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Kansas · County tornado history

Clay County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 46 tornadoes in Clay County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 53 of 105 counties in Kansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 9, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
46
Since 2000
17
Strongest
F3, September 25, 1973
Most recent
EF-U, May 9, 2023
Peak month
May (20)
Per 1,000 sq mi
70
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Clay County

May has brought the most, 20 of 46. About 76% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 16
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Clay County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
September 25, 1973 F3 169.7 mi 100 yd 3 42
May 25, 1951 F3 4.1 mi 440 yd 1
September 25, 1973 F3 69.9 mi 67 yd 2
October 18, 1979 F2 71.4 mi 400 yd 11
May 4, 1959 F2 3.8 mi 100 yd
May 16, 1960 F2 0.3 mi 100 yd
April 20, 1964 F2 12.4 mi 50 yd
June 8, 1966 F2 8.9 mi 100 yd
September 25, 1973 F2 5.9 mi 67 yd
September 26, 1973 F2 2.5 mi 33 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Clay County was an F3 on September 25, 1973. It killed 3 people and injured 42 along its 169.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 9, 2023 EF-U 1.9 mi 30 yd
May 1, 2018 EF1 11.9 mi 50 yd
May 1, 2018 EF1 8.1 mi 200 yd
May 19, 2017 EF0 0 mi 20 yd
October 6, 2016 EF1 6.4 mi 300 yd
October 6, 2016 EF1 10 mi 200 yd
October 4, 2016 EF1 4.9 mi 75 yd
May 9, 2016 EF0 0 mi 25 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Clay County as relatively low, with a score of 44 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.58 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $995,568 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Clay County had?

46 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 17 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Clay County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 9, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Clay County?

An F3 on September 25, 1973, with a 169.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Clay County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.