Cheyenne County, Kansas severe weather history spans 873 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 55.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #225 nationally and #18 in Kansas.
873
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$9.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Cheyenne County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cheyenne County, Kansas severe weather history averages 11.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 244 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 72 events fall before 1990 and 801 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $8.0M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cheyenne County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 480 | 0 | $172K | 4.25 | 1956–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 300 | 0 | $804K | 87 | 1957–2026 |
| Tornado | 48 | 0 | $8.0M | F2 | 1951–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 0 | $167K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $100 | 0 | 2020–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2010 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2004–2004 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Cheyenne County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
55 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 51 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-10-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-05-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-08-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado moved south southeast at 20 mph. Several pivot irrigation rigs were destroyed. Two grain bins and a barn were destroyed and a quonset building door was torn off. One large feedlot, farm home, and outbuildings were damaged and utility poles destroyed. Estimated damage around $600,000.
This tornado tracked from Sherman county through most of Cheyenne county with a total path length of 34 miles. The tornado was on the ground for 62 minutes and produced F1-F2 damage along much of its path. In Cheyenne county, four homes were affected, all having lost the entire roof and some with outside wall damage. Tree and power pole damage was extensive as well as significant property damage including garages, outbuildings, grain bins and livestock. The tornado tracked almost straight north along Road 30 for most of its length in Cheyenne county, and then at Road U the tornado veered left and dissipated near Roads AA and 26. The tornado began at the Sherman county line near Road 30. |Wildlife officials stated that 22 mule deer, 50 ducks, 4 pheasants, 4 rabbits and 2 song birds were killed.
Tornado formed south of farmstead near River Road, made a glancing blow to the farmstead, then continued NNW toward Hwy 36. Power poles were broken, a well established cotton wood tree was uprooted, and a well anchored antenna was twisted and bent by the tornado. Another farmstead north of CR M was also impacted by the tornado. The tornado removed the roof and doors from a metal building, relocated a couple grain bins, and leveled a wooden shed. However the tornado turned away from house before continuing north through the windbreak. The tornado ended before reaching the highway.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
2,628
Population (ACS)
$126K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2025 | 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 16, 2017 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 20, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 20, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- St Francis 417
- Bird City 221
- Wheeler 111
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cheyenne County, Kansas?
873 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $9.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cheyenne County?
Hail, with 480 recorded events — 55.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cheyenne County?
55 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 51 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cheyenne County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cheyenne County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cheyenne County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cheyenne County as very low risk, placing it in the 8 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cheyenne 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
- Cherokee County 743
- Clark County 691
- Chautauqua County 475
- Clay County 525
- Chase County 380
- Cloud County 754
Cite this page
“Cheyenne County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/cheyenne-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.