471
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
21
Direct injuries
$1.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Russell County, Kansas: 471 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 103. That places the county #132 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Russell County, Kansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Russell County is the 2010s, when 119 of the county's 471 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 Russell County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 43.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #132 for this hazard and #10 within Kansas, putting it in the 95.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Russell County with 122 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 2024 | WILSON LAKE | 61 | 1 | 3 | $0 |
| May 27, 1991 | 61 | 0 | 12 | $0 | |
| Jul 8, 2004 | GORHAM | 61 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
| May 13, 1985 | 61 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Aug 2, 2006 | DORRANCE | 65 | 0 | 1 | $40K |
| Apr 14, 1986 | 52 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2025 | BUNKER HILL | 63 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2025 | GORHAM | 63 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2025 | BUNKER HILL | 70 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2025 | (RSL)RUSSELL MUNI AR | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2025 | (RSL)RUSSELL MUNI AR | 51 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2025 | BUNKER HILL | 63 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2025 | (RSL)RUSSELL MUNI AR | 51 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | (RSL)RUSSELL MUNI AR | 58 | $0 |
| Mar 27, 2025 | BUNKER HILL | 53 | $0 |
| Jul 31, 2024 | BUNKER HILL | 56 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Russell County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Winds of 85 to 95 an hour accompanied a line of thunderstorms that moved across the county. In the Russell area, four tractor-semitrailers were overturned on Interstate 70. A 50- by 100-foot boat and RV storage shed was destroyed near Dorrance with some of its debris scattered hundreds of yards. Damage to the shed was calculated at $30 thousand. Total county damage was about $40 thousand.
Estimated 70 to 80 mph winds produced widespread damage in and around the Luray area. A church limestone steeple was badly damaged, a fertilizer conveyer at the COOP was blown over, an awning was blown off a business, several trees and tree limbs of various sizes were downed, and some power lines were downed, one of which fell on a house.
Midway Co-op lost five 9,500 bushel grain bins due to microburst winds. The grain bins were blown into adjacent power lines as well as one power pole possessing a transformer, severing power to Luray for approximately 4 hours. Two light towers at Luray-Lucas High School were toppled as was one utility pole adjacent to Luray-Lucas Elementary. The microburst winds caused damage to many roofs and broke windows. Many vehicles sustained damage from blowing sand, gravel, and debris. (Report courtesy of Russell County News and Lucas-Sylvan News.)
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Russell County, Kansas?
471 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Russell County between 1956 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Russell County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Russell County measured 103.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Russell 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 Russell County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/russell-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.