Tornadoes in Pottawatomie County, Kansas

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

Tornadoes

41

Deaths

6

Injuries

21

F4 and above

0

Worst on record

F3, May 31, 1978

1. F3, Pottawatomie and Jackson counties, KansasMay 31, 19783 killed, 1 injured
2. EF2, Pottawatomie, Jackson and Nemaha counties, KansasJune 11, 20082 killed
3. EF3, Pottawatomie County, KansasApril 30, 20241 killed, 4 injured

1. F3, Pottawatomie and Jackson counties, KansasMay 31, 1978F3, 37.0 mi (60 km)
2. EF3, Pottawatomie County, KansasApril 30, 2024EF3, 2.2 mi (4 km)
3. F2, Ottawa, Clay, Riley and Pottawatomie counties, KansasOctober 18, 1979F2, 71.4 mi (115 km)
4. F2, Pottawatomie, Jackson and Atchison counties, KansasOctober 18, 1979F2, 54.1 mi (87 km)
5. EF2, Pottawatomie, Jackson and Nemaha counties, KansasJune 11, 2008EF2, 17.3 mi (28 km)
6. F2, Pottawatomie County, KansasJune 21, 1965F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Warnings in force in Pottawatomie CountyThe forecast for Pottawatomie CountyThe live radar over Pottawatomie CountyEvery county in Kansas

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.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.