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Cherokee County, Kansas severe weather history spans 743 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 35.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #355 nationally and #34 in Kansas.
743
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
61
Direct injuries
$37.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Cherokee County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cherokee County, Kansas severe weather history averages 10.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 275 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 82 events fall before 1990 and 661 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cherokee County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $20.4M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cherokee County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 266 | 0 | $12.0M | 78 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 254 | 0 | $741K | 2.75 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 131 | 0 | $2.9M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Tornado | 46 | 4 | $20.4M | F4 | 1953–2026 |
| Flood | 25 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 2007–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2011 |
Decade by decade
Cherokee County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
51 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 39 touched down inside it and 12 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-04-03 | EF4 | 0 | 59 | 41.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-04 | EF3 | 5 | 34 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-03-15 | EF3 | 1 | 6 | 30.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-22 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-03-15 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-27 | EF2 | 1 | 37 | 11.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-02-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cherokee County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2003 | Tornado | MELROSE | 3 | 19 | $2.7M |
| Mar 16, 1982 | Tornado | 1 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 27, 2014 | Tornado | BAXTER SPGS | 0 | 25 | $10.0M |
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 25, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | COLUMBUS | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Jul 23, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | TREECE | 0 | 1 | $1K |
| May 25, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | GALENA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A survey team determined an EF2 tornado struck the town of Baxter Springs, Kansas. The tornado started near Quapaw, Oklahoma and crossed the state line into Kansas then moved through the town of Baxter Springs producing a 150 yard wide swath of damage from southwest to northeast through the center of town. Emergency management reported approximately 90 homes and 11 business were destroyed and an additional seven businesses and 85 homes suffered damage. Approximately 25 injuries were reported but no fatalities. Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be between 120 and 130 mph.
A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that damaging winds impacted nearly all of Cherokee County. Widespread damage occurred in the form of downed power poles, uprooted trees, damaged structures, and damaged crops. More specifically, there were several structures that experienced roof damage while windows were blown out of both homes and automobiles. A 1000 foot transmission tower was also knocked down that was built on top of the Cherokee County court house. The Columbus High School football facilities experienced significant damage. The press box was destroyed while several power poles that lit the field were snapped or blown down. One home near Crestline experienced major structural damage. This damage appeared to of occurred from a microburst that produced a concentrated area of 90 mph winds. In Weir, the rodeo grounds and concession stand were completely destroyed, while the bath house in Scammon lost its entire roof. Several campers were also flipped over and damaged at an RV dealership in Columbus.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined that an EF1 Tornado with estimated wind speeds of 105 mph touched down near the northeast portion of Hallowell before tracking 4.37 miles to the east. The tornado uprooted or snapped several trees, overturned several empty railcars, caused significant damaged to several grain bins, destroyed multiple outbuildings and snapped or broke numerous power poles and downed power lines. The tornado track ended approximately 1.25 miles east of Sherwin.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
19,151
Population (ACS)
$100K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 15, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING,LANDSLIDES,AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 28, 2019 | Severe Storm | TORNADOES AND FLOODING | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Columbus 197
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cherokee County, Kansas?
743 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $37.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cherokee County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 266 recorded events — 35.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cherokee County?
51 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 39 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cherokee County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cherokee County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cherokee County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cherokee County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 54 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cherokee County, Kansas severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Chautauqua County 475
- Cheyenne County 873
- Chase County 380
- Clark County 691
- Butler County 1,844
- Clay County 525
Cite this page
“Cherokee County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/cherokee-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.