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Kansas · County tornado history

Dickinson County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 46 tornadoes in Dickinson County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 51 of 105 counties in Kansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on July 22, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
46
Since 2000
16
Strongest
EF4, May 25, 2016
Most recent
EF-U, July 22, 2023
Peak month
June (13)
Per 1,000 sq mi
54
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Dickinson County

June has brought the most, 13 of 46. About 67% 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) 15
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
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) 2

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 Dickinson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 25, 2016 EF4 25.1 mi 900 yd 8
September 25, 1973 F3 169.7 mi 100 yd 3 42
June 11, 2008 EF3 15.3 mi 880 yd 1 3
April 30, 1972 F3 1.5 mi 300 yd 6
June 21, 1964 F3 8.9 mi 10 yd
July 1, 1950 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
August 14, 1952 F2 1.5 mi 100 yd
June 19, 1953 F2 8.8 mi 10 yd
December 26, 1959 F2 2 mi 10 yd
June 21, 1964 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 Dickinson 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
July 22, 2023 EF-U 0 mi 20 yd
April 29, 2022 EF1 21.8 mi 50 yd
April 29, 2022 EF1 4.2 mi 50 yd
April 29, 2022 EF0 1.3 mi 50 yd
May 21, 2019 EF-U 17.7 mi 150 yd
May 21, 2019 EF1 7.5 mi 100 yd
May 25, 2016 EF4 25.1 mi 900 yd 8
May 19, 2013 EF0 0.1 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 Dickinson County as relatively moderate, with a score of 76 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.74 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,302,351 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 Dickinson County had?

46 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 16 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Dickinson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on July 22, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Dickinson County?

An EF4 on May 25, 2016, with a 25.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Dickinson County?

June 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.