Lawrence, KS Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Lawrence is about the same as Kansas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Lawrence is much higher than Kansas average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #234
| Lawrence, KS | 0.03 |
| 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
| Lawrence, KS | 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, #12
| Lawrence, KS | 367.95 |
| 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 7,742 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Lawrence, KS 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: | 13 | Cold: | 33 | Dense Fog: | 16 | Drought: | 15 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 669 | Hail: | 3,713 | Heat: | 46 | Heavy Snow: | 56 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 34 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 66 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,678 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 101 | Winter Weather: | 46 |
| Other: | 255 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Lawrence, KS.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Lawrence, KS.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Lawrence, KS.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 139 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Lawrence, KS.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.7 | 2003-05-08 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°14'W | 38°58'N / 95°14'W | 0.70 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 6 | 6.4M | 0 | Douglas |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down in the southwest part of Lawrence and did considerable damage to the area. An apartment complex suffered major damage as did several other homes and residences in the area. Six people were injured and treated at a Lawrence hospital. Severe weather erupted over a large part of the area during the afternoon and evening hours of the 8th. Numerous reports of large hail and a few reports of strong winds were received. In addition 12 tornadoes were reported (discussed separately), some doing considerable damage. Four funnel clouds were also sighted. May 8, 2003, was estimated to be the most significant and widespread tornado outbreak in northeast Kansas since April 26, 1991. All meteorological severe weather forecast parameters came together over northeast Kansas on the afternoon of May 8 to produce an SPC "high risk" area of potential severe weather. The possibility of strong, long-lived destructive tornadoes was highlighted for nearly 24 hours in advance in nearly every NWS statement and product. The significant and widespread tornado outbreak in the nearby Kansas City area just four days before increased public weather awareness and concern, and together with timely watches, statements and warnings, helped prevent tornado related deaths and minimized storm injuries. | |||||||||||
| 3.6 | 1981-06-19 | 3 | 38°58'N / 95°16'W | 38°55'N / 95°08'W | 7.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 33 | 25.0M | 0 | Douglas |
| 4.4 | 1952-05-22 | 4 | 38°59'N / 95°13'W | 39°00'N / 95°10'W | 2.70 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Douglas |
| 4.8 | 1955-05-26 | 2 | 38°38'N / 95°47'W | 39°19'N / 94°55'W | 66.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Osage |
| 5.2 | 1964-04-12 | 3 | 38°45'N / 95°29'W | 39°12'N / 95°14'W | 33.80 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Douglas |
| 5.9 | 1957-06-11 | 2 | 38°52'N / 95°14'W | 38°54'N / 95°12'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Douglas |
| 7.1 | 1951-06-08 | 2 | 38°53'N / 95°21'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Douglas | |||
| 8.2 | 1962-07-11 | 2 | 39°02'N / 95°23'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Douglas | |||
| 10.1 | 1969-07-09 | 2 | 38°57'N / 95°06'W | 38°58'N / 95°03'W | 2.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Douglas |
| 10.5 | 2008-05-02 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°27'W | 38°57'N / 95°28'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 260K | 0K | Douglas |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado demolished and removed a garage and two-thirds of an unoccupied house from it's foundation just after touching down. Debris from the house and the garage was strewn across a nearby field for approximately 500 yards. A metal outbuilding was destroyed near the end of the tornado path. Between these two points, moderate tree damage was noted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed along a dryline during the late afternoon of May 1st, and sustained as the synoptic cold front dove through the region later that evening. Two tornadoes touched down and caused damage in portions of Osage and Douglas Counties. One residence in Douglas County was almost completely demolished by one of the tornadoes, rated an EF-2. Hail from the size of quarters to the size of golfballs was also reported across portions of northeast and east central Kansas. After 11pm CST, the severe weather threat focus turned to strong winds. Trees were damaged across portions of the warning area, as was property including homes, outbuidings, power poles, and transformers. The Emergency Manager from Osage County reported that property damage estimates were around $100,000. Spotters estimated wind speeds up to 70 mph, and a measured gust of 71 mph was reported by the ASOS at the Lawrence Municipal Airport. | |||||||||||
