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Cowley County, Kansas severe weather history spans 1,414 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 50.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #45 nationally and #6 in Kansas.
1,414
Recorded events
77
Direct deaths
300
Direct injuries
$59.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Cowley County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cowley County, Kansas severe weather history averages 19.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 502 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 172 events fall before 1990 and 1,242 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cowley County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 77 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $40.0M 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 Cowley County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 718 | 0 | $339K | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 504 | 0 | $17.4M | 99 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 89 | 77 | $40.0M | F5 | 1953–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 44 | 0 | $676K | 0 | 1999–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 29 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Flood | 18 | 0 | $463K | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $306K | 0 | 1999–2017 |
Decade by decade
Cowley County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
92 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 81 touched down inside it and 11 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-25 | EF5 | 80 | 273 | 56.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-04-02 | EF4 | 2 | 29 | 108.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-04-26 | EF4 | 1 | 0 | 25.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-03-16 | EF4 | 0 | 7 | 82.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 67.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-10-15 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 13.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cowley County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 1955 | Tornado | 75 | 270 | $250K | |
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 1 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 26, 1991 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 27, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 16, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 8, 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansasa City | 0 | 3 | $5.0M |
| Mar 17, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jul 2, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | ARKANSAS CITY | 0 | 2 | $3K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Ninety to 115 mph winds hit the Burden area. Big trees were uprooted, a horse barn collapsed and grain bins were destroyed. In Atlanta, a mobile home was blown over and demolished. A man inside at the time sustained a punctured lung and concussion and was hospitalized in fair condition. The winds, estimated at 85 mph, collapsed two brick walls and caused considerable tree damage. Sixty mph winds occurred in Cambridge and were estimated up to 80 mph in Rock where golf ball-size hail fell. The Winfield cooling tower sustained $103 thousand damage from 70 mph winds and there was heavy damage to the roof of Dexter High School.
Arkansas City was hit with winds greater than 80 miles an hour. Four mobile homes were destroyed, four had major damage and another six received minor damage. A mobile home was also destroyed five miles east of town. Three people suffered minor injuries. One site-built home was also destroyed and 30 others had damage. Major damage was centered in the 700 and 800 blocks of 6th, 7th and 8th Streets. Estimated damage in Arkansas City totalled nearly $1 million.
Straight line winds produced widespread damage across the Arkansas City area. The strong winds downed numerous trees and power lines/poles, inflicted roof damage to several homes and businesses, and blew over a few semi trailers. Several grave stones at the local cemetary were damaged, and 69 power poles and 24 transformers were damaged or destroyed across the Arkansas City area.|
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
34,411
Population (ACS)
$121K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 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 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING,LANDSLIDES,AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 28, 2019 | Severe Storm | TORNADOES AND FLOODING | EM |
| Feb 25, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Arkansas City 342
- Winfield 287
- Udall 138
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cowley County, Kansas?
1,414 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 77 direct deaths and $59.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cowley County?
Hail, with 718 recorded events — 50.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cowley County?
92 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 81 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cowley County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cowley County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cowley County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cowley County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cowley 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
- Comanche County 623
- Crawford County 657
- Coffey County 504
- Decatur County 614
- Cloud County 754
- Dickinson County 851
Cite this page
“Cowley County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/cowley-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.