Tornadoes · United States · Kansas

Tornadoes in Sedgwick County, Kansas

92 tornadoes have crossed Sedgwick County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 5th of the 105 counties in Kansas with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 27 people and injured 499. 3 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
92
Deaths
27
Injuries
499
F4 and above
3
Worst on record
F5, April 26, 1991

The deadliest in Sedgwick County

  1. F5 Andover tornado, KansasApril 26, 199117 killed, 225 injured
  2. F4 Haysville tornado, KansasMay 3, 19996 killed, 150 injured
  3. F1, Sedgwick County, KansasMay 26, 19733 killed
  4. EF2, Sedgwick County, KansasJune 20, 20261 killed

The strongest

  1. F5 Andover tornado, KansasApril 26, 1991F5, 46.0 mi (74 km)
  2. F4 Haysville tornado, KansasMay 3, 1999F4, 24.0 mi (39 km)
  3. F4, Sedgwick County, KansasJune 23, 1969F4, 8.7 mi (14 km)
  4. F3, Sumner, Sedgwick and Harvey counties, KansasMay 13, 1965F3, 62.5 mi (101 km)
  5. F3, Sedgwick County, KansasMay 16, 1991F3, 20.0 mi (32 km)
  6. EF3, Sedgwick and Harvey counties, KansasMay 6, 2015EF3, 16.5 mi (27 km)
  7. EF3, Sedgwick County, KansasApril 14, 2012EF3, 13.2 mi (21 km)
  8. EF3 Andover tornado, KansasApril 29, 2022EF3, 12.7 mi (20 km)
  9. F3, Sedgwick County, KansasApril 28, 1960F3, 7.1 mi (11 km)
  10. F3, Sedgwick County, KansasJune 7, 1958F3, 5.0 mi (8 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 41 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Sedgwick County. Each year links to every tornado in Kansas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
202611EF2
202213EF3
201531EF3
20132EF2
2012138EF3
20111EF0
20104EF1
200922EF1
20081EF0
20051F0
20031F0
20011F0
199966150F4
19981F0
19951F0
19941F0
19931F0
199251F2
1991617225F5
19901F0
19881F1
198712F1
198412F2
19821F0
19812F0
19742F1
19734316F3
19711F0
196916F4
1965437F3
19641F2
19631F0
196048F3
19593F0
195827F3
19571F0
19562F2
19552F0
19543F2
195323F2
19501F0

