Tornadoes · United States · Kansas
Tornadoes in Clay County, Kansas
46 tornadoes have crossed Clay County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 54th of the 105 counties in Kansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.7 years. They have killed 1 person and injured 13. None was rated F4 or above.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
Now
- Tornadoes
- 46
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 13
- F4 and above
- 0
- Worst on record
- F3, May 25, 1951
The deadliest in Clay County
The strongest
- F3, Ottawa, Cloud, Clay and Washington counties, KansasSeptember 25, 1973
- F3, Clay County, KansasMay 25, 1951
- F2, Ottawa, Clay, Riley and Pottawatomie counties, KansasOctober 18, 1979
- F2, Clay and Washington counties, KansasApril 20, 1964
- F2, Clay County, KansasJune 8, 1966
- F2, Clay County, KansasSeptember 25, 1973
- F2, Clay and Ottawa counties, KansasMay 4, 1959
- F2, Clay County, KansasSeptember 26, 1973
- F2, Clay County, KansasMay 16, 1960
Every year with a tornado
The 27 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Clay County. Each year links to every tornado in Kansas that year.
Every tornado that crossed Clay County
46 tornadoes, newest first. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | 5:33 PM CDT | Unrated | Clay | 1.5 | 0 | |||
| May 9, 2023 | 1:24 PM CDT | Unrated | Clay | 1.9 | 30 | |||
| May 1, 2018 | 7:56 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 11.9 | 50 | |||
| May 1, 2018 | 7:49 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 8.1 | 200 | |||
| May 19, 2017 | 7:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay | 0.0 | 20 | |||
| October 6, 2016 | 4:36 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 6.4 | 300 | |||
| October 6, 2016 | 4:18 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 10.0 | 200 | |||
| October 4, 2016 | 6:27 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 4.9 | 75 | |||
| May 9, 2016 | 6:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay | 0.0 | 25 | |||
| May 18, 2013 | 10:35 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 7.0 | 75 | |||
| April 14, 2011 | 6:12 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay | 0.1 | 25 | |||
| June 5, 2008 | 4:33 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 10.1 | 25 | |||
| June 5, 2008 | 4:20 PM CDT | EF0 | Clay | 4.6 | 50 | |||
| June 5, 2008 | 4:19 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay | 14.3 | 100 | |||
| April 6, 2006 | 4:40 PM CDT | F1 | Clay | 9.0 | 880 | $100,000 | ||
| April 6, 2006 | 4:14 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 4.0 | 100 | $30,000 | ||
| April 6, 2006 | 4:13 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 1.0 | 100 | |||
| January 28, 2006 | 3:27 PM CST | F0 | Clay | 0.8 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| July 24, 1993 | 8:40 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 0.2 | 13 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 18, 1989 | 2:35 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| July 15, 1988 | 8:00 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 0.5 | 20 | $50 to $500 | ||
| July 15, 1988 | 7:40 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 0.5 | 20 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 16, 1986 | 4:00 PM CDT | F1 | Clay | 9.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 10, 1983 | 7:16 PM CDT | F0 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| October 18, 1979 | 4:17 PM CDT | F2 | Ottawa | 71.4 | 400 | 11 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| September 26, 1973 | 3:00 AM CDT | F2 | Clay | 2.5 | 33 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| September 25, 1973 | 12:30 AM CDT | F2 | Clay | 5.9 | 67 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| September 25, 1973 | 5:20 PM CDT | F3 | Ottawa | 69.9 | 67 | 2 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| May 17, 1971 | 12:05 AM CDT | F1 | Clay | 1.9 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 8, 1966 | 6:37 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Clay | 8.9 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 25, 1965 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 20, 1964 | 7:35 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Clay | 12.4 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 27, 1962 | 9:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Clay | 4.5 | 50 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 20, 1961 | 6:30 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 16, 1960 | 2:10 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Clay | 4.7 | 250 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 16, 1960 | 1:50 AM GMT-5 | F2 | Clay | 0.3 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 15, 1960 | 8:10 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 4, 1959 | 7:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Clay | 3.8 | 100 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 4, 1959 | 6:49 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Clay | 3.8 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 22, 1957 | 4:45 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Clay | 4.3 | 300 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 22, 1957 | 4:45 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Clay | 4.3 | 300 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 4, 1955 | 8:45 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 30, 1951 | 11:50 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Clay | 8.3 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 30, 1951 | 11:50 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 30, 1951 | 11:50 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Clay | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 25, 1951 | 5:00 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Clay | 4.1 | 440 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Clay CountyThe forecast for Clay CountyThe live radar over Clay CountyEvery county in Kansas
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.