Phillips County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Kansas Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Phillips County is about the same as Kansas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Phillips County is lower than Kansas average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #36
| Phillips County | 0.02 |
| 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
| Phillips 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, #67
| Phillips County | 185.04 |
| 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 13,960 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Phillips 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: | 25 | Cold: | 38 | Dense Fog: | 7 | Drought: | 19 |
| Dust Storm: | 1 | Flood: | 428 | Hail: | 8,528 | Heat: | 22 | Heavy Snow: | 79 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 28 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 116 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 4,091 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 166 | Winter Weather: | 49 |
| Other: | 362 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Phillips County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Phillips County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Phillips County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 46 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Phillips County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.1 | 1952-06-26 | 2 | 39°41'N / 99°27'W | 39°46'N / 99°15'W | 12.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Phillips |
| 7.0 | 1985-05-10 | 4 | 39°30'N / 99°25'W | 39°57'N / 99°29'W | 28.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Phillips |
| 12.4 | 1985-05-10 | 4 | 39°44'N / 99°09'W | 39°56'N / 99°05'W | 11.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Phillips |
| 16.9 | 1957-06-15 | 3 | 39°42'N / 99°04'W | 39°54'N / 98°59'W | 14.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Smith |
| 18.2 | 1973-04-19 | 2 | 39°52'N / 99°02'W | 39°56'N / 99°02'W | 4.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Smith |
| 20.3 | 1985-05-10 | 4 | 39°56'N / 99°05'W | 40°00'N / 99°00'W | 10.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Smith |
| 20.8 | 1991-04-11 | 3 | 39°26'N / 99°25'W | 39°32'N / 99°17'W | 6.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Rooks |
| 20.9 | 1965-05-25 | 2 | 39°45'N / 98°57'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Smith | |||
| 21.7 | 1957-06-15 | 3 | 39°46'N / 98°56'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Smith | |
| 21.8 | 1999-06-03 | 3 | 39°50'N / 99°48'W | 39°58'N / 99°39'W | 10.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Norton |
| Brief Description: A large tornado dropped down just east of the town of Norton and stayed on the ground for approximately 10 miles before finally lifting north-northeast of the town of Almena. This Tornado reached around 3/4 of a mile wide at times and did major (F3) damage to a few farmsteads. Tornado also went through a stage with multiple vortices. | |||||||||||
| 22.2 | 1959-05-20 | 2 | 39°36'N / 99°00'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Smith | |||
| 22.6 | 1963-06-11 | 2 | 39°46'N / 98°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Smith | |
| 22.8 | 1985-05-10 | 4 | 39°25'N / 99°24'W | 39°30'N / 99°25'W | 5.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Rooks |
| 27.3 | 1991-05-30 | 2 | 40°08'N / 99°35'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harlan | |
| 27.9 | 1970-09-06 | 2 | 39°49'N / 99°52'W | 0.80 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Norton | |
| 30.5 | 1962-07-14 | 2 | 39°47'N / 99°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Ford | |
| 31.4 | 1973-09-25 | 2 | 39°44'N / 98°58'W | 39°59'N / 98°33'W | 27.90 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Smith |
| 31.6 | 1979-04-19 | 2 | 39°28'N / 99°50'W | 39°32'N / 99°47'W | 5.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Graham |
| 31.8 | 1985-05-10 | 3 | 39°11'N / 99°31'W | 39°28'N / 99°06'W | 30.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Rooks |
| 32.2 | 1980-08-01 | 2 | 40°15'N / 99°22'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Harlan | |
| 32.8 | 1971-05-30 | 2 | 39°46'N / 98°46'W | 39°51'N / 98°41'W | 7.10 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Smith |
| 33.3 | 1985-05-10 | 4 | 40°00'N / 99°00'W | 40°11'N / 98°43'W | 18.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Franklin |
| 36.1 | 1969-06-22 | 2 | 40°15'N / 99°39'W | 40°17'N / 99°34'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Furnas |
| 36.5 | 1969-06-24 | 3 | 39°06'N / 100°02'W | 39°36'N / 99°26'W | 47.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Trego |
| 36.7 | 1961-08-12 | 2 | 39°28'N / 99°49'W | 39°12'N / 99°36'W | 21.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Graham |
| 37.0 | 1972-07-27 | 2 | 39°15'N / 99°18'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Rooks | |
| 38.2 | 1973-03-13 | 2 | 39°14'N / 99°17'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Rooks | |
| 38.8 | 1951-07-07 | 2 | 39°15'N / 99°34'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Rooks | |||
| 39.5 | 1969-06-24 | 2 | 40°13'N / 99°09'W | 40°26'N / 99°03'W | 15.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 39.5 | 1956-06-25 | 2 | 40°13'N / 100°02'W | 40°01'N / 99°52'W | 16.20 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Furnas |
