Kansas, 1981

Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Kansas, April 3, 1981

April 3, 1981 · NWS ATA · 15 events in 12 counties and zones

13 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$253,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
15

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

13 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Russell

When
April 3, 11:50 AM CST
Where
Russell County
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
38.880, -98.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Barton

When
April 3, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Barton County
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Coordinates
38.370, -98.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Cloud

When
April 3, 4:19 PM CST
Where
Cloud County
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
39.570, -97.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Morris

When
April 3, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Morris County
Coordinates
38.630, -96.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When
April 3, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Crawford County
Coordinates
37.500, -94.850

Tornado, Wabaunsee

When
April 3, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Wabaunsee County
Rating
F1
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
39.050, -96.230

Tornado, Doniphan

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Doniphan County
Rating
F2
Path length
1.8 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
39.780, -95.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
38.970, -95.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Shawnee

When
April 3, 6:02 PM CST
Where
Shawnee County
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Coordinates
39.070, -95.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
April 3, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Johnson County
Coordinates
39.020, -94.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Leavenworth

When
April 3, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Leavenworth County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
39.320, -94.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When
April 3, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Douglas County
Coordinates
38.970, -95.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When
April 3, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Douglas County
Coordinates
38.970, -95.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Wyandotte

When
April 3, 9:35 PM CST
Where
Wyandotte County
Coordinates
39.120, -94.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
April 3, 9:48 PM CST
Where
Johnson County
Coordinates
38.970, -94.730

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 1981Every state in 1981This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 1981

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10021480, 10021481, 10021482, 10021483, 10021484, 10021485, 10021486, 10021487, 10021488, 10021489, 10021490, 10021491, 10021492, 10021493, 10021494.