Tornadoes · United States · Kansas

Tornadoes in Reno County, Kansas

90 tornadoes have crossed Reno County since 1950, 8th of the 105 counties in Kansas with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 1 person and injured 83. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 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.

  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.

Now

Tornadoes
90
Deaths
1
Injuries
83
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
F5, March 13, 1990

The deadliest in Reno County

  1. F5 Hesston tornado, KansasMarch 13, 19901 killed, 60 injured

The strongest

  1. F5 Hesston tornado, KansasMarch 13, 1990F5, 48.0 mi (77 km)
  2. F4, Reno County, KansasMarch 26, 1991F4, 13.0 mi (21 km)
  3. F3, Stafford, Barton, Reno and Rice counties, KansasApril 22, 1964F3, 59.7 mi (96 km)
  4. EF3, Pratt, Stafford and Reno counties, KansasMay 18, 2025EF3, 32.6 mi (53 km)
  5. F3, Pratt and Reno counties, KansasMarch 26, 1991F3, 26.0 mi (42 km)
  6. F3, Stafford and Reno counties, KansasMay 5, 1964F3, 20.4 mi (33 km)
  7. F3, McPherson, Harvey and Reno counties, KansasMarch 13, 1990F3, 18.0 mi (29 km)
  8. F3, Reno County, KansasJune 4, 1965F3, 6.9 mi (11 km)
  9. EF3, Rice and Reno counties, KansasJuly 13, 2015EF3, 5.3 mi (9 km)
  10. F3, Reno County, KansasMay 24, 1962F3, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 37 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Reno County. Each year links to every tornado in Kansas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF3
20211EF0
20195EF1
20172EF0
20152EF3
20123EF0
20101EF0
20095EF0
20082EF1
20078EF0
20061F0
20054F1
20032F0
20024F0
19992F1
19981F0
19974F0
19961F1
19952F0
19931F0
199136F4
19906160F5
19883F0
19861F0
19851F0
19843F1
197447F2
19731F0
19672F1
196512F3
196422F3
19631F0
196236F3
19592F2
19571F1
19552F0
19542F2

