Tornadoes · United States · Kansas
Tornadoes in Wabaunsee County, Kansas
49 tornadoes have crossed Wabaunsee County since 1950, 2 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 49th of the 105 counties in Kansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.6 years. They have killed 1 person and injured 28. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and 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
- 49
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 28
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- F4, May 19, 1960
The deadliest in Wabaunsee County
The strongest
- F4, Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties, KansasMay 19, 1960
- F3, Marion, Chase, Lyon and Wabaunsee counties, KansasApril 2, 1956
- F3, Chase, Morris, Lyon and Wabaunsee counties, KansasMay 10, 1953
- F3, Wabaunsee County, KansasAugust 17, 1985
- F2, Morris, Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties, KansasMarch 7, 1974
- F2, Marion, Morris, Geary and Wabaunsee counties, KansasMarch 13, 1990
- F2, Wabaunsee, Shawnee and Jackson counties, KansasApril 26, 1991
- F2, Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties, KansasApril 16, 1968
- EF2, Wabaunsee County, KansasMarch 13, 2024
- EF2, Osage and Wabaunsee counties, KansasFebruary 28, 2012
Every year with a tornado
The 32 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Wabaunsee County. Each year links to every tornado in Kansas that year.
Every tornado that crossed Wabaunsee County
49 tornadoes, newest first. The 2 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 23, 2026 | 6:03 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 3.3 | 30 | |||
| April 23, 2026 | 6:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.5 | 0 | |||
| May 19, 2025 | 6:42 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.4 | 40 | |||
| March 13, 2024 | 7:45 PM CDT | EF2 | Wabaunsee | 8.1 | 300 | |||
| April 29, 2022 | 8:03 PM CDT | EF1 | Pottawatomie | 11.1 | 100 | |||
| May 14, 2020 | 8:20 PM CDT | Unrated | Wabaunsee | 1.0 | 75 | |||
| August 15, 2019 | 9:25 PM CDT | Unrated | Wabaunsee | 2.5 | 25 | |||
| August 15, 2019 | 8:41 PM CDT | Unrated | Wabaunsee | 1.6 | 25 | |||
| August 15, 2019 | 8:34 PM CDT | EF1 | Wabaunsee | 6.7 | 150 | |||
| August 15, 2019 | 8:05 PM CDT | Unrated | Geary | 3.8 | 50 | |||
| May 18, 2017 | 5:52 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.0 | 25 | |||
| March 6, 2017 | 5:59 PM CST | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 1.9 | 50 | |||
| March 6, 2017 | 5:37 PM CST | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| March 6, 2017 | 5:36 PM CST | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 16.1 | 50 | |||
| May 25, 2016 | 10:25 PM CDT | EF1 | Wabaunsee | 3.5 | 50 | |||
| September 10, 2015 | 8:16 PM CDT | EF1 | Wabaunsee | 3.4 | 50 | |||
| February 28, 2012 | 9:02 PM CST | EF2 | Osage | 5.4 | 150 | 1 | 12 | |
| May 1, 2007 | 3:17 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 1, 2007 | 3:07 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 1, 2007 | 1:50 PM CDT | EF0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 24, 2004 | 7:39 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 24, 2004 | 7:29 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 4, 1999 | 6:30 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 1.5 | 0 | |||
| October 8, 1997 | 6:20 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 1.0 | 30 | |||
| May 25, 1997 | 8:50 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 23 | |||
| May 16, 1995 | 8:15 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.5 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 30, 1993 | 8:29 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 23 | |||
| May 6, 1993 | 5:44 PM CDT | F1 | Wabaunsee | 13.0 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 26, 1991 | 6:35 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 9.0 | 20 | |||
| April 26, 1991 | 4:35 PM CDT | F2 | Wabaunsee | 44.0 | 200 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 26, 1991 | 4:10 PM CDT | F0 | Morris | 13.0 | 50 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| March 13, 1990 | 6:15 PM CST | F2 | Marion | 55.0 | 220 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| August 17, 1985 | 6:18 PM CDT | F3 | Wabaunsee | 2.0 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 18, 1982 | 1:00 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 25, 1981 | 4:50 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.2 | 17 | |||
| April 3, 1981 | 5:05 PM CST | F1 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| September 10, 1975 | 5:50 PM CDT | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| March 7, 1974 | 11:30 PM CDT | F2 | Morris | 108.4 | 220 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 16, 1968 | 7:00 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Wabaunsee | 38.7 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 11, 1967 | 6:25 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Wabaunsee | 24.7 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 13, 1964 | 4:20 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 24, 1960 | 3:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Wabaunsee | 8.2 | 17 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 19, 1960 | 6:30 PM GMT-5 | F4 | Wabaunsee | 20.6 | 10 | 12 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| May 4, 1959 | 9:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Wabaunsee | 11.3 | 880 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 12, 1958 | 5:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Wabaunsee | 4.3 | 200 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 2, 1956 | 9:30 PM GMT-6 | F3 | Marion | 127.0 | 790 | 4 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| March 18, 1954 | 12:25 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 22, 1953 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Wabaunsee | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 10, 1953 | 5:00 AM GMT-5 | F3 | Chase | 52.2 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Wabaunsee CountyThe forecast for Wabaunsee CountyThe live radar over Wabaunsee 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.