89
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$28.1M
Property damage
Tornado in Sumner County, Kansas: 89 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #84 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Sumner County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Sumner County is the 2000s, when 26 of the county's 89 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 Sumner County archive, tornado makes up 7.8% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #84 for this hazard and #7 within Kansas, putting it in the 97.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Sumner County with 42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-25 | EF5 | 28.4 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1991-04-26 | EF5 | 46.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-05-03 | EF4 | 24.0 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-04-26 | EF4 | 25.0 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-03-16 | EF4 | 82.7 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2012-04-14 | EF3 | 18.1 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-10 | EF3 | 40.7 mi | 1,500 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-29 | EF3 | 2.5 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2004-06-12 | EF3 | 4.0 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-29 | EF3 | 2.5 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 1955 | F5 | 5 | 3 | $250K | |
| May 4, 1999 | WELLINGTON | F1 | 0 | 4 | $750K |
| Jun 13, 2004 | MULVANE | F3 | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| Mar 17, 1965 | F4 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Nov 28, 1960 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 30, 2004 | CONWAY SPGS | F3 | 0 | 1 | $17.8M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 2026 | MILAN | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 5, 2026 | CALDWELL | EF2 | $0 |
| Jul 18, 2021 | WELLINGTON | EF0 | $0 |
| May 6, 2019 | WELLINGTON | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2019 | WELLINGTON ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2018 | GEUDA SPGS | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 26, 2016 | MAYFIELD | EF0 | $0 |
| May 19, 2013 | SOUTH HAVEN | EF0 | $0 |
| May 19, 2013 | HUNNEWELL | EF0 | $0 |
| May 19, 2013 | PERTH | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Sumner County
- Hail 553
- Thunderstorm Wind 421
- Flash Flood 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The following were destroyed: 15 farm dwellings and service buildings, 25 pieces of farm machinery and equipment, many miles of transmission line, with most of wheat a total loss. (This portion of narrative courtesy of USDA Flash Situation Report.) In addition, major damage to several homes along highway 49. One modular was completely removed from over a viewout basement. A teenage boy sought refuge under the staircase in the basement only to watch a car thrown overhead. He escaped unharmed. However, one woman wasn't so fortunate; the resident of a mobile home that was completely destroyed. The only recognizable parts were the steel girders that ran along the base of the home. She had sought refuge in the bathroom and was holding on to the commode. She was thrown several feet from the homestead and received several injuries. Fortunately, none were serious.
Considerable damage to two homesteads; the first being a sturdy brick home. All exterior walls ripped from the home, only leaving only the interior. Home owner ran down the stairs as the tornado hit and avoided injury. Further southeast, a modular home was completely removed from above a viewout basement. It was here that an amazing survival occurred. The homeowner sought refuge in a safe room in the basement and was unharmed, despite the fact a propane tank landed in the basement and began to leak. Breathing became difficult as fumes permeated the saferoom. At the same time, the saferoom began to flood, however the rising water levels dissipated the fumes. In addition, a semi-truck was thrown approximately 100 feet.
Initial touchdown occurred 4 miles north of Wellington in Central Sumner County where several power poles were knocked down. Moving north-northeast near 30 kts, the tornado inflicted damage to about 15 structures including complete destruction of two mobile homes, a pole barn, two wood sheds and one metal shed. Also damaged were a ranch style home and a metal shed, both of which lost most of their roofing. This tornado was responsible for all 4 injuries in Sumner County. Of the injuries, 3 occurred (1 serious) in the two destroyed mobile homes. While in Sumner County, this tornado possessed a path 10 miles long and 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide. It would exit Sumner County at 1930, continuing a north-northeast track into Sedgwick County.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Sumner County, Kansas?
89 tornado events are recorded in Sumner County between 1952 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Sumner County?
The strongest tornado on record in Sumner County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Sumner 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 Sumner County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/sumner-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.