Montezuma, KS Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Montezuma is about the same as Kansas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Montezuma is lower than Kansas average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #216
Montezuma, 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
Montezuma, 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, #591
Montezuma, KS | 186.51 |
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 4,745 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Montezuma, 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: | 5 | Cold: | 3 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 3 |
Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 72 | Hail: | 3,037 | Heat: | 2 | Heavy Snow: | 18 |
High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 6 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 46 |
Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,400 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 21 | Winter Weather: | 10 |
Other: | 122 |
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Montezuma, KS.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Montezuma, KS.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Montezuma, KS.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 66 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Montezuma, KS.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
8.8 | 1982-03-19 | 2 | 37°37'N / 100°40'W | 37°49'N / 100°19'W | 24.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Gray |
11.5 | 1996-05-26 | 3 | 37°38'N / 100°39'W | 37°52'N / 100°24'W | 22.00 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 150K | Gray |
Brief Description: The thunderstorm that produced the F2 tornado in Seward and Haskell counties spun up an even bigger tornado further into Haskell and Gray counties. The tornado took a few trees in Haskell county. In Gray county...34 irrigation sprinklers systems were damaged or destroyed...power poles were snapped...2 houses were damaged...a barn was destroyed...a truck overturned...flood irrigation pipe was tossed like match sticks. In fact...one witness reported the 30 foot pieces of pipe were 4 or 5 hundred feet in the air. In addition...3 inch high corn plants were completely removed...leaving the field bare. Several people video taping the tornado were chased by the tornado...only to take shelter under a bridge. The tornado passed about 1/2 mile east of them while they watched 5 inch diameter hail pound the ground. | |||||||||||
16.4 | 1955-07-13 | 2 | 37°49'N / 100°20'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Gray | |
18.8 | 2005-06-09 | 2 | 37°19'N / 100°20'W | 37°24'N / 100°13'W | 9.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Meade |
Brief Description: This tornado damaged outbuilds, trees and center pivot sprinklers. | |||||||||||
19.3 | 2001-04-10 | 2 | 37°30'N / 100°11'W | 37°42'N / 100°00'W | 17.30 Miles | 380 Yards | 0 | 0 | 190K | 0 | Ford |
Brief Description: A mobile home was completely demolished. Ironically, the occupants were not at home, only because the school activity bus was late. Another trailer nearby received moderate damage. Two pivot sprinklers were destroyed and there was other scattered minor damage along the path of the tornado. | |||||||||||
20.5 | 1982-03-18 | 2 | 37°26'N / 100°57'W | 37°37'N / 100°40'W | 24.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Haskell |
23.2 | 1972-07-28 | 2 | 37°30'N / 100°51'W | 1.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Haskell | |
23.3 | 1996-05-26 | 2 | 37°24'N / 100°51'W | 37°28'N / 100°47'W | 6.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Haskell |
Brief Description: 2 irrigation sprinklers destroyed...fertilizer tanks carried over 1 mile...2 houses damaged...fence destroyed...trees uprooted...hay bales tossed...30 foot radio tower blown down...wheat plants pulled up...farm building heavily damaged...flood irrigation pipe scattered about. | |||||||||||
24.2 | 1978-05-30 | 2 | 37°54'N / 100°13'W | 37°52'N / 100°10'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Ford |
24.2 | 1955-06-17 | 2 | 37°15'N / 100°22'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Meade | |||
24.9 | 1978-05-30 | 2 | 38°00'N / 100°30'W | 37°54'N / 100°13'W | 16.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Gray |
25.5 | 1972-07-28 | 2 | 37°27'N / 100°01'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clark | |
26.9 | 1958-06-21 | 2 | 37°16'N / 100°35'W | 37°09'N / 100°25'W | 12.20 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Meade |
27.3 | 1994-04-09 | 2 | 37°09'N / 100°46'W | 37°16'N / 100°19'W | 7.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 8 | 50K | 0 | Seward |
Brief Description: A tornado touched down 3.5 WSW of Kismet at 1535 CST and moved ENE across Highway 54 and east into Meade County where it ended at 1610 CST at a point one southeast of Meade. Speed of movement was 35 mph with total path length of 26 miles. In Seward County the tornado struck a car and mobile home 2 E of Kismet at 1540 CST. Two adults were in the car and one adult and five children were in the mobile home. All eight sustained minor injuries and the mobile home was demolished. The tornado had a maximum path width of 1,000 yards in Seward County, but expanded to a maximum width of a mile southeast of Plains in Meade County. | |||||||||||
