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Kansas · County tornado history

Reno County, Kansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 89 tornadoes in Reno County, Kansas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.2 a year. That ranks it 7 of 105 counties in Kansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on October 26, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
89
Since 2000
40
Strongest
F5, March 13, 1990
Most recent
EF0, October 26, 2021
Peak month
May (36)
Per 1,000 sq mi
70
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 Reno County

May has brought the most, 36 of 89. About 84% 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) 57
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 7
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1
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 Reno County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 13, 1990 F5 48 mi 1,320 yd 1 60
March 26, 1991 F4 13 mi 300 yd 5
May 24, 1962 F3 0.1 mi 10 yd 2
April 22, 1964 F3 59.7 mi 880 yd 2
June 4, 1965 F3 6.9 mi 880 yd 2
March 26, 1991 F3 26 mi 220 yd 1
May 5, 1964 F3 20.4 mi 880 yd
March 13, 1990 F3 18 mi 200 yd
July 13, 2015 EF3 5.3 mi 350 yd
May 24, 1962 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 2

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Reno County was an F5 on March 13, 1990. It killed 1 person and injured 60 along its 48-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 26, 2021 EF0 0.4 mi 275 yd
May 5, 2019 EF-U 0.3 mi 50 yd
May 5, 2019 EF-U 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 5, 2019 EF1 0.4 mi 100 yd
May 5, 2019 EF1 0.1 mi 300 yd
May 5, 2019 EF0 0.3 mi 200 yd
May 19, 2017 EF0 0.6 mi 50 yd
May 19, 2017 EF0 0.7 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 Reno County as relatively high, with a score of 93 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.46 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $10,001,469 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 Reno County had?

89 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 40 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Reno County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on October 26, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Reno County?

An F5 on March 13, 1990, with a 48-mile path.

When is tornado season in Reno 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.