53
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$716K
Property damage
Tornado in Rush County, Kansas: 53 recorded events between 1950 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #337 nationally and #25 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Rush County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Rush County is the 2010s, when 20 of the county's 53 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 Rush County archive, tornado makes up 7.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #337 for this hazard and #25 within Kansas, putting it in the 88.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Rush County with 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-04-30 | EF3 | 17.0 mi | 77 yd | Crossed in |
| 1968-06-18 | EF3 | 0.5 mi | 220 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-25 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-25 | EF2 | 5.8 mi | 650 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-25 | EF2 | 9.2 mi | 950 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-04-21 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-30 | EF2 | 0.2 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-10 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1951-06-21 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-04-14 | EF1 | 4.7 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 1968 | F3 | 0 | 8 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2023 | NEKOMA | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2019 | ALEXANDER | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2017 | RUSH CENTER | EF0 | $0 |
| Dec 25, 2016 | NEKOMA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 25, 2016 | SHAFFER | EF0 | $0 |
| May 28, 2013 | OTIS | EF0 | $0 |
| May 26, 2012 | LORETTA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 26, 2012 | LORETTA | EF1 | $0 |
| May 26, 2012 | BISON | EF2 | $0 |
| May 26, 2012 | LA CROSSE | EF2 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Rush County
- Hail 449
- Thunderstorm Wind 140
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This was a satellite tornado with the wedge to the northwest of LaCrosse. This satellite tornado passed through the town of LaCrosse and damaged numerous trees, several buildings and destroyed 3 camper trailers. Fortunately the occupants were not in the trailers or there would of likely been injuries, if not fatalities.
This tornado starting moving north then turned back to the northwest and finally west before dissipating. It did damage mainly to trees and power lines. During the damage survey there was evidence of significant ground and vegetation scouring.
This large tornado developed very near Timken and appeared to be a multi-vortex tornado. Storm chasers said it moved slowly at first as it grew very large and then picked up speed as it dissipated north of the highway. Due to the vast amount of flooding in the area, there may have been damage greater that high-end EF1, or at least capable based on eye witness reports.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Rush County, Kansas?
53 tornado events are recorded in Rush County between 1950 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Rush County?
The strongest tornado on record in Rush County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Rush 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 Rush County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/rush-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.