Lightning in Kansas

Events

342

Deaths

10

Injuries

40

Damage

$13 million

• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Kansas, February 28, 2007$405,000 · EF4 · 20 eventsA strong storm system lifted northeast into the region from Oklahoma, during the late afternoon and early evening hours on February 28th.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Kansas, August 3 to 27, 19982 deaths · $430,000 · F0 · 30 eventsLightning set fire to two oil tank batteries.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kansas, June 8 to 30, 19981 injured · $35 million · F0 · 226 eventsTwo cars side-swiped on Highway 18. One patrol car sustained broken windshield. Part of the wheat crop also sustained damage.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 1 to 4, 20002 deaths · 3 injured · $2,000 · 55 kt wind · 6 eventsDense fog contributed to two fatal accidents 10 miles west of Horton near the junction of U.S. Highway 75 and highway 20.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 5 to 6, 20071 death · 5 injured · $2,000 · EF2 · 26 eventsAn upper level low pressure system remained relatively stationary over the Central Plains Saturday through Monday, May 5th through May 7th. Severe weather swept across Northeast Kansas during the late evening hours the 5th, and the early morning of the 6th.
• Lightning Strike in Kansas, June 4, 19962 deaths · 1 eventAT EDGEMOOR PARK, WICHITA, 2 TEENAGERS FATALLY STRUCK BY LIGHTNINGAT 1038 PM CST.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kansas, June 4, 2005$1.6 million · F2 · 65 eventsThree farmsteads or businesses sustained damage with a total of 15 buildings damaged or destroyed. Several cars were rolled and a combine was moved a considerable distance. A salvage yard was near one of the houses damaged by the tornado.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kansas, June 11 to 29, 1997$1.5 million · 2.75 in hail · 130 eventsSiding damaged and windows broken.
• Flood and Hail in Kansas, April 23, 20045 injured · $695,000 · 1.75 in hail · 82 eventsRoof blown off a barn. (Narrative courtesy Anthony Republican.)
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kansas, June 2, 20081 injured · $5.0 million · 4.25 in hail · 72 eventsA cluster of robust, intense severe thunderstorms developed during the morning horurs of June 2nd.
• Flood and Hail in Kansas, June 27, 20132 injured · $1.2 million · 4.25 in hail · 83 eventsExtremely powerful severe thunderstorms erupted over Central Kansas in the afternoon, then went on a rampage across South-Central and Southeast Kansas from late in the afternoon through late that evening.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 23 to 24, 20081 death · 3 injured · 1.25 in hail · 9 eventsA line of severe thunderstorms moved into north central Kansas early the morning of the 24th. Hail to the size of half dollars fell, and winds to 70 mph were reported across the region. Minor damage was reported, mainly to tree limbs, power lines, and some structures.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, August 11 to 26, 19991 death · $21,000 · 1 in hail · 9 eventsEyewitnesses claimed a lightning bolt directly struck a 41 year old woman as she was on an early morning jog along a street in Manhattan. She never regained consciousness and died 16 days later at a local hospital.
• Hail and Lightning Strike in Kansas, April 25, 20091 death · 1 injured · 1.75 in hail · 14 eventsA stalled frontal boundary draped from northeast to southwest across the state served as the focus for convective development the afternoon of the 25th. Large hail, with stones to the size of half dollars the largest reported.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 24, 20111 injured · $476,000 · EF1 · 68 eventsA strong upper level disturbance and associated frontal boundary interacted with a moist and unstable air mass to produce a couple rounds of widespread strong to severe thunderstorms across central, south-central and southeast Kansas during the afternoon and evening hours on the…
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kansas, August 12 to 13, 2002$4.1 million · 2 in hail · 52 eventsWidespread damage to homes and vehicles.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, April 2 to 8, 19992 injured · $2.8 million · F0 · 40 eventsSynoptic-scale high winds of 39-53kts with gusts to 63kts ripped across Central Kansas from mid-morning thru late afternoon. The high winds tore the roof off a modular building around 9:30 am at St. Francis Academy, 5 miles west of Salina.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, August 17, 20071 death · 1 injured · 56 kt wind · 3 eventsThunderstorms developed out ahead of a shortwave trough tracking across Wyoming during the afternoon hours of the 17th. A weak differential heating boundary located in the vicinity of the Kansas/Nebraska border also served as a focus for convective development.
• Lightning Strike in Kansas, November 22, 19991 death · 1 injured · 1 eventAn eleven year old girl was killed and a twelve year old girl was injured from a lightning bolt. The girls were in the yard behind the house near their horses, when the lightning strike occurred.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 30, 2012$184,000 · 2 in hail · 108 eventsProlific hail-producing severe thunderstorms broke out over Central and South-Central Kansas.
• Hail and High Wind in Kansas, February 11, 19991 death · 1 in hail · 6 eventsLightning struck a power line and knocked out power to about 1300 KPL customers for several hours.
• Flood and Lightning Strike in Kansas, September 28 to 29, 20191 death · 2 eventsIsolated thunderstorms moved across portions of southeast Kansas during the afternoon hours. One individual was struck by lightning in Montgomery county and passed away. Elsewhere, heavy rains caused street flooding in Iola.
• Lightning Strike in Kansas, September 10, 20111 death · 1 eventA resident of New Strawn was riding her bicycle on John Redmond Dam when she was struck by lightning which was produced by passing thunderstorms.
• Lightning Strike in Kansas, July 7, 20121 death · 1 eventA Kansas man died after being struck by a bolt of lightning. It happened just after 8:15 p.m. CDT Saturday July 7 in Coffey County near Waverly. Coffey County officials say Ronald Nicholas, 68, was outside in his front yard when he was hit.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 2 to 25, 1998$3.5 million · 2 in hail · 36 eventsLightning struck a small church, setting fire to the roof and rafters. Water and smoke also damaged the pulpit.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in Kansas

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.