27.3 | 1965-05-07 | 2 | 37°57'N / 100°40'W | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Finney | |||
29.6 | 1955-06-17 | 2 | 37°20'N / 100°01'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clark | |||
29.6 | 1960-05-23 | 2 | 38°01'N / 100°33'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Finney | |||
29.9 | 1953-05-29 | 2 | 37°29'N / 99°55'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Ford | |||
31.1 | 1950-08-06 | 2 | 37°58'N / 100°46'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Finney | |||
31.4 | 1974-06-21 | 3 | 37°12'N / 100°42'W | 37°10'N / 100°40'W | 2.70 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Seward |
31.4 | 1978-05-30 | 2 | 38°04'N / 100°42'W | 38°00'N / 100°30'W | 11.70 Miles | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Finney |
31.9 | 1996-05-26 | 2 | 37°12'N / 100°56'W | 37°24'N / 100°51'W | 14.00 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 140K | Seward |
Brief Description: 2 irrigation sprinklers destroyed...fertilizer tanks carried over 1 mile...2 houses damaged...fence destroyed...trees uprooted...hay bales tossed...30 foot radio tower blown down...wheat plants pulled up...farm building heavily damaged...flood irrigation pipe scattered about. | |||||||||||
32.2 | 1987-05-03 | 2 | 37°26'N / 100°58'W | 37°25'N / 101°01'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Haskell |
32.9 | 2009-04-18 | 2 | 38°01'N / 100°15'W | 38°04'N / 100°13'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Finney |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This was a multiple vortex tornado that heavily damaged a farm that included outbuildings and some damage to the home itself. There was also some tree damage. The tornado moved slowly and steadily into Hodgeman county at 224 PM CDT. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Severe thunderstorms developed under a cold core upper low and were capable or producing tornadoes and hail. Some of the hail was deep enough on the highway in Finney county in the vicinity of Kalvesta the the Department of Transportation had to get snow plows out to clear the highway. | |||||||||||
33.0 | 1977-05-18 | 2 | 37°44'N / 101°04'W | 38°15'N / 100°30'W | 47.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Finney |
33.7 | 1967-06-23 | 3 | 38°02'N / 101°00'W | 37°55'N / 100°40'W | 19.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 30 | 25.0M | 0 | Finney |
34.8 | 2003-05-15 | 2 | 37°15'N / 100°56'W | 37°18'N / 100°56'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0 | Seward |
Brief Description: The tornado began 15 miles north and 1.5 miles west of the center of Liberal and ended 18 miles north and 2 miles east. One home received minor roof damage and broken windows. The second home was destroyed with debris from the home traveling 1/4 of a mile. | |||||||||||
34.9 | 1965-05-07 | 2 | 38°06'N / 100°24'W | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Finney | |||
35.2 | 1971-10-17 | 2 | 37°57'N / 100°55'W | 38°00'N / 100°50'W | 5.60 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Finney |
35.6 | 1977-05-18 | 2 | 37°43'N / 101°05'W | 37°44'N / 101°04'W | 1.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Haskell |
35.7 | 1954-06-10 | 2 | 38°06'N / 100°18'W | 7.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Finney | |
36.2 | 1991-05-16 | 3 | 37°56'N / 100°09'W | 38°05'N / 99°55'W | 22.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Hodgeman |
36.8 | 1973-09-25 | 3 | 37°06'N / 100°05'W | 37°11'N / 100°06'W | 5.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Meade |
37.0 | 1973-06-28 | 2 | 38°00'N / 100°58'W | 37°59'N / 100°50'W | 7.20 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Finney |
37.6 | 1989-06-06 | 3 | 37°11'N / 101°01'W | 37°14'N / 100°50'W | 12.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Seward |
38.4 | 1994-04-09 | 2 | 37°27'N / 99°46'W | 0.80 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Clark | |
Brief Description: Tornado touched down briefly and passed through the Roger Giles Farmstead. House windows were broken out, farm machinery was wrecked, and the house was moved on its foundation. All but two outbuildings on the farmstead were damaged. | |||||||||||
38.4 | 2001-04-10 | 2 | 37°31'N / 99°46'W | 37°38'N / 99°43'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 425K | 0 | Ford |
Brief Description: Eight pivot sprinklers were destroyed along with a barn and silo. | |||||||||||
41.0 | 1973-09-25 | 3 | 37°37'N / 99°45'W | 37°43'N / 99°39'W | 8.80 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ford |
41.9 | 1960-05-22 | 2 | 38°11'N / 100°38'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Finney | |||
42.6 | 1959-07-10 | 2 | 37°38'N / 99°40'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Ford | |||