Every tornado that crossed Reno County

90 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 18, 202511:17 PM CDTEF3Pratt32.61,760
October 26, 202110:10 PM CDTEF0Reno0.4275
May 5, 20198:20 PM CDTUnratedReno0.350
May 5, 20198:00 PM CDTUnratedReno0.250
May 5, 20197:35 PM CDTEF1Reno0.4100$100,000
May 5, 20197:34 PM CDTEF1Reno0.1300
May 5, 20197:13 PM CDTEF0Reno0.3200
May 19, 20175:37 PM CDTEF0Reno0.650
May 19, 20175:32 PM CDTEF0Reno0.750
July 13, 20156:34 PM CDTEF3Rice5.3350$270,000
April 8, 20158:32 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick3.175
April 14, 20127:10 PM CDTEF0Reno0.350
February 28, 20126:47 PM CSTEF0Reno0.750
February 28, 20126:43 PM CSTEF0Reno1.250$30,000
May 12, 20104:18 PM CDTEF0Reno0.875
June 15, 20097:17 PM CDTEF0Reno0.450
May 15, 20094:57 PM CDTEF0Reno0.850
March 7, 20094:36 PM CSTEF0Reno0.575
March 7, 20094:28 PM CSTEF0Reno0.875
March 7, 20094:13 PM CSTEF0Reno1.375
May 23, 200812:11 AM CDTEF0Reno0.550
May 23, 200811:10 PM CDTEF1Reno6.4125$65,000
May 6, 20076:00 PM CDTEF0Reno0.540
May 6, 20075:30 PM CDTEF0Reno4.275
April 24, 20077:29 PM CDTEF0Reno0.025
April 24, 20077:16 PM CDTEF0Reno0.025
April 24, 20077:14 PM CDTEF0Reno0.025
April 24, 20077:12 PM CDTEF0Reno0.025
April 24, 20077:09 PM CDTEF0Reno0.025
April 24, 20077:01 PM CDTEF0Reno0.025
March 30, 20061:25 PM CSTF0Reno3.050$80,000
July 3, 20055:45 PM CDTF1Reno1.0110$60,000
July 3, 20055:42 PM CDTF0Reno0.255
July 3, 20055:07 PM CDTF0Reno1.0100
July 3, 20055:04 PM CDTF0Reno0.575
July 9, 20037:15 PM CDTF0Reno0.550
July 9, 20036:55 PM CDTF0Reno0.550
June 15, 20024:08 PM CDTF0Reno0.555
May 11, 20026:25 PM CDTF0Reno0.5110
May 11, 20026:25 PM CDTF0Reno0.555
April 11, 20025:19 PM CDTF0Reno2.0220
September 26, 19997:22 PM CDTF0Reno1.0110
May 4, 19992:02 PM CDTF1McPherson8.00$1.1 million
June 8, 19984:37 PM CDTF0Reno0.260
May 25, 19977:35 PM CDTF0Reno2.0100$250,000
May 18, 19976:43 PM CDTF0Reno0.250
May 18, 19976:07 PM CDTF0Reno0.550
May 18, 19975:47 PM CDTF0Reno0.550
May 9, 19969:10 PM CDTF1Reno0.550
May 22, 19955:55 PM CDTF0Reno0.120
May 22, 19955:55 PM CDTF0Reno0.120
May 17, 19935:17 PM CDTF0Reno0.1100
March 26, 199111:50 PM CSTF0Reno1.050$50 to $500
March 26, 19916:45 PM CSTF4Reno13.03005$5 million to $50 million
March 26, 19915:55 PM CSTF3Pratt26.02201
August 14, 19907:30 PM CDTF0Reno0.550
June 19, 199012:55 AM CDTF1Reno0.5440$5,000 to $50,000
June 7, 199010:50 PM CDTF2Reno7.0100$500,000 to $5 million
March 13, 19906:55 PM CSTF3McPherson18.0200$50,000 to $500,000
March 13, 19904:34 PM CSTF5Hesston tornado48.01,320160$5 million to $50 million
March 11, 19905:00 PM CSTF0Reno0.150
June 26, 19887:49 PM CDTF0Reno0.520
June 26, 19887:33 PM CDTF0Reno0.520
May 31, 19882:12 PM CDTF0Reno0.120
April 27, 19864:10 AM CDTF0Reno0.550
August 23, 19853:00 PM CDTF0Reno0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 23, 19843:00 PM CDTF1Reno1.030$5,000 to $50,000
June 13, 19848:35 PM CDTF0Reno0.110under $50
June 13, 19847:35 PM CDTF0Reno0.550under $50
May 13, 19748:00 PM CDTF2Reno51.71002
May 13, 19746:00 PM CDTF2Reno49.81002$500,000 to $5 million
May 13, 19745:00 PM CDTF1Reno51.7100$500,000 to $5 million
April 20, 19744:15 PM CDTF1Reno14.01003$5,000 to $50,000
November 19, 19738:08 PM CSTF0Reno0.133$5,000 to $50,000
June 11, 19679:00 PM GMT-5F1Reno14.010$50,000 to $500,000
June 7, 19678:45 PM GMT-5F0Reno0.110
June 4, 19655:43 PM GMT-5F3Reno6.98802$50,000 to $500,000
May 5, 19649:10 PM GMT-5F3Stafford20.4880$5,000 to $50,000
April 22, 19643:15 PM GMT-6F3Stafford59.78802
May 26, 19633:55 PM GMT-5F0Harvey0.110
May 24, 19626:00 PM GMT-5F3Reno0.1102$50 to $500
May 24, 19626:00 PM GMT-5F1Reno0.1102$50 to $500
May 24, 19625:37 PM GMT-5F2Reno0.1102
May 4, 19597:00 PM GMT-5F1Reno8.450
May 4, 19595:30 PM GMT-5F2Reno10.610
June 21, 195710:14 PM GMT-5F1Reno0.110
June 3, 19559:25 PM GMT-5F0Reno0.110
June 1, 19559:10 PM GMT-5F0Reno0.110
August 5, 19546:15 PM GMT-5F2Reno0.110
May 1, 19547:05 PM GMT-5F2Reno0.3300$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Reno CountyThe forecast for Reno CountyThe live radar over Reno 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.