| 10.6 | 1980-05-31 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°06'W | 38°58'N / 95°02'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Douglas |
| 11.5 | 1977-05-04 | 3 | 38°48'N / 95°22'W | 38°48'N / 95°03'W | 16.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Douglas |
| 12.6 | 1956-07-02 | 2 | 38°48'N / 95°11'W | 38°48'N / 95°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Franklin |
| 12.9 | 1952-05-22 | 4 | 39°02'N / 95°10'W | 39°02'N / 94°55'W | 13.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 13.6 | 1962-08-06 | 3 | 38°47'N / 95°15'W | 38°45'N / 95°11'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Douglas |
| 13.7 | 1969-07-09 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°03'W | 38°59'N / 94°58'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 14.1 | 1980-05-31 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°02'W | 38°58'N / 94°58'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 14.5 | 1958-05-31 | 2 | 38°44'N / 95°13'W | 38°47'N / 95°10'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 15.7 | 2003-05-04 | 2 | 39°01'N / 95°04'W | 39°06'N / 94°56'W | 6.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 2 | 4.0M | 0 | Leavenworth |
| Brief Description: Tornado on the ground 2 miles northwest of Linwood at County Road 25 and Interstate 70. Reported by emergency management and ham radio operator. Video shows the tornado crossed the Kansas Turnpike east of the Eastern Toll Booth, and then proceeded northeast to where it lifted 2 miles south of Basehor. Total track length was 6 miles, with a width approaching 250 yards at times. Maxium intensity rating was F2, with most damage noted to homes near and just northeast of the intersection of 166th and Kansas Road. A dry line moved into eastern Kansas and initiated severe thunderstorm development the afternoon of May 4th. Several of the thunderstorms became tornadic in Miami, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. The strongest tornado reached F4 intensity in Kansas City Kansas before moving into Missouri. This tornado killed an 82 year old man and injured 30 others. Wyandotte county also had $15.5 million dollars in damage, with 69 buildings destroyed, and 390 suffering damage. Leavenworth county had 9 homes destroyed, 8 with major damage and 17 with minor damage. Damage estimates for Leavenworth county are around $4 million dollars. This was the most significant tornado outbreak in the Kansas City Metropolitan areas, since the Pleasant Hill tornado outbreak of 1977. A 46 year old woman died from injuries received with this tornado on October 10th, 2003. | |||||||||||
| 16.5 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 39°00'N / 95°34'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Shawnee | |||
| 17.4 | 1980-05-31 | 2 | 39°03'N / 95°34'W | 2.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 18.6 | 1960-05-19 | 3 | 39°14'N / 95°26'W | 39°13'N / 95°13'W | 11.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 19.1 | 1977-05-04 | 3 | 38°48'N / 95°03'W | 38°55'N / 94°49'W | 14.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnson |
| 19.4 | 1954-03-24 | 2 | 38°44'N / 95°03'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Franklin | |||
| 19.7 | 1954-03-18 | 2 | 38°47'N / 95°33'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Osage | |||
| 19.7 | 1958-11-17 | 2 | 39°11'N / 95°02'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Leavenworth | |||
| 20.7 | 1958-05-31 | 2 | 38°40'N / 95°11'W | 1.00 Mile | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin | |
| 21.0 | 1962-08-06 | 2 | 39°10'N / 95°33'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jefferson | |||
| 21.6 | 1970-11-08 | 2 | 39°05'N / 95°38'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 22.0 | 1988-11-15 | 2 | 39°03'N / 95°41'W | 39°07'N / 95°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 22 | 2.5M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 22.1 | 1952-06-21 | 2 | 39°08'N / 95°09'W | 39°08'N / 94°41'W | 24.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 22.4 | 1966-06-08 | 4 | 39°10'N / 95°11'W | 39°16'N / 94°50'W | 19.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 22.4 | 1962-08-06 | 2 | 39°11'N / 95°34'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jefferson | |||