43.2 | 1972-05-22 | 2 | 38°00'N / 99°54'W | 38°02'N / 99°49'W | 5.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hodgeman |
43.5 | 1951-06-06 | 3 | 37°35'N / 101°22'W | 37°02'N / 100°56'W | 44.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Grant |
44.1 | 1951-05-20 | 3 | 37°54'N / 101°12'W | 38°01'N / 101°01'W | 12.80 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kearny |
44.2 | 2001-04-06 | 2 | 37°25'N / 101°17'W | 37°35'N / 101°12'W | 14.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 235K | 0 | Grant |
Brief Description: Tornado crossed into Grant county from Stevens county at 1647. Three pivot sprinklers were destroyed, 2 grain bins, a silo, machine shed and horse trailer were also damaged or destroyed. A roof was taken off a building and an empty rail car was overturned. | |||||||||||
44.4 | 1982-03-18 | 2 | 37°07'N / 100°59'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Seward | |
45.3 | 2007-03-28 | 3 | 38°04'N / 100°04'W | 38°16'N / 100°00'W | 13.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 210K | 0K | Hodgeman |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This large tornado destroyed three homes and did damage to one other. Hundreds of power poles were broken along with a handful of pivot irrigation sprinklers and barns. Trees also sustained major damage. There were also at least 50 head of cattle dead from this tornado in Hodgeman county. Parts of the debris from a shed were found 40 miles north. A wedding book registry was found intact 34 miles from the original location in a home that was destroyed. This tornado continued into Ness county at 925 PM CDT. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Major tornado outbreak and severe weather swept across parts of western Kansas. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities despite major destruction. | |||||||||||
45.7 | 1968-06-13 | 2 | 38°06'N / 99°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hodgeman | |||
46.0 | 2002-05-07 | 2 | 37°43'N / 99°40'W | 37°43'N / 99°34'W | 1.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0 | Ford |
Brief Description: This first tornado of the afternoon came close to striking a farm that was plowing his field. His tractor was running low on fuel and just made it back to shelter as irrigation pipe was flying by. Several pivots were destroyed. | |||||||||||
46.4 | 1990-06-19 | 2 | 37°39'N / 101°27'W | 37°30'N / 101°08'W | 20.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
46.5 | 1977-05-18 | 2 | 37°24'N / 101°30'W | 37°43'N / 101°05'W | 31.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
46.5 | 2003-05-15 | 2 | 37°02'N / 100°56'W | 37°03'N / 100°55'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 8.0M | 0 | Seward |
Brief Description: The second tornado stayed mainly in town. It destroyed several buildings and caused significant roof and tree damage. | |||||||||||
46.6 | 2005-05-11 | 2 | 37°36'N / 101°21'W | 37°44'N / 101°14'W | 13.20 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 350K | 0 | Grant |
Brief Description: This tornado traveled into Kearny county before roping out. At 2ne of Ulysses part of a barn roof was blown off and a large tree was uprooted. Several horses were slightly injured. Then at 5ne of Ulysses an abandoned mobile home was destroyed. At six miles northeast of Ulysses, two pivot sprinklers were mangled, large trees were snapped at the base and several power poles were destroyed. Several grain bins (full of wheat) were completely swept away and the grain was scattered for some distance. Remnants of the grain bins were not found in the local vicinity. Farther northeast along the track several more pivot sprinklers were destroyed. It is estimated that if this tornado had made a direct hit, it would have likely caused at least high-end F3 damage. | |||||||||||
46.9 | 1977-05-01 | 2 | 36°54'N / 100°30'W | 36°56'N / 100°28'W | 2.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Beaver |
47.0 | 1962-06-16 | 3 | 38°08'N / 100°43'W | 38°25'N / 100°15'W | 31.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Finney |
47.0 | 2003-05-15 | 2 | 37°02'N / 100°57'W | 37°03'N / 100°56'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 6.0M | 0 | Seward |
Brief Description: The tornado began 1 mile west of town and first tore through the northwest part of Liberal destroying several mobile homes and throwing a pickup into the debris. Other homes in the area received heavy roof damage. | |||||||||||
