Woodson County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Kansas Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Woodson County is about the same as Kansas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Woodson County is much lower than Kansas average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #73
| Woodson County | 0.00 |
| 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
| Woodson 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, #74
| Woodson County | 179.26 |
| 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 20,262 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Woodson 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: | 19 | Cold: | 59 | Dense Fog: | 47 | Drought: | 75 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,801 | Hail: | 9,799 | Heat: | 78 | Heavy Snow: | 117 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 62 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 192 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,267 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 4 | Winter Storm: | 181 | Winter Weather: | 93 |
| Other: | 468 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Woodson County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Woodson County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Woodson County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 72 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Woodson County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.5 | 2003-05-08 | 3 | 37°48'N / 95°57'W | 38°00'N / 95°31'W | 22.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 261K | Woodson |
| Brief Description: Damage summary: Toronto: Outbuildings destroyed. 1N Toronto: Trees & limbs downed. 1W Batesville: Large trees uprooted and sheared off, sheet metal in trees, old wood shed destroyed. 1N Batesville: Oil tank 12-15 feet high toppled (leaked profusely), power pole blown over. 2NE Batesville: House destroyed, 2 vehicles heavily damaged, pair of 2-3 foot diameter trees stripped 4 feet off ground. 3-4NE Batesville: Cattle barn & garage destroyed, windows blown out of house, large pick-up truck rolled onto side. 1N Yates Center: House & barn destroyed on Highway 75, horse trailer flipped over, large trees uprooted or snapped off at bases, broke or toppled 70 grave markers at the cemetery. 1NW Yates Center: Two-story house and 3 barns destroyed, trees completely shreaded. Yates Center: Five homes destroyed and 30 damaged. Two of the three injuries occurred at one residence with both requiring transport to a hospital. Forty-five miles of fence damaged. Stored hay contaminated by embedding of wiring and nails. Estimated crop losses: Corn: 300 acres. Wheat: 100 acres. Pasture: 1312 acres. Hay: 655 acres. Of the estimated $2.5 million damage, $1.506 million inflicted upon farming facilities. Farming facility damage breakdown: Dwellings and Service Buildings: $900,000; Structures: $6,000; Machinery & equipment: $600,000. USDA Flash Situation Report contributed greatly to this narrative. This tornado would cross just barely into extreme Northwest Allen County. | |||||||||||
| 4.6 | 1986-04-07 | 2 | 37°57'N / 95°56'W | 37°53'N / 95°44'W | 14.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Woodson |
| 4.6 | 1982-03-15 | 2 | 37°47'N / 95°51'W | 37°58'N / 95°30'W | 24.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Woodson |
| 9.3 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 37°48'N / 95°57'W | 38°02'N / 95°54'W | 16.30 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Woodson |
| 10.1 | 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 |
| 12.8 | 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 |
| 14.2 | 1973-06-04 | 2 | 37°42'N / 95°57'W | 37°44'N / 95°51'W | 5.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood |
| 14.3 | 1956-04-02 | 4 | 38°02'N / 95°54'W | 38°06'N / 95°53'W | 4.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Coffey |
| 15.4 | 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 |
| 15.7 | 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 |
| 17.4 | 1954-04-26 | 2 | 38°04'N / 95°59'W | 1.00 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lyon | |
| 18.4 | 1982-03-15 | 2 | 37°58'N / 95°30'W | 38°02'N / 95°24'W | 6.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Allen |
| 19.7 | 1991-03-26 | 2 | 37°49'N / 95°27'W | 37°53'N / 95°21'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Allen |
| 21.0 | 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 |
| 21.2 | 1954-03-24 | 2 | 37°43'N / 95°31'W | 37°57'N / 95°14'W | 22.20 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wilson |
| 22.8 | 1982-03-15 | 2 | 37°40'N / 96°04'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 23.6 | 1964-11-15 | 2 | 37°39'N / 96°04'W | 0.80 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 23.7 | 1968-06-10 | 2 | 38°06'N / 96°06'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 25.0 | 1972-04-19 | 2 | 37°36'N / 96°02'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 26.1 | 1964-05-26 | 2 | 38°16'N / 95°44'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Coffey | |||
| 27.3 | 1973-11-20 | 2 | 38°17'N / 95°45'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Coffey | |
| 27.9 | 1973-05-11 | 2 | 37°36'N / 95°24'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Neosho | |||