| 22.5 | 1960-05-19 | 4 | 39°13'N / 95°35'W | 39°14'N / 95°26'W | 7.90 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 22.7 | 1960-05-19 | 3 | 39°13'N / 95°13'W | 39°19'N / 95°00'W | 13.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 23.5 | 1962-05-26 | 3 | 38°58'N / 95°42'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 23.5 | 1962-05-27 | 2 | 39°14'N / 95°00'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Leavenworth | |||
| 23.9 | 1981-07-19 | 2 | 39°08'N / 95°39'W | 0.30 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 24.1 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°10'N / 94°56'W | 39°11'N / 94°53'W | 2.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 24.3 | 1978-05-23 | 2 | 38°49'N / 95°43'W | 38°49'N / 95°38'W | 4.10 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Osage |
| 24.7 | 1952-05-22 | 4 | 39°02'N / 94°55'W | 39°04'N / 94°43'W | 10.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 24.8 | 1983-05-06 | 3 | 38°54'N / 95°52'W | 39°03'N / 95°35'W | 19.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 25 | 25.0M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 25.1 | 1958-11-17 | 2 | 38°37'N / 95°25'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Franklin | |||
| 25.8 | 1966-06-08 | 2 | 39°14'N / 95°02'W | 39°16'N / 94°53'W | 8.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 26.2 | 1974-03-08 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 39°12'N / 95°30'W | 29.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 26.3 | 1966-06-08 | 5 | 38°55'N / 95°55'W | 39°05'N / 95°35'W | 21.10 Miles | 880 Yards | 16 | 450 | 250.0M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 26.3 | 1960-05-19 | 2 | 39°07'N / 95°40'W | 39°09'N / 95°44'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 26.4 | 1957-05-20 | 5 | 38°40'N / 95°04'W | 38°53'N / 94°36'W | 29.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 4 | 20 | 2.5M | 0 | Miami |
| 26.6 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°11'N / 94°53'W | 39°12'N / 94°51'W | 1.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Wyandotte |
| 27.0 | 1964-04-12 | 3 | 39°14'N / 95°01'W | 39°18'N / 94°53'W | 8.40 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 22 | 2.5M | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 27.2 | 1974-03-08 | 2 | 39°12'N / 95°30'W | 39°25'N / 95°30'W | 14.90 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 27.5 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 39°21'N / 95°28'W | 37.00 Miles | 790 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 27.8 | 1957-05-20 | 5 | 38°27'N / 95°30'W | 38°40'N / 95°04'W | 27.70 Miles | 440 Yards | 3 | 11 | 2.5M | 0 | Franklin |
| 27.9 | 1956-06-18 | 2 | 39°15'N / 94°54'W | 0.80 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Leavenworth | |
| 28.4 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 38°33'N / 95°17'W | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Franklin | |||
| 28.4 | 1966-05-11 | 3 | 39°10'N / 95°48'W | 39°12'N / 95°37'W | 9.90 Miles | 660 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 28.4 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°12'N / 94°51'W | 39°11'N / 94°48'W | 2.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Wyandotte |
| 28.5 | 1966-04-19 | 3 | 38°55'N / 94°48'W | 38°58'N / 94°40'W | 7.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnson |
| 29.2 | 2003-05-04 | 4 | 39°04'N / 94°50'W | 39°08'N / 94°40'W | 15.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 30 | 15.5M | 0 | Wyandotte |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down just north-northwest of the Kansas Speedway around 318 pm CST. This tornado initially produced F0 to F1 damage, but produced F3 damage to 2 homes, just south of Parallel Parkway near I-435. The tornado grew to a width to near 500 yards in Kansas City, Kansas, where some marginal F4 damage was noted around 91st and Leavenworth Road. The tornado continued some F2 to F3 damage northeast near 84th Terrace north of Leavenworth Road. This is the location where an 82 year old man was killed in his residence. The tornado continued northeast through Wyandotte county, where another instance of marginal F4 damage was noted near 79th Street and Cernech. Considerable structural damage was noted in this location, along with four 150 foot-tall metal power poles engineered to withstand maximum winds over 200 mph. The tornado produced F1 to F2 damage up to the Missouri River before crossing into Platte county Missouri, near Riverside and Parkville around 335 pm CST. M82PH, F46PH A dry line moved into eastern Kansas and initiated severe thunderstorm development the afternoon of May 4th. Several of the thunderstorms became tornadic in Miami, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. The strongest tornado reached F4 intensity in Kansas City Kansas before moving into Missouri. This tornado killed an 82 year old man and injured 30 others. Wyandotte county also had $15.5 million dollars in damage, with 69 buildings destroyed, and 390 suffering damage. Leavenworth county had 9 homes destroyed, 8 with major damage and 17 with minor damage. Damage estimates for Leavenworth county are around $4 million dollars. This was the most significant tornado outbreak in the Kansas City Metropolitan areas, since the Pleasant Hill tornado outbreak of 1977. A 46 year old woman died from injuries received with this tornado on October 10th, 2003. | |||||||||||
