Butler County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Kansas Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Butler County is about the same as Kansas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Butler County is about the same as Kansas average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #71
| Butler County | 0.01 |
| Kansas | 0.05 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Butler County | 0.0000 |
| Kansas | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #31
| Butler County | 252.10 |
| Kansas | 252.53 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 18,639 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Butler County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 17 | Cold: | 20 | Dense Fog: | 9 | Drought: | 40 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,163 | Hail: | 9,891 | Heat: | 28 | Heavy Snow: | 94 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 44 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 134 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 6,689 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 2 | Winter Storm: | 110 | Winter Weather: | 63 |
| Other: | 335 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Butler County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Butler County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Butler County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 95 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Butler County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.8 | 1960-04-16 | 2 | 37°48'N / 96°50'W | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Butler | |||
| 3.0 | 1960-10-29 | 2 | 37°49'N / 96°51'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Butler | |
| 7.0 | 1958-06-10 | 4 | 37°51'N / 97°01'W | 37°50'N / 96°51'W | 9.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 15 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Butler |
| 9.4 | 1991-04-26 | 5 | 37°42'N / 97°09'W | 37°54'N / 96°52'W | 22.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 13 | 150 | 250.0M | 0 | Butler |
| 15.4 | 1960-04-16 | 2 | 37°36'N / 97°08'W | 37°40'N / 96°59'W | 9.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Butler |
| 16.6 | 1958-06-11 | 2 | 37°43'N / 97°08'W | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Butler | |||
| 17.4 | 1965-09-20 | 2 | 37°37'N / 97°16'W | 38°12'N / 96°57'W | 43.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 19.9 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 37°56'N / 96°43'W | 38°06'N / 96°34'W | 15.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Butler |
| 20.2 | 1987-07-05 | 2 | 37°31'N / 97°01'W | 0.20 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Butler | |
| 20.9 | 1963-05-25 | 2 | 37°34'N / 97°07'W | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Butler | |||
| 21.8 | 1960-11-27 | 2 | 37°25'N / 97°15'W | 37°40'N / 96°58'W | 23.20 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| 22.4 | 1955-05-25 | 5 | 37°27'N / 97°00'W | 37°27'N / 96°45'W | 13.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cowley |
| 22.8 | 1984-04-29 | 2 | 37°43'N / 97°15'W | 2.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sedgwick | |
| 23.4 | 1953-06-21 | 2 | 37°45'N / 97°16'W | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 24.9 | 1958-06-07 | 3 | 37°39'N / 97°16'W | 5.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Sedgwick | |
| 25.1 | 1980-10-15 | 3 | 37°20'N / 96°45'W | 37°31'N / 96°40'W | 13.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Cowley |
| 25.7 | 1992-09-05 | 2 | 37°42'N / 97°20'W | 37°42'N / 97°16'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25.0M | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 26.6 | 1965-09-03 | 3 | 37°39'N / 97°18'W | 0 | 27 | 2.5M | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 27.0 | 1958-06-11 | 2 | 37°46'N / 97°20'W | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 27.4 | 1974-05-30 | 2 | 38°04'N / 96°29'W | 37°49'N / 96°17'W | 20.40 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Greenwood |
| 27.4 | 1955-05-25 | 5 | 37°23'N / 97°07'W | 37°27'N / 97°00'W | 7.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cowley |
| 27.7 | 1954-10-04 | 2 | 37°41'N / 97°20'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 28.1 | 1974-05-30 | 2 | 38°05'N / 96°30'W | 38°04'N / 96°29'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Butler | ||
