46
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$8.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Decatur County, Kansas: 46 recorded events between 1952 and 2022. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #455 nationally and #44 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Decatur County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Decatur County is the 1990s, when 14 of the county's 46 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Decatur County archive, tornado makes up 7.5% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #455 for this hazard and #44 within Kansas, putting it in the 84.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Decatur County with 15 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-14 | EF3 | 17.2 mi | 900 yd | Crossed in |
| 1965-05-04 | EF3 | 5.2 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2015-05-09 | EF2 | 18.8 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1983-06-12 | EF2 | 15.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-09-05 | EF2 | 2.3 mi | 80 yd | Touched down here |
| 2022-04-23 | EF1 | 5.6 mi | 125 yd | Crossed in |
| 2015-05-09 | EF1 | 11.7 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-22 | EF1 | 12.5 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-22 | EF1 | 34.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-22 | EF1 | 17.6 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 1970 | F3 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2022 | OBERLIN | EFU | $0 |
| May 17, 2022 | LYLE | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2022 | LEOVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| May 26, 2021 | CEDAR BLUFFS | EFU | $0 |
| May 10, 2015 | OBERLIN | EF1 | $6K |
| Jun 20, 2011 | NORCATUR | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2011 | NORCATUR | EF0 | $0 |
| May 22, 2008 | DRESDEN | EF1 | $1.5M |
| May 22, 2008 | OBERLIN | EF1 | $1.0M |
| May 22, 2008 | LEOVILLE | EF1 | $250K |
Other hazards here
More from Decatur County
- Hail 357
- Thunderstorm Wind 188
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An intense supercell thunderstorm produced this long track tornado which traveled 34 miles from extreme southern Decatur county into Red Willow county Nebraska. Dozens of utility poles were snapped and numerous outbuildings were destroyed.
The same supercell thunderstorm which produced the tornado across SW-C Decatur county developed a second tornado about 3 miles SW of Oberlin. This tornado moved north and and dissipated one mile SE of Cedar Falls, traveling along the west side of highway 83. This tornado remained mostly over open fields, but destroyed a number of irrigation pivots and damaged. The rear flank downdraft caused damage in several locations on highway 83, including grain bins at a feed lot and outbuildings at a farmstead.
Tornado moved southeast then east until it passed 1.5 miles north of Oberlin; then it moved southeast again. Siding was torn from residence 1.5 miles north of Oberlin. At the golf course…a tree was taken down and a window was broken.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Decatur County, Kansas?
46 tornado events are recorded in Decatur County between 1952 and 2022, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Decatur County?
The strongest tornado on record in Decatur County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Decatur County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Decatur County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/decatur-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.