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

Osborne County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 46 tornadoes in Osborne County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 50 of 105 counties in Kansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on May 28, 2019.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
46
Since 2000
14
Strongest
F4, May 7, 1993
Most recent
EF2, May 28, 2019
Peak month
June (18)
Per 1,000 sq mi
51
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 Osborne County

June has brought the most, 18 of 46. About 72% 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 22
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Osborne County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 7, 1993 F4 25.5 mi 880 yd 1 6
June 4, 1955 F4 61.9 mi 500 yd
May 13, 1968 F3 140.4 mi 320 yd 5
March 2, 1951 F3 38.1 mi 10 yd
May 5, 2007 EF2 7.5 mi 75 yd 11
May 8, 1950 F2 19.6 mi 440 yd 2
March 11, 1954 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 28, 2019 EF2 24.4 mi 880 yd
June 6, 1951 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 21, 1951 F1 22.2 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 Osborne County was an F4 on May 7, 1993. It killed 1 person and injured 6 along its 25.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 28, 2019 EF2 24.4 mi 880 yd
December 25, 2016 EF0 1.9 mi 50 yd
June 3, 2015 EF1 1.2 mi 100 yd
June 3, 2015 EF1 1 mi 125 yd
August 28, 2014 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
May 19, 2011 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
June 7, 2008 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
June 7, 2008 EF0 0.1 mi 50 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 Osborne County as relatively low, with a score of 33 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.91 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $571,631 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 Osborne County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Osborne County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on May 28, 2019. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Osborne County?

An F4 on May 7, 1993, with a 25.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Osborne 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.