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Marion County, Kansas severe weather history spans 709 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #387 nationally and #38 in Kansas.
709
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$47.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Marion County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Marion County, Kansas severe weather history averages 9.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 200 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 84 events fall before 1990 and 625 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Marion County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $44.0M 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 Marion County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 340 | 0 | $116K | 4 | 1957–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 227 | 0 | $1.6M | 102 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 55 | 1 | $44.0M | F5 | 1953–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 0 | $393K | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Flood | 24 | 0 | $70K | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 20 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2023 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 2001–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2015 |
Decade by decade
Marion County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
62 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 47 touched down inside it and 15 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 | 60 | 48.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF5 | 1 | 0 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-05-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 60.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 127.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 55.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 51.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 49.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-03-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.5 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Marion County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 1990 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $25.0M | |
| Aug 14, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | MARION RES | 0 | 10 | $40K |
| Jul 17, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marion | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $3K | |
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 13, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | TAMPA | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Mar 30, 2006 | Tornado | DURHAM | 0 | 1 | $70K |
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
There was widespread damage to trees, small buildings and farm equipment across the county. In rural Ramona a 70 foot tall silo was knocked onto a granary shed, destroying a tractor that was inside. One thousand pound straw bales were tossed around. Two cattle were killed by lightning.
The strong winds moved a house off its foundation near the intersection of 140th and Mustang. Several residences sustained roof damage across the area, and there was some barn and outbuilding damage in the Aulne area. It is estimated that 3 homes and 30 outbuildings were damaged across the county. Additionally, a dozen or two power poles were downed, and some automobiles and farm equipment was damaged due to collapsed roofs. Countywide total property damage was likely around $300,000 to $400,000. The Marion County Record contributed to this report, as well as Marion County Emergency Management.
Early morning rainfall up to 6 inches inundated Spring Creek and Doyle Creek. The creeks rose so fast that 10 families had to be evacuated from their homes. All roads leading into Peabody from the south were impassible due to the flooding creeks. Two water rescues occurred when drivers tried to cross the high water.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,754
Population (ACS)
$124K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2024 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | 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 |
| 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
- Peabody 148
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Marion County, Kansas?
709 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $47.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Marion County?
Hail, with 340 recorded events — 48.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Marion County?
62 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 47 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Marion County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Marion County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Marion County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County as very low risk, placing it in the 38 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Marion 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
- McPherson County 991
- Marshall County 634
- Lyon County 859
- Meade County 747
- Logan County 837
- Miami County 412
Cite this page
“Marion County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/marion-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.