Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Kansas · County tornado history

Mitchell County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 52 tornadoes in Mitchell County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 35 of 105 counties in Kansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on October 12, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
52
Since 2000
17
Strongest
F4, June 15, 1992
Most recent
EF-U, October 12, 2023
Peak month
June (21)
Per 1,000 sq mi
72
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 Mitchell County

June has brought the most, 21 of 52. About 73% 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) 19
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 12
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 Mitchell County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 15, 1992 F4 3 mi 100 yd
October 29, 1956 F3 28.7 mi 200 yd 2
March 2, 1951 F3 38.1 mi 10 yd
June 15, 1992 F3 2 mi 100 yd
May 29, 2008 EF3 18.9 mi 2,000 yd
June 9, 1967 F2 42.5 mi 1,320 yd 1 10
May 8, 1950 F2 12.6 mi 660 yd
May 24, 1960 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 12, 1964 F2 4.1 mi 200 yd
May 13, 1968 F2 4.7 mi 20 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Mitchell 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
October 12, 2023 EF-U 0 mi 20 yd
May 28, 2019 EF2 24.4 mi 880 yd
May 27, 2019 EF0 0 mi 25 yd
May 1, 2018 EF0 0 mi 25 yd
June 3, 2015 EF0 0.3 mi 25 yd
April 14, 2012 EF1 4 mi 300 yd
May 29, 2008 EF0 9.8 mi 200 yd
May 29, 2008 EF3 18.9 mi 2,000 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 Mitchell County as relatively low, with a score of 40 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.72 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $923,006 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 Mitchell County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Mitchell County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on October 12, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Mitchell County?

An F4 on June 15, 1992, with a 3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Mitchell 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.