| 29.3 | 1977-05-04 | 2 | 38°53'N / 94°48'W | 38°54'N / 94°39'W | 7.80 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 29.6 | 1960-04-16 | 3 | 38°29'N / 95°17'W | 38°35'N / 95°10'W | 9.20 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 29.8 | 1951-05-31 | 2 | 39°22'N / 95°24'W | 39°24'N / 95°21'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 29.8 | 1954-05-31 | 2 | 38°53'N / 94°43'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Johnson | |
| 30.3 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°11'N / 94°48'W | 39°12'N / 94°46'W | 1.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Wyandotte |
| 30.3 | 2003-05-08 | 3 | 38°35'N / 95°45'W | 38°42'N / 95°33'W | 25.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Osage |
| Brief Description: A second tornado touched down in Osage county about 13 miles southwest of Lyndon and moved northeast for 25 miles before dissipating 6 miles south of Overbrook. The tornado was a half mile wide in places and did considerable damage to farm buildings, machinery, and fences along its path. | |||||||||||
| 30.3 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 39°21'N / 95°25'W | 39°26'N / 95°19'W | 5.00 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 30.4 | 1972-04-30 | 2 | 38°45'N / 94°46'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Johnson | |||
| 30.6 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 39°14'N / 95°43'W | 39°21'N / 95°34'W | 10.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 31.2 | 1967-06-11 | 3 | 39°10'N / 95°40'W | 39°32'N / 95°27'W | 27.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 31.3 | 1957-05-20 | 3 | 38°30'N / 95°26'W | 38°32'N / 95°20'W | 5.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Franklin |
| 31.3 | 1971-05-18 | 2 | 39°21'N / 95°06'W | 39°24'N / 94°57'W | 8.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 31.5 | 1964-04-20 | 2 | 38°42'N / 94°47'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Miami | |||
| 31.5 | 1962-05-28 | 2 | 38°50'N / 95°54'W | 38°56'N / 95°47'W | 0.90 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Osage |
| 31.7 | 1960-05-19 | 4 | 39°11'N / 95°57'W | 39°13'N / 95°35'W | 19.60 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 91 | 2.5M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 31.7 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 38°55'N / 95°51'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Shawnee | |||
| 32.1 | 1978-05-11 | 2 | 38°37'N / 94°59'W | 38°36'N / 94°46'W | 11.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Miami |
| 32.1 | 1984-04-26 | 3 | 39°24'N / 95°26'W | 39°25'N / 95°25'W | 1.00 Mile | 1200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 33.4 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°13'N / 94°46'W | 39°14'N / 94°43'W | 2.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Platte |
| 33.5 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 39°21'N / 95°28'W | 39°31'N / 95°20'W | 13.30 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 33.5 | 1964-04-12 | 3 | 39°18'N / 94°53'W | 39°23'N / 94°52'W | 5.60 Miles | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Platte |
| 33.7 | 1974-06-08 | 4 | 38°52'N / 95°54'W | 38°54'N / 95°52'W | 1.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 33.7 | 1966-05-15 | 2 | 39°09'N / 94°41'W | 2.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Wyandotte | |
| 34.6 | 1965-04-10 | 3 | 39°25'N / 95°07'W | 39°28'N / 95°03'W | 4.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Leavenworth |
| 34.6 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 39°06'N / 95°53'W | 0.60 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 35.3 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°50'N / 95°53'W | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 9.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 35.6 | 1969-06-26 | 2 | 39°14'N / 94°42'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Platte | |
| 36.8 | 2003-05-04 | 4 | 39°12'N / 94°42'W | 39°12'N / 94°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 32.0M | 0 | Platte |