Every tornado that crossed Sedgwick County

92 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.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 20, 20268:14 PM CDTEF2Sedgwick0.1501
April 29, 20228:10 PM CDTEF3Andover tornado12.72503$42 million
May 6, 20155:38 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.350
May 6, 20154:49 PM CDTEF3Sedgwick16.53001$630,000
April 8, 20158:32 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick3.175
May 19, 20133:37 PM CDTEF2Sedgwick4.6300
May 19, 20133:19 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.850
April 14, 201210:21 PM CDTEF3Sedgwick13.21,76038$500 million
June 9, 20116:56 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.465
September 15, 20106:52 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.475
September 15, 20106:34 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.775
September 15, 20106:28 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.475
May 10, 20104:58 PM CDTEF1Sedgwick5.1300$50,000
May 15, 20095:31 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.450
April 26, 20095:49 PM CDTEF1Sedgwick3.1752$85,000
June 12, 20088:35 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick0.140$750
July 3, 20056:31 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.555
July 9, 20037:30 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.550
May 20, 20017:44 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.555
July 6, 19996:10 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.50
July 6, 19995:57 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.50
July 6, 19995:50 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.50
May 3, 19998:13 PM CDTF4Haysville tornado24.08806150$141 million
April 5, 19997:40 AM CDTF0Sedgwick2.050$2.0 million
April 5, 19997:10 AM CDTF0Sedgwick2.0350$100,000
November 9, 19987:25 PM CSTF0Sedgwick1.050$50,000
May 22, 19957:05 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.120
July 31, 19945:20 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.120
July 6, 19936:22 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.550
September 5, 19928:30 PM CDTF1Sedgwick3.7100$500,000 to $5 million
September 5, 19928:13 PM CDTF1Kingman6.550$500 to $5,000
September 5, 19926:59 PM CDTF2Sedgwick3.02001$5 million to $50 million
June 19, 199212:05 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.130$50 to $500
June 19, 19925:00 AM CDTF0Sedgwick0.120
May 16, 19915:25 PM CDTF3Sedgwick20.0200$500,000 to $5 million
April 26, 19918:33 PM CDTF0Sedgwick1.050$500 to $5,000
April 26, 19916:10 PM CDTF1Sedgwick16.050$5,000 to $50,000
April 26, 19915:57 PM CDTF5Andover tornado46.044017225$50 million to $500 million
April 26, 19915:47 PM CDTF1Sedgwick2.050$5,000 to $50,000
March 26, 19917:50 PM CSTF0Sedgwick2.073
June 19, 199012:55 AM CDTF0Sedgwick0.5100
May 2, 19888:20 PM CDTF1Sedgwick6.530$5,000 to $50,000
July 5, 19876:20 AM CDTF1Sedgwick1.52002$50,000 to $500,000
June 22, 19843:55 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110
June 22, 19843:45 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.850
April 29, 19843:40 PM CDTF1Sedgwick10.010$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 19843:25 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110under $50
April 29, 198412:10 PM CDTF2Sedgwick2.020$50,000 to $500,000
April 29, 198412:05 PM CDTF1Sedgwick0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 198412:05 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110$50 to $500
April 29, 198412:00 PM CDTF1Sedgwick0.520$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 198411:58 AM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110$500 to $5,000
April 29, 198411:50 AM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110$50 to $500
April 29, 198411:40 AM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110$50 to $500
April 29, 198411:38 AM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110under $50
May 14, 19821:30 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.110$50,000 to $500,000
June 29, 19812:32 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.217
May 8, 19814:00 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.217
August 23, 197411:04 AM CDTF1Sedgwick0.120
May 13, 197411:00 PM CDTF0Sedgwick40.227$500 to $5,000
October 25, 19733:00 AM CDTF1Sedgwick0.1100$5,000 to $50,000
October 11, 19735:30 PM CDTF2Sedgwick0.720015$50,000 to $500,000
May 26, 19734:15 PM CDTF3Sedgwick4.34001$50,000 to $500,000
May 26, 19733:25 PM CDTF1Sedgwick3.81003
June 2, 197112:15 PM CDTF0Sedgwick0.4233$50 to $500
June 23, 19695:00 PM GMT-5F4Sedgwick8.77006$50,000 to $500,000
September 20, 19658:34 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.510
September 20, 19657:22 PM GMT-5F2Sedgwick43.810$5,000 to $50,000
September 3, 19659:00 PM GMT-5F3Sedgwick0.140027$500,000 to $5 million
May 13, 19659:50 PM GMT-5F3Sumner62.510010$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19644:20 PM GMT-6F2Sedgwick0.110
May 25, 19637:30 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110$500 to $5,000
November 27, 19608:00 PM GMT-6F2Sumner23.2772$50,000 to $500,000
August 28, 19608:44 PM GMT-5F1Sedgwick0.110$500 to $5,000
July 12, 19606:05 PM GMT-5F1Sedgwick0.110$50 to $500
April 28, 19608:30 PM GMT-5F3Sedgwick7.14406$5,000 to $50,000
May 4, 19598:05 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
May 4, 19598:05 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
May 4, 19597:33 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
June 11, 195812:15 AM GMT-5F2Sedgwick0.1106$50,000 to $500,000
June 7, 19587:00 AM GMT-5F3Sedgwick5.01,7601$5,000 to $50,000
June 21, 195711:09 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick2.3100$500 to $5,000
July 1, 19566:25 PM GMT-5F2Sedgwick0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 30, 19569:45 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
May 27, 195510:15 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
May 27, 195510:15 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
October 4, 19546:00 PM GMT-6F2Sedgwick0.110$5,000 to $50,000
September 9, 19543:00 AM GMT-5F2Sedgwick0.110
April 29, 19548:15 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110
July 15, 19533:08 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110$50,000 to $500,000
June 21, 195310:25 PM GMT-5F2Sedgwick0.1103
June 25, 19507:45 PM GMT-5F0Sedgwick0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

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