47.1 | 2008-05-23 | 3 | 37°20'N / 99°43'W | 37°24'N / 99°33'W | 11.00 Miles | 3170 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Clark |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This extremely large tornado (1.8 miles wide) moved east and then turned northeast towards Kiowa county. Many power poles were taken down by the tornado. It also caused EF3 damage to trees, two old houses, barns and it carried an oil tank battery 1.8 miles depositing it in trees. There was at least 20 head of cattle killed by the tornado. There was minor injuries received by a 20 year old male as he took refuge in his truck that was parked next to a baler inside a barn. The barn was completely swept away leaving the young man with cuts from broken glass. The baler that was left standing probably protected him and his truck from going airborne, if not rolling. Also, there was serious injury to a male in a semi on highway 34 in the vicinity of 37.3327 N, 99.6344 W probably by the RFD. Two other semis parked at this location rolled over but no injuries were sustained by the drivers. This extremely large tornado moved into Kiowa county. The radar signature was eerily similar to the Greensburg tornado that occurred on May 4, 2007. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An anonymously strong upper level system allowed everything to come together at the surface to produced what is perhaps the biggest tornado outbreak to ever occur in the Dodge City CWA! Fifty-five tornadoes were documented during that afternoon and evening! Some of the tornadoes were very large and damaging. The character of the supercell thunderstorms that day had similarities to the storms that produced the Greensburg tornado a little over a year after. In fact there was one tornado that was just as large and perhaps could have been just as damaging that was headed towards the small Kiowa county town but fortunately turned and dissipated. | |||||||||||
47.3 | 1959-09-17 | 2 | 38°09'N / 99°56'W | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Hodgeman | |||
48.0 | 2002-05-07 | 3 | 37°43'N / 99°34'W | 37°40'N / 99°35'W | 4.00 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ford |
Brief Description: This tornado became quite large as it moved at first to the southwest and then turned southeast. The tornado completely stripped topsoil from one field and debarked trees at a pond. Several dozen cattle were killed with several 1500 pound heifers carried 3/4 of a mile. Two other tornadoes crossed nearly the same location within an hour, which may have contributed to the scouring of the topsoil. | |||||||||||
48.7 | 1951-06-06 | 2 | 37°35'N / 101°20'W | 0 | 3 | 3K | 0 | Grant | |||
48.8 | 1993-05-05 | 4 | 37°07'N / 101°16'W | 37°27'N / 101°13'W | 21.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5.0M | 50K | Stevens |
Brief Description: A 1/2 mile wide F4 tornado quickly developed near the area where the previous tornado roped out. The tornado developed six miles southeast of Hugoton. At the beginning, a multiple vortex tornado was observed. The tornado moved to the north and gradually turned and moved to the northeast. The tornado roped out two miles north of the Stevens/Grant County line. The tornado passed 4 1/2 miles to the east of Hugoton and 2 1/2 miles to the west of Moscow. A farmstead 4 1/2 miles southwest of Moscow was completely destroyed. At least 30 irrigation systems were also destroyed. A female teenager in bare feet received a cut on the foot when she stepped on broken glass at the farmstead. | |||||||||||
48.8 | 2008-05-23 | 2 | 37°46'N / 99°37'W | 37°48'N / 99°33'W | 4.00 Miles | 850 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Ford |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado produced EF2 damage to trees and pivot irrigation systems. It caused EF1 damage to a house and grain bin. It took down several power poles and power lines. The tornado moved into Edwards county at 22:19 CDT. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An anonymously strong upper level system allowed everything to come together at the surface to produced what is perhaps the biggest tornado outbreak to ever occur in the Dodge City CWA! Fifty-five tornadoes were documented during that afternoon and evening! Some of the tornadoes were very large and damaging. The character of the supercell thunderstorms that day had similarities to the storms that produced the Greensburg tornado a little over a year after. In fact there was one tornado that was just as large and perhaps could have been just as damaging that was headed towards the small Kiowa county town but fortunately turned and dissipated. | |||||||||||
49.0 | 1962-06-16 | 2 | 38°15'N / 100°43'W | 38°20'N / 100°31'W | 12.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Finney |
49.1 | 2002-05-07 | 3 | 37°42'N / 99°33'W | 37°37'N / 99°33'W | 8.50 Miles | 1800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ford |
Brief Description: This tornado which developed in the same general tornadoes earlier, moved southwest and then finally turned south and southeast. It grew very large and at one time was 1 mile wide. Extreme damage was done to trees and irrigation pipe. | |||||||||||
49.3 | 1964-04-19 | 2 | 38°16'N / 100°08'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hodgeman | |||
49.5 | 1972-04-30 | 4 | 38°05'N / 100°06'W | 38°16'N / 99°43'W | 24.30 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Hodgeman |
49.6 | 1972-05-22 | 2 | 38°11'N / 100°05'W | 38°17'N / 99°58'W | 9.40 Miles | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hodgeman |
* 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.