49
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
199
Direct injuries
$53.2M
Property damage
Tornado in Lyon County, Kansas: 49 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #400 nationally and #39 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Lyon County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Lyon County is the 1960s, when 10 of the county's 49 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 Lyon County archive, tornado makes up 5.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #400 for this hazard and #39 within Kansas, putting it in the 86.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Lyon County with 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-08 | EF4 | 37.5 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-21 | EF3 | 10.1 mi | 700 yd | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 127.0 mi | 790 yd | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-10 | EF3 | 52.2 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 1991-04-26 | EF2 | 44.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-07 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1987-05-18 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1973-03-13 | EF2 | 10.2 mi | 220 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-13 | EF2 | 9.6 mi | 333 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-09 | EF2 | 4.9 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1974 | F4 | 6 | 177 | $25.0M | |
| May 22, 2011 | READING | EF3 | 1 | 5 | $2.3M |
| Jun 8, 1990 | F2 | 0 | 17 | $25.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | ALLEN | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2024 | MILLER | EFU | $0 |
| May 15, 2020 | BUSHONG | EF0 | $0 |
| May 15, 2020 | BUSHONG | EFU | $0 |
| May 3, 2018 | HARTFORD | EF0 | $0 |
| May 20, 2017 | BUSHONG | EF0 | $0 |
| May 16, 2015 | NEOSHO RAPIDS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 19, 2013 | (EMP)EMPORIA MUNI AR | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2012 | OLPE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 29, 2012 | ALLEN | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lyon County
- Hail 376
- Thunderstorm Wind 343
- Flash Flood 61
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.
The tornado touched down 3 miles SW of Hartford and moved nroth to 1.5 miles west of Hartford. The tornado produced F0 damage to buildings on three farmsteads and several other outbuildings along its path. The parent thunderstorm was a mini-supercell within a bow echo.
Widespread wind damage from straight line thunderstorm winds|extended from southern Lyon county northeast into Osage county.|about 2 miles west of Neosho rapids, a train derailed as a result|of severe thunderstorm winds. Wind speeds at this point were|estimated to be 75-85 mph. About 3 miles northeast of the train,|a short lived tornado occurred producing ef-1 damage to a|farmstead north of Neosho rapids. More wind damage to trees and|Out buildings occurred northeast across Lyon county into Osage|County.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Lyon County, Kansas?
49 tornado events are recorded in Lyon County between 1954 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Lyon County?
The strongest tornado on record in Lyon County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Lyon 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 Lyon County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/lyon-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.