| 28.5 | 1974-05-30 | 2 | 38°08'N / 96°34'W | 38°05'N / 96°30'W | 4.70 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Chase |
| 29.2 | 1991-04-26 | 5 | 37°28'N / 97°29'W | 37°42'N / 97°09'W | 24.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 4 | 75 | 250.0M | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 29.6 | 1964-04-03 | 2 | 37°33'N / 97°18'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 30.1 | 2004-06-12 | 3 | 37°28'N / 97°14'W | 37°26'N / 97°11'W | 4.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 2 | 500K | 75K | Sumner |
| Brief Description: The tornado started moving NE before becoming influenced by the outflow of the storm and darted back to the SE. The tornado ripped the roof off one home and blew out two walls and a roof of another. However, the tornado took dead aim on one home about 3.5 miles SE of Mulvane and completely removed it from it's foundation. Two inhabitants were under the staircase in the basement and escaped with only minor injuries. | |||||||||||
| 30.1 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 38°06'N / 96°34'W | 38°10'N / 96°29'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Chase |
| 30.4 | 1974-05-13 | 2 | 38°10'N / 97°09'W | 38°12'N / 96°56'W | 11.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marion |
| 30.6 | 1999-05-03 | 4 | 37°29'N / 97°22'W | 37°42'N / 97°20'W | 14.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 6 | 150 | 140.0M | 0 | Sedgwick |
| Brief Description: The same tornado that initially touched down 4 miles north of Wellington in Central Sumner County, SKYWARN reports indicate the tornado crossed the Sumner/Sedgwick County line at 1930, 1 mile west of Peck. Moving northeast at 30 kts, the tornado hit Haysville at 1935, destroying a subdivision just southwest of the South Seneca-South 87th Street intersection where the first 2 fatalities occurred in a mobile home park when a woman and her grandson were killed while running for shelter. (A 6th fatality resulted when an elderly man died from his injuries at a Wichita hospital on May 23rd.) The tornado then moved north along South Seneca Avenue, entering the Haysville Central Business District at 1938. The 3rd fatality occurred at this point when an elderly man was killed in a mobile home at South 75th Street. At the South Seneca/South 71st Street intersection, most of the businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. Damage summary for Haysville (damaged or destroyed): 150 homes, 27 businesses, 3 churches, 1 library, 4 historic buildings and 1 lodge. The tornado entered South Wichita at 1943 when it crossed South 55th Street. The tornado then veered slightly toward the northwest. At South 47th Street it reassumed a northeast track. Crossing MacArthur Avenue, the tornado leveled the Lakeshore and Pacesetter mobile home parks located just northeast of the South Seneca/MacArthur intersection where the 4th and 5th fatalities occurred, one at each mobile home park. At 1945, the tornado crossed the East Harry Street interchange on I-135 and continued to move northeast, lifting in the College Hill District in Northeast Wichita. Along this entire track, the tornado left a path of destruction 14 miles long and 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide. Damage summary for Sedgwick County: 8,480 buildings (all types) damaged or destroyed. Of these, 2,456 were at least 50% destroyed and 1,109 totally destroyed. M27MH, F43OU, M1OU, M83MH, M68MH, M78MH | |||||||||||
| 30.7 | 1991-05-16 | 3 | 37°30'N / 97°27'W | 37°36'N / 97°12'W | 20.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 31.2 | 1950-05-18 | 3 | 38°07'N / 96°49'W | 38°20'N / 96°49'W | 14.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Chase |
| 31.2 | 1970-03-02 | 2 | 38°03'N / 97°16'W | 38°10'N / 97°11'W | 9.10 Miles | 360 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Harvey |
| 31.5 | 1965-05-13 | 3 | 37°29'N / 97°20'W | 37°55'N / 97°29'W | 31.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 31.5 | 1991-04-26 | 3 | 37°28'N / 96°25'W | 37°37'N / 96°16'W | 12.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Elk |
| 32.3 | 1963-07-12 | 2 | 38°03'N / 97°19'W | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Harvey | |||
| 32.4 | 1955-05-25 | 5 | 37°21'N / 97°09'W | 37°23'N / 97°07'W | 2.30 Miles | 1320 Yards | 75 | 270 | 250K | 0 | Cowley |