| Brief Description: Tornado crossed from Wyandotte county into Platte county and continued to Clay county. There were 14 buildings destroyed, 42 with major damage. No injuries or fatalaties reported. A dry line moved into eastern Kansas on the afternoon of May 4th. Severe thunderstorms quickly erupted in the mid afternoon hours and marched east northeast into Missouri. Several of the severe thunderstorms became tornadic. A supercell thunderstorm produced 4 seperate tornadoes over the northland of Kansas City. The strongest tornadoes reached F4 in intensity and moved over southern portions of Platte and Clay counties. In Platte county 14 buildings were destroyed, 43 suffered major damage and 149 had minor damage. There were no fatalities or injuries and total damage was estimated at $33.95 million dollars. In Clay county total damages were estimated at $91 million dollars. Several hundred homes were either destroyed or had major or minor damage. No fatalities were observed but there were 19 injuries. This was the most significant tornado outbeak in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, since the Pleasant Hill Missouri outbreak in 1977. | |||||||||||
| 36.9 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 39°14'N / 95°52'W | 39°16'N / 95°49'W | 7.00 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jackson |
| 37.0 | 1958-11-17 | 2 | 38°30'N / 95°37'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Osage | |||
| 37.2 | 1961-10-12 | 2 | 39°19'N / 95°47'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 37.6 | 1958-06-12 | 2 | 39°02'N / 96°00'W | 39°02'N / 95°55'W | 4.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 37.8 | 1968-04-16 | 2 | 39°04'N / 96°10'W | 39°24'N / 95°35'W | 38.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 38.0 | 1974-06-08 | 4 | 38°42'N / 95°58'W | 38°52'N / 95°54'W | 11.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Osage |
| 38.4 | 1969-06-26 | 3 | 39°11'N / 94°38'W | 39°13'N / 94°36'W | 1.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Platte |
| 38.6 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 39°06'N / 96°00'W | 39°14'N / 95°52'W | 9.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 39.1 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 39°26'N / 95°19'W | 39°37'N / 95°07'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Atchison |
| 39.1 | 1984-04-26 | 3 | 39°25'N / 95°25'W | 39°38'N / 95°13'W | 16.00 Miles | 1200 Yards | 0 | 9 | 25.0M | 0 | Atchison |
| 39.2 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°14'N / 94°43'W | 39°16'N / 94°33'W | 9.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Platte |
| 40.5 | 1968-05-15 | 3 | 38°38'N / 94°39'W | 38°40'N / 94°36'W | 2.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Miami |
| 40.7 | 1971-05-18 | 2 | 39°24'N / 94°57'W | 39°32'N / 94°48'W | 12.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Platte |
| 40.9 | 1965-04-10 | 3 | 39°29'N / 95°00'W | 39°32'N / 94°57'W | 4.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Platte |
| 41.0 | 1981-05-23 | 2 | 38°22'N / 95°14'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Anderson | |
| 41.0 | 1957-05-20 | 5 | 38°53'N / 94°36'W | 38°59'N / 94°24'W | 12.60 Miles | 440 Yards | 37 | 176 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 41.1 | 1977-05-04 | 2 | 38°27'N / 94°48'W | 38°36'N / 94°41'W | 11.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Miami |
| 41.2 | 1968-05-15 | 3 | 38°40'N / 94°37'W | 38°38'N / 94°36'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cass | ||
| 41.7 | 1979-10-18 | 2 | 39°30'N / 95°36'W | 39°34'N / 95°25'W | 10.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Atchison |
| 41.7 | 1960-04-15 | 3 | 38°35'N / 94°39'W | 38°38'N / 94°37'W | 2.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Miami |
| 41.7 | 2008-05-02 | 2 | 39°13'N / 94°34'W | 39°13'N / 94°33'W | 1.00 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10.0M | 0K | Clay |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 tornado developed along a bow echo and touched down at 1:03 am in Gladstone. It then traveled northeast and dissipated at 1:08 am. Numerous homes and businesses suffered damage or total loss. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An early morning line of storms developed across south central Kansas. This line of storms, developed into a Bow Echo, which raced northeast at speeds in excess of 50 mph, into the greater Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding communities, early on the morning of May 2, 2008. The Bow Echo generated hurricane force winds, which brought widespread wind damage, to areas from Olathe Kansas, northeast through Kansas City, to Brookfield in north central Missouri. As the Bow Echo moved through Kansas City, it spun up a couple of tornadoes along the apex, or nose, of its leading edge. One EF3 tornado moved across the north side of Gladstone, while the other EF2 tornado moved through an area just northwest of Liberty. However, most of the damage was due to the strong straight line winds, that were also occurring along the apex of the Bow Echo. Gladstone reported 20 homes destroyed, 280 homes with damage, and 19 businesses damaged. North Kansas City had 4 homes destroyed, and 117 damaged. Independence had 13 homes and two businesses badly damaged. Six people were injured and damage was in the millions of dollars. | |||||||||||
