353
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Kansas: 353 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 92. That places the county #298 nationally and #15 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Jefferson County is the 2000s, when 103 of the county's 353 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 Jefferson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 41.4% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #298 for this hazard and #15 within Kansas, putting it in the 90.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Jefferson County with 108 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 1998 | PERRY | 78 | 0 | 2 | $700K |
| May 27, 1996 | PERRY LAKE | 85 | 0 | 2 | $150K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | NEWMAN | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | PERRY | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2025 | MERIDEN | 65 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2025 | MERIDEN | 65 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2025 | PERRY | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2025 | THOMPSONVILLE | 52 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | MC LOUTH | 52 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | MC LOUTH | 56 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | OSKALOOSA | 52 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | NORTONVILLE | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jefferson County
- Hail 378
- Flash Flood 55
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Telephone pole blown down along with 2-3 inch diameter limbs. Resident estimated winds potentially as high as 100 mph. Other estimates of 90 mph. One tree three foot in diameter uprooted, another tree one foot in diameter uprooted on property.
A well formed gustnado developed along the frontal boundary and rear flank downdraft intersection near Williamstown along highway 24. The stong circulation persisted for nearly 5 minutes, with a max width of 0.25 miles. NWS survey vrew identified areas of enhanced wind damage from well formed gustnado. Two center pivot irrigations were flipped over, a large outdoor shed was destroyed, and several tree limbs were snapped.
Emergency managers, law enforcement officers, and trained spotters reported 60 to 70 mph winds across Jefferson County. Large tree limbs were also reported down in Meriden, Grantville, Ozawkie, Alta Vista, Williamstown, and Winchester.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Jefferson County, Kansas?
353 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Jefferson County between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Jefferson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Jefferson County measured 92.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Jefferson 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/jefferson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.