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Crawford County, Kansas severe weather history spans 657 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 39.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #459 nationally and #51 in Kansas.
657
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
51
Direct injuries
$48.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Crawford County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Crawford County, Kansas severe weather history averages 9.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 214 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 92 events fall before 1990 and 565 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Crawford County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $41.0M 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 Crawford County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 256 | 0 | $6.8M | 104 | 1958–2025 |
| Hail | 233 | 0 | $277K | 4 | 1960–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 85 | 0 | $587K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 38 | 4 | $41.0M | F4 | 1955–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 31 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2022 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2010 |
Decade by decade
Crawford County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | EF4 | 4 | 30 | 33.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-03-15 | EF3 | 2 | 8 | 70.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 34.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1983-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-07-20 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 69.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 25.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 17.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-03-08 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 23.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Crawford County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2003 | Tornado | MC CUNE | 3 | 20 | $7.2M |
| Mar 16, 1982 | Tornado | 1 | 8 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 20, 2000 | Tornado | MC CUNE | 0 | 4 | $300K |
| Mar 26, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 4, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | FRONTENAC | 0 | 3 | $10K |
| Mar 16, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 1, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | MC CUNE | 0 | 2 | $300K |
| Jul 1, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | PITTSBURG | 0 | 2 | $30K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Damaging wind gusts occurred across much of the southern half of Crawford County. Damage occurred to numerous structures, trees, power poles, and crops. The most concentrated damage occurred at Southeast High School where the roof of the gymnasium was torn off. The baseball, softball, and football fields all experienced damage as well. In the town of Cherokee, 130 structures were damaged altogether. In McCune, 63 structures were damaged, as well as six vehicles and two grain elevators at the Co-Op.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined that an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 105 mph traveled along a 6 mile path before entering Barton County Missouri. The tornado continue for a total of 10 miles before lifting SE of Mindenmines, Missouri. This was the second tornado from a supercell that also produced the Weir tornado. This tornado touched down south of Pittsburg near the intersection of E 50th and S 220th Streets where it uprooted trees and destroyed an outbuilding. The tornado continued and additionally damaged several more outbuildings and numerous homes south of the Pittsburg Mall. There were varying degrees of damage as as the storm tracked across E 520th, 530th, and then between 240th and S 270th streets, where it snapped tree trunks, before moving into Barton County, Missouri.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined that straight-line winds of 100 to 120 miles per hour occurred near Pittsburg. This created a one mile path of damage from Centennial Drive and Highway 160 to the northeast across the southern portions of Pittsburg. Numerous tress and power poles were damages or snapped off near the base. The concrete roof of the George Nettle Elementary School Gym was lifted and shifted. Several buildings reveived damage including loss of shingles and other structural damage. Two motels also received significant damage along with several out buildings.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
39,008
Population (ACS)
$133K
Median home value
23
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jun 16, 2017 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 22, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Pittsburg 127
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Crawford County, Kansas?
657 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $48.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Crawford County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 256 recorded events — 39.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Crawford County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Crawford County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Crawford County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Crawford County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Crawford County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 71 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Crawford 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
- Cowley County 1,414
- Decatur County 614
- Comanche County 623
- Dickinson County 851
- Coffey County 504
- Doniphan County 202
Cite this page
“Crawford County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/crawford-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.