 283
- Meade County 747
Cite this page
“McPherson County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/mcpherson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.