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Harper County, Kansas severe weather history spans 709 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 51.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #387 nationally and #38 in Kansas.
709
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$11.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Harper County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Harper County, Kansas severe weather history averages 9.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 320 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 102 events fall before 1990 and 607 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $6.4M 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 Harper County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 362 | 0 | $426K | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 241 | 0 | $1.6M | 80 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 64 | 0 | $3.3M | F4 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $6.4M | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2007–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2023 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2001–2004 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Harper County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
67 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 64 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-12 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 33.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-06-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 32.2 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Harper County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | HARPER | 0 | 3 | $75K |
| Apr 27, 2009 | Flash Flood | CORWIN | 0 | 1 | $5.0M |
| May 13, 2004 | Tornado | HARPER | 0 | 1 | $275K |
| Apr 23, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | HARPER | 0 | 1 | $350K |
| Apr 23, 2004 | Lightning | FREEPORT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rainfall from numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon, evening and overnight hours on the 26th produced widespread flooding across much of Harper county. Rainfall amounts across the county ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Numerous roads were closed countywide. It is estimated that around 100 homes were flooded or received some form of water damage in the Anthony area, along with several other homes and businesses across the county. Portions of the elementary school and hospital in Harper were flooded. Three water rescues took place, one of which produced an injury near Third Lake Road when a vehicle attempted to cross a flooded roadway. Crop damage estimates are unknown, and property damage values are rough estimates. The Wichita Eagle, Harper Advocate, Anthony Republican and the Hutchinson News contributed to this report.
The following were damaged or destroyed: 15 farm dwellings and service buildings, and 30 pieces of farm machinery and equipment. (This portion of narrative courtesy of USDA Flash Flood Situation report.) One home unroofed resulting in damage to most of property inside. Widespread damage to wheat fields that had been ready for harvest.
Large tree fell onto mobile home. One woman injured, sustaining fractured vertebrae, requiring ambulance transport to Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita where, upon arrival, the woman was listed in fair condition. (Narrative courtesy of Wichita Eagle, Winfield Courier, Anthony Republican, and Harper Advocate.)
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,400
Population (ACS)
$84K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Jul 20, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, 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
- Anthony 183
- Attica 142
- Harper 140
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Harper County, Kansas?
709 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $11.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Harper County?
Hail, with 362 recorded events — 51.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Harper County?
67 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 64 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Harper County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Harper County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Harper County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Harper County as very low risk, placing it in the 31 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Harper 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
- Hamilton County 621
- Harvey County 655
- Greenwood County 552
- Haskell County 453
- Greeley County 480
- Hodgeman County 708
Cite this page
“Harper County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/harper-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.