55
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$44.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Marion County, Kansas: 55 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #308 nationally and #24 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Marion County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Marion County is the 1990s, when 15 of the county's 55 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 Marion County archive, tornado makes up 7.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #308 for this hazard and #24 within Kansas, putting it in the 89.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Marion County with 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-03-13 | EF5 | 48.0 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF5 | 22.0 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1990-05-24 | EF3 | 60.0 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 127.0 mi | 790 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-15 | EF2 | 7.0 mi | 73 yd | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF2 | 55.0 mi | 220 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-13 | EF2 | 51.7 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-05-13 | EF2 | 49.8 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-31 | EF2 | 6.2 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-03-02 | EF2 | 25.5 mi | 360 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 1990 | F5 | 1 | 0 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 22, 1964 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $3K | |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 30, 2006 | DURHAM | F1 | 0 | 1 | $70K |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | BURNS | EFU | $0 |
| May 20, 2024 | BURNS | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2022 | HILLSBORO | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2022 | LEHIGH | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2022 | DURHAM | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2022 | TAMPA | EF1 | $0 |
| May 19, 2013 | RAMONA | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2012 | MARION RES | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2009 | DURHAM | EF0 | $100K |
| Apr 26, 2009 | BURNS | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Marion County
- Hail 340
- Thunderstorm Wind 227
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado moved rapidly northeast, producing F1 damage at two farmsteads. Several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. One person was injured (direct) while traveling on highway K-15, when the tornado rolled their vehicle several times. A semi loaded to 80,000 pounds, traveling directly behind the rolled van, also rolled onto its side. Thankfully, the driver was not injured.
Initial touchdown occurred over eastern Marion Reservoir at approximately 1535. Moving northeast at 30 kts, the tornado passed near Lincolnville and then just to the east of Lost Springs where it crossed into southwest Morris County. Extensive damage was inflicted upon one home just southeast of Lost Springs where the garage was destroyed and part of roof was lost.
Trees uprooted, one of which possessed a 36 inch diameter trunk, and a second that fell onto a house. Power lines downed. Power poles leaning sharply. One out-building partially unroofed, with effected section of roof impaled into nearby building.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Marion County, Kansas?
55 tornado events are recorded in Marion County between 1953 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Marion County?
The strongest tornado on record in Marion County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Marion 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 Marion County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/marion-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.