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Bourbon County, Kansas severe weather history spans 446 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 37.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,075 nationally and #94 in Kansas.
446
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$7.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Bourbon County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bourbon County, Kansas severe weather history averages 6.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 159 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 45 events fall before 1990 and 401 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $2.5M 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 Bourbon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 167 | 0 | $2.1M | 4.25 | 1961–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 162 | 0 | $2.5M | 78 | 1959–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 71 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 18 | 0 | $1.3M | F2 | 1955–2024 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2026 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $27K | 0 | 2010–2011 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2016 |
Decade by decade
Bourbon County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
21 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-07-20 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 69.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 25.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-09-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-09-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 48.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 48.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-07-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 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
A storm survey conducted by the NWS Office in Pleasant Hill found an EF1 tornado began at the intersection of Highway 69 and Soldier Road, near Hammond, Kansas. Minor damage was noted near Hammond, with the most significant damage consisting of toppled over grain bins and several derailed empty train cars. Through the remainder of the Bourbon County path, several destroyed outbuildings were noted as well as significant tree damage. The tornado path continued into Linn County, Kansas. Maximum winds with the tornado in Bourbon County were estimated to be between 100 and 110 mph with a maximum width of 200 yards.
Numerous reports of significant wind damage to homes and outbuildings were received. At least one barn suffered structural failure and roof decking and shingles were removed from multiple homes and businesses. Several trees were also uprooted or damaged. Winds were estimated at between 80 – 90 mph.
A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that straight line winds damaged rural areas north of Fort Scott. Damage included a two story home moved off of its foundation, two recreational vehicles overturned, a destroyed carport, tree damage, and several hay bales were flipped over.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
14,394
Population (ACS)
$114K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2025 | 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 |
| Oct 22, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Ft Scott 176
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bourbon County, Kansas?
446 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $7.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bourbon County?
Hail, with 167 recorded events — 37.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bourbon County?
21 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 17 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bourbon County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bourbon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bourbon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bourbon County as very low risk, placing it in the 36 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bourbon 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
- Barton County 1,099
- Brown County 460
- Barber County 742
- Butler County 1,844
- Atchison County 270
- Chase County 380
Cite this page
“Bourbon County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/bourbon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.