40
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
63
Direct injuries
$39.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Douglas County, Kansas: 40 recorded events between 1951 and 2021. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #620 nationally and #66 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Douglas County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Douglas County is the 1960s, when 8 of the county's 40 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 Douglas County archive, tornado makes up 4.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #620 for this hazard and #66 within Kansas, putting it in the 78.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Douglas County with 12 recorded events, while Jan 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-28 | EF4 | 29.1 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 1952-05-22 | EF4 | 26.9 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-19 | EF3 | 7.7 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-05-04 | EF3 | 31.6 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-04-12 | EF3 | 33.8 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1962-08-06 | EF3 | 4.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-28 | EF2 | 10.7 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-02 | EF2 | 2.2 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-08 | EF2 | 0.7 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-05-31 | EF2 | 6.6 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 1981 | F3 | 1 | 33 | $25.0M | |
| May 28, 2019 | GLOBE | EF2 | 0 | 12 | $0 |
| May 9, 2003 | LAWRENCE | F2 | 0 | 6 | $6.4M |
| May 28, 2019 | LONE STAR | EF3 | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 1964 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 9, 1969 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 22, 1952 | F4 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 5, 1977 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2021 | BALDWIN ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2021 | BALDWIN ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| May 28, 2019 | LONE STAR | EF3 | $0 |
| May 28, 2019 | GLOBE | EF2 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2015 | EUDORA | EF1 | $0 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | GLOBE | EF1 | $0 |
| May 22, 2011 | WORDEN | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 12, 2008 | EUDORA | EF1 | $0 |
| Sep 12, 2008 | BALDWIN ARPT | EF0 | $0 |
| May 2, 2008 | CLINTON | EF2 | $260K |
Other hazards here
More from Douglas County
- Thunderstorm Wind 376
- Hail 373
- Flash Flood 62
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down in the southwest part of Lawrence and did considerable damage to the area. An apartment complex suffered major damage as did several other homes and residences in the area. Six people were injured and treated at a Lawrence hospital.
A small tornado formed along the north edge of a strong downburst and moved mainly across open fields. The tornado skipped across the county destroying several farm buildings, a motorhome and farm equipment. However, with widespread straightline wind damage in the area, it was difficult to distinguish between the cause(s) of the damage. The most significant damage occurred along and about one to two miles west of highway 33.
The tornado demolished and removed a garage and two-thirds of an unoccupied house from it's foundation just after touching down. Debris from the house and the garage was strewn across a nearby field for approximately 500 yards. A metal outbuilding was destroyed near the end of the tornado path. Between these two points, moderate tree damage was noted.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Douglas County, Kansas?
40 tornado events are recorded in Douglas County between 1951 and 2021, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Douglas County?
The strongest tornado on record in Douglas County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Douglas 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
“Tornado in Douglas County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/douglas-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.