| 32.5 | 1956-07-21 | 2 | 38°01'N / 97°21'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Harvey | |||
| 32.7 | 1973-10-11 | 2 | 37°39'N / 97°25'W | 0.70 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 15 | 250K | 0 | Sedgwick | |
| 32.9 | 1991-03-26 | 3 | 37°15'N / 96°45'W | 37°23'N / 96°35'W | 15.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Cowley |
| 33.8 | 1991-04-26 | 3 | 37°37'N / 96°16'W | 37°38'N / 96°14'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood |
| 33.8 | 1961-03-26 | 2 | 38°01'N / 96°18'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 33.9 | 1961-07-13 | 2 | 38°02'N / 97°22'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Harvey | |||
| 34.4 | 1954-09-09 | 2 | 37°49'N / 97°28'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 34.8 | 1965-05-13 | 3 | 37°24'N / 97°18'W | 37°29'N / 97°20'W | 5.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| 35.1 | 1971-05-31 | 2 | 38°12'N / 97°15'W | 38°12'N / 97°08'W | 6.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 35.7 | 1954-08-05 | 2 | 38°10'N / 97°07'W | 38°23'N / 96°53'W | 19.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marion |
| 35.8 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 38°17'N / 96°43'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Chase | |||
| 36.3 | 1962-05-24 | 3 | 38°00'N / 97°31'W | 38°03'N / 97°20'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Reno |
| 36.4 | 1960-11-27 | 2 | 37°19'N / 96°28'W | 37°30'N / 96°15'W | 17.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Elk |
| 36.9 | 1970-03-02 | 2 | 38°10'N / 97°11'W | 38°22'N / 97°01'W | 16.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ellsworth |
| 37.3 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°18'N / 96°28'W | 37°28'N / 96°16'W | 15.80 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Elk |
| 37.9 | 1973-03-13 | 2 | 37°00'N / 96°58'W | 37°27'N / 96°40'W | 35.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cowley |
| 38.0 | 1960-04-28 | 3 | 37°42'N / 97°35'W | 37°46'N / 97°29'W | 7.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 38.2 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°15'N / 96°52'W | 38°23'N / 96°33'W | 19.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 38.4 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 38°19'N / 96°41'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Chase | |||
| 38.7 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°28'N / 96°16'W | 37°36'N / 96°08'W | 11.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Elk |
| 38.7 | 1959-06-18 | 2 | 37°32'N / 96°12'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Elk | |
| 38.9 | 1965-05-13 | 3 | 37°55'N / 97°29'W | 38°01'N / 97°32'W | 7.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harvey |
| 39.1 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°15'N / 96°32'W | 37°18'N / 96°28'W | 5.10 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chautauqua |
| 39.4 | 1965-06-03 | 2 | 37°22'N / 96°18'W | 37°39'N / 96°06'W | 22.40 Miles | 87 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Elk |
| 39.7 | 1991-04-26 | 4 | 37°04'N / 97°09'W | 37°21'N / 96°48'W | 25.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Cowley |
| 39.8 | 1973-05-26 | 3 | 37°43'N / 97°36'W | 37°45'N / 97°32'W | 4.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 40.2 | 1990-03-13 | 5 | 38°10'N / 97°23'W | 38°11'N / 97°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Mcpherson |
| 41.4 | 1990-03-13 | 5 | 38°11'N / 97°25'W | 38°13'N / 97°20'W | 4.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Mcpherson |
| 41.5 | 1969-06-23 | 4 | 37°39'N / 97°39'W | 37°36'N / 97°30'W | 8.70 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Sedgwick |
| 41.6 | 1956-07-01 | 2 | 37°49'N / 97°36'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sedgwick | |||
| 41.8 | 1965-03-16 | 4 | 37°07'N / 97°10'W | 37°15'N / 96°51'W | 19.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Cowley |
| 41.9 | 1990-03-13 | 5 | 38°09'N / 97°26'W | 38°11'N / 97°25'W | 2.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Harvey |
| 42.8 | 1982-03-15 | 2 | 37°40'N / 96°04'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 43.0 | 1964-11-15 | 2 | 37°39'N / 96°04'W | 0.80 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 43.2 | 1965-05-13 | 3 | 37°08'N / 97°18'W | 37°24'N / 97°18'W | 18.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| 43.2 | 1990-03-13 | 5 | 37°56'N / 97°43'W | 38°10'N / 97°23'W | 26.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 1 | 59 | 25.0M | 0 | Harvey |
