625
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$5.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Shawnee County, Kansas: 625 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 86. That places the county #52 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Shawnee County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Shawnee County is the 2020s, when 153 of the county's 625 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 Shawnee County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 42.9% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #52 for this hazard and #3 within Kansas, putting it in the 98.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Shawnee County with 172 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 1990 | 70 | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Aug 9, 2012 | PAULINE | 69 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jun 28, 2005 | TOPEKA | 43 | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Jun 26, 1985 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2026 | TOPEKA | 61 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | (TOP)BILLARD ARPT TO | 58 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | VALENCIA | 58 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | (FOE)FORBES FLD TOPE | 51 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | MENOKEN | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2025 | TOPEKA | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | WATSON | 54 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | (TOP)BILLARD ARPT TO | 54 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | TOPEKA | 52 | $0 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | PAULINE | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Shawnee County
- Hail 629
- Flash Flood 92
- Tornado 51
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A bow echo moved across Shawnee county and produced high winds in excess of 60 mph. The winds did extensive damage to many homes and businesses mainly in the northern half of Topeka. Preliminary damage estimates from officials in Shawnee county totaled 2 million dollars.
Strong winds moved across Topeka doing considerable damage. Numerous large tree branches were blown down. A K-DOT communications tower was blown down onto an apartment complex, but no injuries were reported. But significant damage was done to the apartment complex. Downed tree limbs damaged power lines and power transformers resulting in power outages to 26 thousand Topeka residents. On the outskirts of Topeka crops suffered considerable damage. Although 64 knots was officially measured at Topeka Billard Airport there were unofficial reports of much higher gusts across the city. It was the worst storm to hit Topeka in a number of years.
Winds hit 62 mph at the National Weather Service Office at Billard Airport, but were clocked at 83 mph at WIBW TV, near 6th and Wannamaker Road. The high winds caused widespread and severe damage to many trees, power lines and some buildings in the city of Topeka and surrounding area. An estimated 35,000 people were without electricity for 6 to 12 hours with some areas not restored for three to four days. Some roads were blocked by fallen trees and limbs. Utility repair crews were brought in from neighboring states to help repair the widespread damage. The wind, heavy rain and hail also severely damaged area crops.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Shawnee County, Kansas?
625 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Shawnee County between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Shawnee County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Shawnee County measured 86.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Shawnee 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 Shawnee County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/shawnee-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.