Norton County, Kansas severe weather history spans 627 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 56.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #517 nationally and #58 in Kansas.
627
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$18.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Norton County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Norton County, Kansas severe weather history averages 8.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 196 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 46 events fall before 1990 and 581 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Norton County, Kansas record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $13.1M 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 Norton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 353 | 0 | $1.8M | 3 | 1958–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 224 | 0 | $3.5M | 96 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 31 | 0 | $13.1M | F3 | 1952–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 1 | $505K | 0 | 2000–2023 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2008–2024 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2003–2007 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Norton County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
33 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-06-20 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-20 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-20 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-06-03 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-07-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-09-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-06-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-10-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Norton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2016 | Flash Flood | NEW ALMELO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 30, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | NORTON | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Aug 6, 2023 | Hail | ALMENA | 0 | 1 | $15K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A strong tornado developed just northeast of Almena and traveled roughly along Highway 383 to the Phillips county line near roads E and 14. (The tornado continued northeast for several miles into Phillips county before dissipating). One residence was completely destroyed, but a mother and her four children amazingly escaped without injury after seeking shelter in the basement. Many other farmsteads suffered significant damage to the residence itself, as well as to outbuildings, irrigation pivots, farm machinery and livestock.
Many 2-3 ft. diameter trees were snapped off across town. One pine tree was also uprooted. Three or four houses in town had trees blown on them. One or two vehicles smashed under fallen trees. Part of a roof was torn off one house.
This large tornado moved from northern Graham County into Norton County, dissipating near Norton County Road E-6 and Highway 9 west of Densmore. The tornado was still producing EF2 damage in Norton County as it destroyed utility poles, grain bins and tree rows. A farmstead suffered significant damage west of Densmore. The roof was heavily damaged, vehicles and farm implements were moved, with grain bins and outbuildings damaged or destroyed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,359
Population (ACS)
$102K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRES | DR |
| Feb 17, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDS | DR |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 16, 2017 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 20, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Norton 186
- Norton Muni Arpt 114
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Norton County, Kansas?
627 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $18.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Norton County?
Hail, with 353 recorded events — 56.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Norton County?
33 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 30 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Norton County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Norton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Norton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Norton County as very low risk, placing it in the 20 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Norton 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
- Ness County 708
- Osage County 864
- Neosho County 538
- Osborne County 583
- Nemaha County 513
- Ottawa County 673
Cite this page
“Norton County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/norton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.