| 41.9 | 1962-08-06 | 4 | 39°31'N / 95°47'W | 39°23'N / 95°40'W | 11.00 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 42.1 | 1974-03-08 | 2 | 39°25'N / 95°30'W | 39°40'N / 95°30'W | 17.20 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Atchison |
| 42.2 | 1960-04-15 | 3 | 38°38'N / 94°37'W | 38°42'N / 94°32'W | 6.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cass |
| 42.5 | 1993-05-06 | 2 | 39°28'N / 95°33'W | 39°38'N / 95°26'W | 12.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 50K | Atchison |
| Brief Description: The tornado formed west of Arrington near Highway K116 moved north along the Delware River bottom crossing the river 0.5 miles west of Muscotah, then moved northeast through open country before dissipating five miles west of Huron near the county lake. The Tornado was not on the ground continuously but bounced up and down leaving many areas undamaged. At least four farmsteads sustained significant damage along with many trees and numerous power poles and cable. No injures or deaths were reported. | |||||||||||
| 42.9 | 1957-06-22 | 2 | 39°00'N / 94°35'W | 39°15'N / 94°24'W | 19.80 Miles | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jackson |
| 42.9 | 1979-10-18 | 2 | 39°20'N / 96°01'W | 39°30'N / 95°36'W | 24.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 43.5 | 2004-05-29 | 3 | 39°28'N / 94°48'W | 39°30'N / 94°49'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 30K | 0 | Platte |
| Brief Description: Tornado crossed into Buchanan county 5 northwest of Camden Point. Tornado destroyed a barn, and threw an axle from a heavy truck nearly 300 yards. | |||||||||||
| 43.8 | 1969-06-26 | 3 | 39°13'N / 94°36'W | 39°18'N / 94°29'W | 8.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Clay |
| 44.7 | 1982-06-08 | 2 | 39°22'N / 95°58'W | 39°26'N / 95°47'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 45.3 | 2003-05-04 | 4 | 39°14'N / 94°30'W | 39°15'N / 94°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Clay |
| Brief Description: Tornado moved in from Platte county and dissipated just before 169 highway south of I-29. A dry line moved into eastern Kansas on the afternoon of May 4th. Severe thunderstorms quickly erupted in the mid afternoon hours and marched east northeast into Missouri. Several of the severe thunderstorms became tornadic. A supercell thunderstorm produced 4 seperate tornadoes over the northland of Kansas City. The strongest tornadoes reached F4 in intensity and moved over southern portions of Platte and Clay counties. In Platte county 14 buildings were destroyed, 43 suffered major damage and 149 had minor damage. There were no fatalities or injuries and total damage was estimated at $33.95 million dollars. In Clay county total damages were estimated at $91 million dollars. Several hundred homes were either destroyed or had major or minor damage. No fatalities were observed but there were 19 injuries. This was the most significant tornado outbeak in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, since the Pleasant Hill Missouri outbreak in 1977. | |||||||||||
| 45.4 | 2004-05-29 | 3 | 39°31'N / 94°50'W | 39°34'N / 94°54'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Buchanan |
| Brief Description: Large tornado entered Buchanan county just northwest of Dearborn or 7 miles southeast of Dekalb. It stayed over rural areas. | |||||||||||
| 45.4 | 1954-04-10 | 2 | 38°20'N / 95°31'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Coffey | |||
| 45.4 | 1955-05-27 | 2 | 38°13'N / 95°08'W | 38°29'N / 94°46'W | 27.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Anderson |
| 45.4 | 1978-05-31 | 3 | 39°22'N / 96°02'W | 39°28'N / 95°43'W | 18.10 Miles | 1300 Yards | 3 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Jackson |
| 46.3 | 2003-05-04 | 4 | 39°14'N / 94°29'W | 39°14'N / 94°28'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 13 | 31.0M | 0 | Clay |
