184
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$294K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Coffey County, Kansas: 184 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 81. That places the county #1,175 nationally and #62 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Coffey County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Coffey County is the 2010s, when 62 of the county's 184 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Coffey County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 36.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,175 for this hazard and #62 within Kansas, putting it in the 62.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Coffey County with 45 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 1984 | 81 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | BURLINGTON | 78 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | BURLINGTON ARPT | 70 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | WAVERLY | 61 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | LEBO | 61 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | STRAWN | 51 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | BURLINGTON | 70 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | BURLINGTON | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | GRIDLEY | 52 | $0 |
| May 7, 2024 | LE ROY ARPT | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | BURLINGTON | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Coffey County
- Hail 242
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A Dericho wind storm moved northwest to southeast across northeast and central Kansas producing winds of 50 to 100 mph. The high winds caused widespread and significant damage to nearly every county. Numerous power lines were knocked down, trees uprooted with buildings and roofs damaged or destroyed. The most severe damage and highest winds appeared to occur in a line from near Marysville to Westmoreland/Emmett to Topeka to Lawrence. It was likely the worst "straight line" and most widespread wind storm in at least ten years. The local electrical utility, Kansas Power and Light, estimated damages to their system at $10 to $15 million.
The southern edge of the storm moved through Osage county and produced minor damage to various structures and trees. Ultimately no property damage was reported during the storm. Radar was used to estimate the path of the storm through the area.
Extensive damage to power poles in and around the town of Gridley. Several poles were reported to have been snapped in half. A garage was also reported to have blown down. Power remained out in portions of the town through the following afternoon.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Coffey County, Kansas?
184 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Coffey County between 1959 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Coffey County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Coffey County measured 81.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Coffey County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Coffey County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/coffey-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.