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Osage County, Kansas severe weather history spans 864 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 53.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #229 nationally and #19 in Kansas.
864
Recorded events
22
Direct deaths
26
Direct injuries
$34.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Osage County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Osage County, Kansas severe weather history averages 11.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 286 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 130 events fall before 1990 and 734 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Osage County, Kansas record is tornado, responsible for 17 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $28.8M 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 Osage County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 459 | 0 | $1.1M | 5 | 1958–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 277 | 4 | $448K | F0 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 51 | 17 | $28.8M | F4 | 1951–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 44 | 0 | $2.1M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2012 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $1.4M | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $201K | 0 | 2003–2007 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2008 |
Decade by decade
Osage County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
50 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-08 | EF4 | 6 | 177 | 37.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-21 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 10.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-02-28 | EF2 | 1 | 12 | 5.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 12 | 10.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-23 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-11-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-05-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 66.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-03-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Osage County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 1978 | Tornado | 16 | 3 | $250K | |
| Nov 1, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 4 | 10 | $0 | |
| May 24, 2008 | Lightning | POMONA RES | 1 | 3 | $0 |
| Nov 1, 1984 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $250K | |
| Jun 28, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | MELVERN | 0 | 5 | $2K |
| May 27, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | MELVERN | 0 | 2 | $6K |
| Jul 11, 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 24, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Four men were camping at Pomona Lake State Park. A thunderstorm rolled through, and lightning struck the tent in which the men were sleeping. The three men in the tent were injured, but the fourth man standing outside the tent near a tree was killed. It was reported that he was killed as he headed toward more sturdy shelter.
A second tornado touched down in Osage county about 13 miles southwest of Lyndon and moved northeast for 25 miles before dissipating 6 miles south of Overbrook. The tornado was a half mile wide in places and did considerable damage to farm buildings, machinery, and fences along its path.
Nearly all streets heading both into and out of Burlingame are water covered and impassable. Several water rescues were performed. Roads were barricaded to prevent citizens from driving through the flooded roadways. The Burlingame post office was inundated with water, mud and worms. Two water rescues were made in Osage City. Water near Dragoon Creek flowing over highway 56 at least a mile wide. Public reports the highway 56 bridge was vibrating due to the force of the flowing water. Unofficial reports of 5 to 11 inches of rain in the county. Many federal, state and county highways flooded or closed. Record moderate or greater flooding on Salt Creek near Lyndon and near Quenemo on the Marais Des Cygnes river.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
15,744
Population (ACS)
$157K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 28, 2024 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Osage City 128
- Burlingame 106
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Osage County, Kansas?
864 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 22 direct deaths and $34.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Osage County?
Hail, with 459 recorded events — 53.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Osage County?
50 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 46 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Osage County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Osage County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Osage County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Osage County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Osage 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
- Norton County 627
- Osborne County 583
- Ness County 708
- Ottawa County 673
- Neosho County 538
- Pawnee County 765
Cite this page
“Osage County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/osage-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.