| 43.4 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°36'N / 96°08'W | 37°47'N / 95°58'W | 15.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood |
| 43.7 | 1990-03-13 | 5 | 38°13'N / 97°20'W | 38°25'N / 97°10'W | 16.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Marion |
| 44.0 | 1974-05-13 | 2 | 38°09'N / 97°49'W | 38°10'N / 97°09'W | 36.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Harvey |
| 44.3 | 1962-05-24 | 3 | 38°02'N / 97°40'W | 38°00'N / 97°31'W | 8.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harvey |
| 44.9 | 1991-04-26 | 3 | 37°45'N / 96°05'W | 37°51'N / 95°57'W | 10.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood |
| 45.6 | 1972-04-19 | 2 | 37°36'N / 96°02'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 45.7 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°00'N / 96°49'W | 37°15'N / 96°32'W | 23.20 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Cowley |
| 45.8 | 1955-05-25 | 5 | 37°00'N / 97°15'W | 37°21'N / 97°09'W | 24.70 Miles | 660 Yards | 5 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| 46.1 | 1968-06-10 | 2 | 38°06'N / 96°06'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 46.2 | 1958-06-12 | 2 | 38°11'N / 96°10'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lyon | |||
| 47.0 | 1991-03-26 | 3 | 37°05'N / 97°09'W | 37°10'N / 97°03'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cowley |
| 47.9 | 1986-04-07 | 2 | 38°03'N / 96°05'W | 37°57'N / 95°56'W | 8.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood |
| 47.9 | 2004-08-27 | 2 | 37°16'N / 97°24'W | 37°13'N / 97°24'W | 3.00 Miles | 110 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| Brief Description: At intersection of E. 40th St. S and Highway 81, 2 miles south of Wellington, two homes were damaged around 1830 CST. The first, a 2-story brick structure, was unroofed and had one wall collapsed. (F2 rating assigned to this property.) Tree damage also occurred on & around the property. The 2nd, neighboring home, of wood frame construction, was located 30 feet distant, and sustained minor roof damag. (F0 rating assigned to this property.) In addition, four power poles were snapped to near the ground as were, of course, their associated power lines. | |||||||||||
| 48.1 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°47'N / 95°58'W | 37°48'N / 95°57'W | 1.30 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Woodson |
| 48.8 | 1973-04-13 | 2 | 38°11'N / 96°09'W | 38°19'N / 96°12'W | 9.60 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lyon |
| 49.2 | 2004-05-29 | 3 | 37°23'N / 97°36'W | 37°22'N / 97°34'W | 2.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Sumner |
| Brief Description: Considerable damage to two homesteads; the first being a sturdy brick home. All exterior walls ripped from the home, only leaving only the interior. Home owner ran down the stairs as the tornado hit and avoided injury. Further southeast, a modular home was completely removed from above a viewout basement. It was here that an amazing survival occurred. The homeowner sought refuge in a safe room in the basement and was unharmed, despite the fact a propane tank landed in the basement and began to leak. Breathing became difficult as fumes permeated the saferoom. At the same time, the saferoom began to flood, however the rising water levels dissipated the fumes. In addition, a semi-truck was thrown approximately 100 feet. | |||||||||||
| 49.2 | 1953-05-10 | 2 | 37°00'N / 97°36'W | 37°23'N / 97°07'W | 37.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sumner |
| 49.4 | 1955-04-27 | 2 | 38°02'N / 97°41'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Harvey | |
| 49.5 | 1974-05-13 | 2 | 38°09'N / 97°42'W | 38°22'N / 97°19'W | 25.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mcpherson |
| 49.7 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 38°17'N / 97°29'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mcpherson | |||
| 49.7 | 1991-04-26 | 3 | 37°51'N / 95°57'W | 37°57'N / 95°56'W | 5.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Woodson |
| 49.9 | 1952-06-19 | 2 | 37°11'N / 97°25'W | 37°13'N / 97°22'W | 3.30 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sumner |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.