222
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Rice County, Kansas: 222 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 96. That places the county #863 nationally and #45 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Rice County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Rice County is the 2000s, when 79 of the county's 222 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 Rice County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 34.4% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #863 for this hazard and #45 within Kansas, putting it in the 72.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Rice County with 65 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 2025 | LYONS | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2025 | LYONS | 54 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | LITTLE RIVER | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | LYONS | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | LYONS | 52 | $0 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | LITTLE RIVER | 60 | $0 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | LYONS | 61 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2024 | GENESEO | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2024 | SAXMAN | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2024 | LITTLE RIVER | 53 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Rice County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Monetary breakdown on farm losses: Dwellings and service buildings= $150,000; Structures (i.e. silos) =$50,000; Machinery=$25,000. Total acreage affected: 500,000. USDA Flash Situation Report contributed greatly to this narrative. In addition, power lines downed in many locations.
Metal facade covering 2nd floor of building located on east side of town square demolished. Gas meter crushed when limb fell onto it allowing natural gas to escape. Awning of car wash damaged. In addition, many vehicles blown off roads, including a sheriff's patrol car. Approximately 3,700 residents were without power. Tree damage was widespread, the most noteworthy being the uprooting of an elm with a 30-inch base that nearly landed on a motel situated on the east side of town. Area newspapers contributed greatly to this report.
An intense supercell thunderstorm spread a swath of severe weather in the form of large hail and damaging winds from northwest to southeast across Rice county. The most widespread and extensive damage occurred along and either side of a line extending from Buxton through Lyons, and on into rural southeast Rice county. Hail damage to crops such as beans and milo was a total loss in some instances. However, the size of hail and crop damage amounts are unknown. Several trees and tree limbs were downed, along with power lines and power poles. Additionally, multiple sheds and irrigation systems were damaged from the high winds. Some roofs were damaged as well from the hail and wind combination, including the total loss of a convenience store in Lyons. Property damage amounts are rough estimates, and crop damage amounts are unfortunately unknown.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Rice County, Kansas?
222 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Rice County between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Rice County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Rice County measured 96.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Rice 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 Rice County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/rice-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.