Tornadoes · United States · Kansas
Tornadoes in Harvey County, Kansas
51 tornadoes have crossed Harvey County since 1950, 41st of the 105 counties in Kansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.5 years. They have killed 2 people and injured 74. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 2 at the top of the scale.
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
- 51
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 74
- F4 and above
- 2
- Worst on record
- F5, March 13, 1990
The deadliest in Harvey County
The strongest
- F5 Hesston tornado, KansasMarch 13, 1990
- F5 Goessel tornado, KansasMarch 13, 1990
- F3, Sumner, Sedgwick and Harvey counties, KansasMay 13, 1965
- F3, Harvey County, KansasMay 24, 1962
- F3, McPherson, Harvey and Reno counties, KansasMarch 13, 1990
- EF3, Sedgwick and Harvey counties, KansasMay 6, 2015
- F2, Reno, Harvey and Marion counties, KansasMay 13, 1974
- F2, Harvey and Marion counties, KansasMarch 2, 1970
- F2, Harvey County, KansasApril 27, 1955
- F2, Harvey County, KansasJuly 12, 1963
Every year with a tornado
The 28 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Harvey County. Each year links to every tornado in Kansas that year.
Every tornado that crossed Harvey County
51 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 30, 2024 | 4:30 PM CDT | Unrated | Harvey | 0.0 | 10 | |||
| April 29, 2022 | 8:19 PM CDT | Unrated | Harvey | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| August 28, 2015 | 6:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| May 6, 2015 | 4:49 PM CDT | EF3 | Sedgwick | 16.5 | 300 | 1 | $630,000 | |
| March 7, 2009 | 5:15 PM CST | EF0 | Harvey | 0.5 | 75 | |||
| January 28, 2006 | 3:17 PM CST | F0 | Harvey | 4.0 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| April 11, 2002 | 6:00 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.5 | 110 | |||
| June 5, 2001 | 7:39 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 1.5 | 220 | $50,000 | ||
| June 8, 1998 | 5:17 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.2 | 60 | |||
| June 8, 1998 | 4:44 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 2.0 | 110 | $150,000 | ||
| May 25, 1997 | 8:23 PM CDT | F1 | Harvey | 1.0 | 100 | $70,000 | ||
| May 25, 1997 | 7:36 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 1.0 | 50 | |||
| May 22, 1995 | 7:05 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| April 26, 1991 | 6:10 PM CDT | F1 | Sedgwick | 16.0 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 15, 1990 | 9:35 PM CDT | F1 | Harvey | 20.0 | 50 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 15, 1990 | 9:00 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 2.0 | 27 | |||
| April 9, 1990 | 7:12 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 20.0 | 210 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| March 13, 1990 | 6:55 PM CST | F3 | McPherson | 18.0 | 200 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| March 13, 1990 | 5:30 PM CST | F5 | Goessel tornado | 22.0 | 1,320 | 1 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| March 13, 1990 | 4:34 PM CST | F5 | Hesston tornado | 48.0 | 1,320 | 1 | 60 | $5 million to $50 million |
| October 27, 1989 | 7:40 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| October 27, 1989 | 7:30 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| October 27, 1989 | 7:28 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 31, 1988 | 3:20 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| October 31, 1984 | 8:40 PM CST | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 3, 1984 | 8:45 PM CDT | F0 | Harvey | 0.5 | 20 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 26, 1984 | 7:45 PM CST | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| November 29, 1975 | 3:00 PM CST | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 13, 1974 | 8:00 PM CDT | F2 | Reno | 51.7 | 100 | 2 | ||
| April 20, 1974 | 1:05 AM CDT | F0 | Kingman | 41.3 | 33 | under $50 | ||
| March 2, 1970 | 10:58 PM CST | F2 | Harvey | 25.5 | 360 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| May 20, 1966 | 6:45 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 20, 1966 | 6:45 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 13, 1965 | 11:52 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 13, 1965 | 9:50 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Sumner | 62.5 | 100 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 23, 1964 | 6:30 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 23, 1964 | 5:30 PM GMT-6 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 22, 1964 | 5:30 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 12, 1963 | 9:25 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | 1 | under $50 | |
| May 26, 1963 | 3:55 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 24, 1962 | 7:30 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Harvey | 18.8 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| July 13, 1961 | 3:45 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| March 26, 1961 | 7:45 PM GMT-6 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 25, 1960 | 4:00 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| March 31, 1960 | 7:15 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 10, 1959 | 3:20 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Harvey | 2.5 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 21, 1956 | 6:16 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 27, 1955 | 10:15 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 27, 1955 | 10:15 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 27, 1955 | 10:15 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Harvey | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 27, 1955 | 6:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Harvey | 2.0 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Harvey CountyThe forecast for Harvey CountyThe live radar over Harvey 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.