Sherman County, Kansas severe weather history spans 1,450 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 47.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #43 nationally and #5 in Kansas.
1,450
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$20.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Sherman County, Kansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sherman County, Kansas severe weather history averages 19.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 415 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 216 events fall before 1990 and 1,234 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sherman County, Kansas record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $12.7M 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 Sherman County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 689 | 0 | $12.7M | 4.25 | 1955–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 594 | 2 | $1.9M | 96 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 109 | 0 | $6.3M | F3 | 1952–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 43 | 0 | $37K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $10 | 0 | 2013–2023 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $250 | 0 | 1998–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Sherman County, Kansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
106 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 105 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-05-04 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-10-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-06-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-07-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sherman County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | GOODLAND | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 16, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | GOODLAND | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Sep 15, 2016 | Hail | GOODLAND | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | KANORADO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | GOODLAND | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Oct 8, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | GOODLAND | 0 | 1 | $100K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread tree damage in town with 6-8 inch diameter branches down. Near zero visibility in blowing dirt resulted in a fatal accident on interstate-70 when the driver slowed down due to reduced visibility and was hit from behind.
A record wind gust of 96 mph was measured at National Weather Service Goodland and also two miles southwest in the west portion of Goodland. The winds demolished a commercial storage building, damaged or destroyed seven mobile homes, downed numerous mature trees and power lines, and stripped portions of many roofs including at the National Weather Service. One nearly new vehicle sustained $11,000 damage from blowing pebbles and sand. Total damage was estimated around $260,000.
Large hail and gusty winds caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to vehicles in an RV park south of Goodland. Several windows and mirrors were broken. Most roof vents, many air conditioner shrouds and refrigerator vents and some plumbing vents were destroyed. Hail penetrated vents and screens and came into some of the campers. Some awnings were shredded and one tent reportedly had holes punched through the roof.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,858
Population (ACS)
$137K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRES | 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 |
| Jul 29, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Dec 12, 2007 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Goodland 435
- Goodland Arpt 336
- Edson 173
- Ruleton 112
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sherman County, Kansas?
1,450 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $20.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sherman County?
Hail, with 689 recorded events — 47.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sherman County?
106 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 105 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sherman County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sherman County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sherman County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sherman County as very low risk, placing it in the 11 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sherman 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
- Sheridan County 593
- Smith County 507
- Shawnee County 1,457
- Stafford County 703
- Seward County 711
- Stanton County 601
Cite this page
“Sherman County, Kansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kansas/sherman-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.