| Brief Description: New tornado touchdown near Shady Lane and Antioch in Gladstone...with F0 to F1 damage to trees and roofs. The tornado intensified quickly, and damage of marginal F4 intensity was noted around one mile northeast of this area, near the intersection of NE 63rd Terrace and North Jackson. Another small area of marginal F4 intensity was noted just northeast of this location, in the Carriage Hills subdivision, just south of Pleasant Valley Road near North Brighton. Areas of F1 to F3 intensity damage was noted around these specific neighborhoods. The tornado continued northeast, based on air surveys, to just shy of Interstate 435 before dissipating. A dry line moved into eastern Kansas on the afternoon of May 4th. Severe thunderstorms quickly erupted in the mid afternoon hours and marched east northeast into Missouri. Several of the severe thunderstorms became tornadic. A supercell thunderstorm produced 4 seperate tornadoes over the northland of Kansas City. The strongest tornadoes reached F4 in intensity and moved over southern portions of Platte and Clay counties. In Platte county 14 buildings were destroyed, 43 suffered major damage and 149 had minor damage. There were no fatalities or injuries and total damage was estimated at $33.95 million dollars. In Clay county total damages were estimated at $91 million dollars. Several hundred homes were either destroyed or had major or minor damage. No fatalities were observed but there were 19 injuries. This was the most significant tornado outbeak in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, since the Pleasant Hill Missouri outbreak in 1977. | |||||||||||
| 46.4 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 38°44'N / 96°15'W | 39°06'N / 96°00'W | 28.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 46.8 | 1974-04-20 | 2 | 38°17'N / 95°14'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Anderson | |
| 47.1 | 1961-05-07 | 4 | 39°16'N / 94°33'W | 39°17'N / 94°25'W | 6.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Platte |
| 47.4 | 1965-09-20 | 2 | 38°54'N / 94°23'W | 1.50 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 47.5 | 1967-06-11 | 3 | 39°32'N / 95°27'W | 39°45'N / 95°20'W | 16.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Atchison |
| 47.7 | 1953-06-19 | 2 | 39°36'N / 95°36'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jackson | |||
| 48.0 | 2008-05-02 | 3 | 39°17'N / 94°29'W | 39°18'N / 94°28'W | 1.00 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 4.0M | 0K | Clay |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A brief EF3 tornado developed along the apex of a bow echo, and touched down northwest of Liberty at 12:56 am CST. The tornado tracked east-northeast for nearly one mile before dissipating at 1:00 am. Four homes were destroyed and 117 suffered damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An early morning line of storms developed across south central Kansas. This line of storms, developed into a Bow Echo, which raced northeast at speeds in excess of 50 mph, into the greater Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding communities, early on the morning of May 2, 2008. The Bow Echo generated hurricane force winds, which brought widespread wind damage, to areas from Olathe Kansas, northeast through Kansas City, to Brookfield in north central Missouri. As the Bow Echo moved through Kansas City, it spun up a couple of tornadoes along the apex, or nose, of its leading edge. One EF3 tornado moved across the north side of Gladstone, while the other EF2 tornado moved through an area just northwest of Liberty. However, most of the damage was due to the strong straight line winds, that were also occurring along the apex of the Bow Echo. Gladstone reported 20 homes destroyed, 280 homes with damage, and 19 businesses damaged. North Kansas City had 4 homes destroyed, and 117 damaged. Independence had 13 homes and two businesses badly damaged. Six people were injured and damage was in the millions of dollars. | |||||||||||
| 48.1 | 1954-03-18 | 2 | 38°45'N / 96°07'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wabaunsee | |||
| 48.1 | 1955-09-21 | 2 | 38°18'N / 95°33'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Coffey | |
| 48.4 | 1971-05-18 | 2 | 39°32'N / 94°48'W | 39°34'N / 94°45'W | 3.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Buchanan |
| 49.2 | 1960-05-19 | 4 | 39°09'N / 96°20'W | 39°11'N / 95°57'W | 20.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 12 | 25.0M | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 49.3 | 1969-04-04 | 2 | 38°23'N / 94°43'W | 38°28'N / 94°36'W | 8.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Miami |
| 49.4 | 1965-04-10 | 3 | 39°32'N / 94°57'W | 39°40'N / 94°45'W | 14.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Buchanan |
| 49.7 | 1950-05-05 | 3 | 39°37'N / 95°37'W | 39°39'N / 95°34'W | 3.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 12 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 49.7 | 1964-04-12 | 4 | 38°07'N / 95°18'W | 38°22'N / 95°08'W | 19.40 Miles | 880 Yards | 3 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Anderson |
| 49.7 | 1969-04-04 | 2 | 38°21'N / 94°46'W | 38°23'N / 94°43'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Linn |
* 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.