| 40.2 | 1952-06-27 | 2 | 39°45'N / 100°07'W | 39°47'N / 100°05'W | 1.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Norton |
| 40.4 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 39°21'N / 99°51'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Graham | |||
| 41.5 | 1973-03-13 | 2 | 39°35'N / 98°35'W | 39°50'N / 98°33'W | 17.20 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Smith |
| 42.0 | 1954-03-11 | 2 | 39°27'N / 98°41'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Osborne | |||
| 42.6 | 1986-09-18 | 2 | 40°06'N / 98°39'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Webster | |
| 42.9 | 1968-05-13 | 3 | 39°08'N / 99°20'W | 39°13'N / 99°02'W | 16.90 Miles | 320 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Rooks |
| 43.0 | 2005-06-09 | 2 | 39°17'N / 99°57'W | 39°21'N / 99°48'W | 9.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Graham |
| Brief Description: A significant tornado (rated F2 based on damage survey) touched down 8 miles SW of Hill City near Road 220 and Road J at approximately 4:20 pm CDT. As the tornado continued northeast toward Road 260 and Road M it damaged two homes and destroyed a detached garage. One home suffered roof damage while another had part of the roof from the upper story removed. Significant and continuous tree and power pole damage was noted for one mile south of this location. Some of this damage was likely produced by an intense rear-flank downdraft accompanying the southern periphery of the tornado. As the tornado crossed Highway 283 approximately 3.5 miles south of Hill City, it caused structural damage to a hangar used as storage. A boat, a small four-wheeler and a camper were either heavily damaged or destroyed, with debris rolled or bounced between one-half and three-fourths of a mile. The tornado crossed the intersection of Road 290 and Road O producing tree damage. The tornado ultimately lifted about a half mile northeast of this location at approximately 4:48 pm CDT. | |||||||||||
| 43.3 | 1968-05-13 | 3 | 39°13'N / 99°02'W | 39°17'N / 98°48'W | 13.10 Miles | 320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Osborne |
| 43.7 | 1958-07-18 | 2 | 40°25'N / 99°22'W | 6.00 Miles | 533 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Phelps | |
| 44.0 | 2007-05-05 | 2 | 39°23'N / 98°42'W | 39°28'N / 98°37'W | 8.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 11 | 150K | 50K | Osborne |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado sat down south of Osborne and moved north into town. The twister destroyed 2 mobile homes, damaged roofs, fences, cars and windows, and damaged 2 restaurants. The Pizza Hut sustained minor damage and several employees??? car windows were blown out. Across the road, the Circle Inn lost a large part of their roof, a couple of outside walls, and substantial damage happened to the interior portion of the restaurant. A couple of semi-trailers were blown around and one ended up on top of another car. Eleven people were injured, none seriously, and were treated at the Osborne County Memorial Hospital. The Osborne County Sheriff's office reported the most severe injury was a broken arm. (sources: Osborne County Farmer newspaper, Osborne County Sheriff's office, and the Osborne County Emergency Management Agency). EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms rumbled across northern Kansas. A few became severe in the early evening hours. One produced a tornado in Osborne. This tornado damaged homes and two restaurants in town. Other storms in Mitchell and Jewell Counties produced hail to the size of quarters. | |||||||||||
| 44.6 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 40°22'N / 99°14'W | 40°29'N / 99°14'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kearney |
| 44.9 | 1956-10-29 | 3 | 40°07'N / 100°07'W | 40°41'N / 99°07'W | 65.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Furnas |
| 47.3 | 1994-10-17 | 2 | 40°28'N / 99°16'W | 4.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Phelps | |
| Brief Description: A tornado moved across the western and northern parts of Holdrege. The roof of one business was removed. One residence was destroyed and three others were damaged. At the golf course, the clubhouse roof was damaged while the maintenance building and two golf cart sheds were destroyed. Sixty golf carts were damaged. Other brief tornado touchdowns were reported in Phelps County. | |||||||||||
| 47.6 | 1970-06-15 | 2 | 39°08'N / 99°38'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Graham | |
| 48.9 | 1950-05-08 | 2 | 39°14'N / 98°57'W | 39°14'N / 98°35'W | 19.60 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Osborne |
| 49.3 | 2002-05-05 | 3 | 39°03'N / 99°37'W | 39°07'N / 99°25'W | 12.80 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ellis |
| Brief Description: This tornado entered Ellis county from Trego county at 440 PM and continued a a northeast and easterly track. It did speed up at the end of it's life and as is typical, decreased in size. Another tornado was video taped just north and west of this tornado (during the same time), but was just across the county line. A brick building (that was very sturdy) was destroyed and strewn for hundreds of yards into a field. "Huge" cottonwood trees were either uprooted or snapped off at about five feet. A 250 gallon oil tank was moved 1.5 miles and was found lodged into a grove of trees. | |||||||||||
* 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.