Tornadoes in Kansas
The Storm Prediction Center records 4,630 tornadoes that touched Kansas between 1950 and 2025, and 4,582 of them began there. A tornado that crossed a state line counts in every state it touched. They killed 321 people and injured 3,776. The busiest month is May, with 1,776 tornadoes. Kansas ranks number 2 among states for the number of tornadoes recorded.
- 4,630tornadoes
- 321deaths
- 3,776injuries
- 566per 10,000 sq mi of land
- 105counties touched
Tornadoes per 10,000 square miles lets you compare states of different sizes. It counts every tornado that touched the state.
How strong were Kansas's tornadoes?
| Rating | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| F0 / EF0 | 2,621 | 57% |
| F1 / EF1 | 1,136 | 25% |
| F2 / EF2 | 480 | 10% |
| F3 / EF3 | 202 | 4% |
| F4 / EF4 | 43 | <1% |
| F5 / EF5 | 8 | <1% |
| Unknown rating | 140 | 3% |
Kansas tornadoes over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. The record starts in 1950.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 561 |
| 1960s | 461 |
| 1970s | 306 |
| 1980s | 340 |
| 1990s | 795 |
| 2000s | 1,139 |
| 2010s | 770 |
| 2020s | 258 |
The record has changed over the decades as detection and reporting improved, so more weak tornadoes show up in recent years than in the 1950s. The year with the most in Kansas was 2008, with 188.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 3 |
| Feb | 32 |
| Mar | 228 |
| Apr | 653 |
| May | 1,776 |
| Jun | 997 |
| Jul | 348 |
| Aug | 190 |
| Sep | 146 |
| Oct | 157 |
| Nov | 84 |
| Dec | 16 |
Deadliest tornadoes that touched Kansas
- Newkirk, Oklahoma tornado25 May 1955, F5, 80 deaths, 273 injuries, 56.4 miles long
- Overland Park, Kansas tornado20 May 1957, F5, 44 deaths, 207 injuries, 69.4 miles long
- Welch, Oklahoma tornado10 May 2008, EF4, 21 deaths, 350 injuries, 75.5 miles long
- Tonkawa, Oklahoma tornado25 May 1955, F5, 20 deaths, 280 injuries, 28.4 miles long
- Derby, Kansas tornado26 April 1991, F5, 17 deaths, 225 injuries, 46 miles long
- Topeka, Kansas tornado8 June 1966, F5, 16 deaths, 450 injuries, 21.1 miles long
Strongest tornadoes that touched Kansas
- Newkirk, Oklahoma tornado25 May 1955, F5, 80 deaths, 273 injuries, 56.4 miles long
- Overland Park, Kansas tornado20 May 1957, F5, 44 deaths, 207 injuries, 69.4 miles long
- Tonkawa, Oklahoma tornado25 May 1955, F5, 20 deaths, 280 injuries, 28.4 miles long
- Derby, Kansas tornado26 April 1991, F5, 17 deaths, 225 injuries, 46 miles long
- Topeka, Kansas tornado8 June 1966, F5, 16 deaths, 450 injuries, 21.1 miles long
- Coldwater, Kansas tornado4 May 2007, EF5, 11 deaths, 63 injuries, 25.8 miles long
Most recent tornadoes in Kansas
- Kansas tornado14 September 2025, Unknown rating, 0.3 miles long
- Kansas tornado3 August 2025, Unknown rating, 0.6 miles long
- Kansas tornado3 August 2025, Unknown rating, 0.8 miles long
- Kansas tornado3 August 2025, Unknown rating, 0 miles long
- Kansas tornado17 June 2025, EF0, 0.1 miles long
Notable Kansas tornadoes with their own pages
- Newkirk, Oklahoma tornado25 May 1955, F5, 80 deaths, 273 injuries, 56.4 miles long
- Overland Park, Kansas tornado20 May 1957, F5, 44 deaths, 207 injuries, 69.4 miles long
- Welch, Oklahoma tornado10 May 2008, EF4, 21 deaths, 350 injuries, 75.5 miles long
- Tonkawa, Oklahoma tornado25 May 1955, F5, 20 deaths, 280 injuries, 28.4 miles long
- Derby, Kansas tornado26 April 1991, F5, 17 deaths, 225 injuries, 46 miles long
- Topeka, Kansas tornado8 June 1966, F5, 16 deaths, 450 injuries, 21.1 miles long
- Lyndon, Kansas tornado17 June 1978, F1, 16 deaths, 3 injuries, 7.3 miles long
- Towanda, Kansas tornado10 June 1958, F4, 15 deaths, 5 injuries, 9 miles long
- Coldwater, Kansas tornado4 May 2007, EF5, 11 deaths, 63 injuries, 25.8 miles long
- Emporia, Kansas tornado8 June 1974, F4, 6 deaths, 177 injuries, 37.5 miles long
- Wichita, Kansas tornado3 May 1999, F4, 6 deaths, 150 injuries, 24 miles long
- WaKeeney, Kansas tornado27 June 1951, F4, 5 deaths, 100 injuries, 0.8 miles long
Many of these tornadoes killed or injured people. The numbers are the official record's, and they may be revised.
Kansas counties
Every county that a tornado has touched is listed, most tornadoes first. 105 of them have at least 3 tornadoes and their own page.