4,941
Recorded events
105
Counties affected
237
Direct deaths
$3.4B
Property damage
Kansas tornado history: 4,941 recorded events across 105 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Kansas tornado history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 1,232 reported tornado events across Kansas. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in Kansas
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ford County | 115 | 0 | $3.4M | 1951–2024 |
| #2 | Sherman County | 109 | 0 | $6.3M | 1952–2025 |
| #3 | Barton County | 104 | 2 | $50.3M | 1950–2024 |
| #4 | Finney County | 99 | 1 | $31.5M | 1950–2024 |
| #5 | Butler County | 90 | 28 | $291.3M | 1950–2025 |
| #6 | Sedgwick County | 90 | 13 | $932.5M | 1950–2026 |
| #7 | Sumner County | 89 | 5 | $28.1M | 1952–2026 |
| #8 | Cowley County | 89 | 77 | $40.0M | 1953–2024 |
| #9 | Reno County | 87 | 0 | $60.7M | 1954–2025 |
| #10 | Russell County | 79 | 1 | $5.9M | 1952–2024 |
| #11 | Pratt County | 75 | 3 | $21.4M | 1951–2025 |
| #12 | Stafford County | 72 | 3 | $1.7M | 1952–2019 |
| #13 | Republic County | 70 | 0 | $10.9M | 1950–2022 |
| #14 | Ellis County | 66 | 0 | $5.1M | 1951–2021 |
| #15 | Kingman County | 66 | 0 | $521K | 1950–2017 |
| #16 | Harper County | 64 | 0 | $3.3M | 1953–2025 |
| #17 | Kiowa County | 64 | 11 | $251.2M | 1954–2025 |
| #18 | Gove County | 62 | 0 | $4.2M | 1950–2025 |
| #19 | Thomas County | 61 | 0 | $1.8M | 1951–2023 |
| #20 | Trego County | 61 | 5 | $8.8M | 1951–2016 |
| #21 | Scott County | 60 | 1 | $3.5M | 1950–2025 |
| #22 | Hodgeman County | 60 | 0 | $1.1M | 1955–2021 |
| #23 | Meade County | 57 | 0 | $6.6M | 1952–2019 |
| #24 | Marion County | 55 | 1 | $44.0M | 1953–2026 |
| #25 | McPherson County | 53 | 1 | $83.6M | 1950–2018 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in Kansas
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 1955 | Cowley County | F5 | 75 | 270 |
| Jun 9, 1966 | Shawnee County | F5 | 16 | 450 |
| Jun 18, 1978 | Osage County | F1 | 16 | 3 |
| Jun 10, 1958 | Butler County | F4 | 15 | 5 |
| Apr 26, 1991 | Butler County | F5 | 13 | 150 |
| May 5, 2007 | Kiowa County | EF5 | 11 | 63 |
| Jun 9, 1974 | Lyon County | F4 | 6 | 177 |
| May 4, 1999 | Sedgwick County | F4 | 6 | 150 |
| May 26, 1955 | Sumner County | F5 | 5 | 3 |
| Jun 27, 1951 | Trego County | F4 | 5 | 100 |