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Kansas · County tornado history

Cloud County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 53 tornadoes in Cloud County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 32 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
53
Since 2000
15
Strongest
F4, May 20, 1957
Most recent
EF-U, May 9, 2023
Peak month
May (21)
Per 1,000 sq mi
74
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 Cloud County

May has brought the most, 21 of 53. About 74% touched down between 2 pm and 8 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) 24
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 8
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Cloud County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 20, 1957 F4 44.6 mi 400 yd
November 27, 1960 F3 2 mi 167 yd 2
September 25, 1973 F3 69.9 mi 67 yd 2
March 2, 1951 F3 38.1 mi 10 yd
May 20, 1957 F3 6.1 mi 10 yd
June 9, 1967 F2 42.5 mi 1,320 yd 1 10
July 22, 1951 F2 7.7 mi 10 yd
May 20, 1957 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 20, 1957 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 20, 1957 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Cloud County was an F2 on June 9, 1967. It killed 1 person and injured 10 along its 42.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 9, 2023 EF-U 1.6 mi 30 yd
May 1, 2018 EF0 7.8 mi 30 yd
May 1, 2018 EF1 8.9 mi 225 yd
August 23, 2016 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
May 6, 2015 EF0 8.8 mi 75 yd
May 6, 2015 EF0 0.2 mi 75 yd
April 27, 2012 EF0 2 mi 100 yd
February 28, 2012 EF0 1.8 mi 75 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 Cloud County as relatively low, with a score of 48 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.65 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,167,902 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 Cloud County had?

53 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Cloud 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 Cloud County?

An F4 on May 20, 1957, with a 44.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Cloud 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.