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Kansas · County tornado history

Douglas County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 43 tornadoes in Douglas County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.7 years. That ranks it 61 of 105 counties in Kansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on March 15, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
43
Since 2000
14
Strongest
EF4, May 28, 2019
Most recent
EF-U, March 15, 2021
Peak month
May (13)
Per 1,000 sq mi
91
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Douglas County

May has brought the most, 13 of 43. About 70% 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 10
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 Douglas County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 28, 2019 EF4 29.1 mi 1,760 yd 4
May 22, 1952 F4 26.9 mi 440 yd 3
June 19, 1981 F3 7.7 mi 200 yd 1 33
April 12, 1964 F3 33.8 mi 880 yd 3
May 4, 1977 F3 31.6 mi 300 yd 1
August 6, 1962 F3 4.1 mi 10 yd
May 28, 2019 EF2 10.7 mi 200 yd 12
May 8, 2003 F2 0.7 mi 250 yd 6
July 9, 1969 F2 7 mi 10 yd 4
May 31, 1980 F2 6.6 mi 10 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Douglas County was an F3 on June 19, 1981. It killed 1 person and injured 33 along its 7.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 15, 2021 EF-U 0 mi 10 yd
May 28, 2019 EF4 29.1 mi 1,760 yd 4
May 28, 2019 EF2 10.7 mi 200 yd 12
July 6, 2015 EF1 8.3 mi 250 yd
February 28, 2012 EF1 4.8 mi 100 yd
May 21, 2011 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
September 12, 2008 EF1 0.6 mi 50 yd
September 12, 2008 EF0 0.1 mi 20 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 Douglas County as relatively high, with a score of 92 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.34 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $12,020,681 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 Douglas County had?

43 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 14 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Douglas County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on March 15, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Douglas County?

An EF4 on May 28, 2019, with a 29.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Douglas 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.