| 28.1 | 1964-04-20 | 2 | 37°44'N / 95°18'W | 37°48'N / 95°14'W | 5.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Allen |
| 30.2 | 1958-06-12 | 2 | 38°11'N / 96°10'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lyon | |||
| 30.5 | 1973-06-04 | 2 | 37°51'N / 95°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Allen | |
| 30.6 | 1955-09-21 | 2 | 38°18'N / 95°33'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Coffey | |
| 30.8 | 1961-03-26 | 2 | 38°01'N / 96°18'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 32.5 | 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 |
| 33.3 | 1957-05-16 | 2 | 37°14'N / 95°59'W | 37°35'N / 95°25'W | 39.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Chautauqua |
| 33.4 | 2003-05-08 | 2 | 38°01'N / 95°18'W | 38°08'N / 95°05'W | 15.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 3 | 1.1M | 0 | Anderson |
| Brief Description: A tornado formed 5 miles southeast of Colony and traveled a 15 mile path northeast before entering Linn county and dissipating. While in Anderson county the tornado injured 3 people, destroyed 7 homes and seriously damaged 2 others. 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. | |||||||||||
| 33.4 | 1954-04-10 | 2 | 38°20'N / 95°31'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Coffey | |||
| 33.7 | 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 |
| 34.3 | 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 |
| 34.4 | 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 |
| 34.4 | 1959-06-18 | 2 | 37°32'N / 96°12'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Elk | |
| 34.7 | 1973-03-13 | 2 | 38°14'N / 96°07'W | 38°23'N / 96°06'W | 10.20 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lyon |
| 35.7 | 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 |
| 36.1 | 1973-03-08 | 2 | 37°26'N / 95°24'W | 37°34'N / 95°14'W | 12.80 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Neosho |
| 37.3 | 1988-11-15 | 2 | 37°24'N / 95°26'W | 37°29'N / 95°19'W | 7.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Neosho |
| 37.4 | 1956-07-20 | 3 | 38°11'N / 95°29'W | 37°24'N / 94°41'W | 69.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Anderson |
| 37.4 | 1962-05-28 | 2 | 38°20'N / 96°07'W | 38°23'N / 96°05'W | 3.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lyon |
| 37.8 | 1954-05-31 | 2 | 37°30'N / 95°31'W | 37°50'N / 94°44'W | 48.60 Miles | 210 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Neosho |
| 37.8 | 1954-05-31 | 2 | 37°30'N / 95°31'W | 37°50'N / 94°44'W | 48.60 Miles | 210 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Neosho |
| 38.2 | 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 |
| 38.4 | 2000-04-19 | 2 | 37°30'N / 95°20'W | 37°34'N / 95°06'W | 15.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 3 | 1.8M | 0 | Neosho |
| Brief Description: Forming at 1920 CST 6 miles southwest of Erie, the tornado moved northeast around 35 mph passing just south of Erie at 1931 CST. F2 intensity for much of it's track, the tornado injured 3 people on the southern periphery of Erie as it destroyed or heavily damaged 12 homes, several mobile homes, as well as a few trees. This tornado then crossed into Crawford county. | |||||||||||
| 38.9 | 1961-04-21 | 2 | 38°05'N / 95°09'W | 38°10'N / 95°04'W | 7.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Anderson |
| 38.9 | 1973-03-08 | 2 | 37°34'N / 95°14'W | 37°36'N / 95°05'W | 8.40 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Neosho |
| 39.4 | 1974-04-20 | 2 | 38°17'N / 95°14'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Anderson | |
| 39.8 | 1973-09-27 | 2 | 37°49'N / 95°02'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bourbon | |||
| 39.9 | 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 |
| 40.3 | 2005-04-21 | 3 | 37°25'N / 95°21'W | 37°26'N / 95°16'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Neosho |
| Brief Description: Damage summary: Two miles south of Galesburg: One barn damaged & two out-buildings destroyed. Three miles southeast of Galesburg: Two mobile homes destroyed, one frame house dislodged from it's foundation & two barns destroyed. Four miles east-southeast of Galesburg: Frame house unroofed with two exterior walls collapsed. A garage and one shed were destroyed. Tree damage occurred at each of these locations. | |||||||||||
| 41.2 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 37°16'N / 95°33'W | 37°22'N / 95°32'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Montgomery |
| 41.4 | 1973-09-24 | 2 | 37°57'N / 95°03'W | 38°02'N / 94°58'W | 7.20 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bourbon |
| 42.0 | 1974-05-30 | 2 | 38°05'N / 96°30'W | 38°04'N / 96°29'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Butler | ||
| 42.5 | 2003-05-08 | 2 | 38°06'N / 95°04'W | 38°10'N / 95°01'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15K | 0 | Linn |
| Brief Description: Tornado crossed from Anderson county into Linn county 3 miles west northwest of Blue Mound and produced tree damage in rural county before dissipating. However...a cemetery was hit with many tombstones knocked over and damage to mausoleums. | |||||||||||
| 42.9 | 1958-11-17 | 2 | 38°30'N / 95°37'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Osage | |||
| 43.1 | 1973-03-08 | 2 | 37°36'N / 95°05'W | 37°36'N / 95°02'W | 2.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Crawford |
| 43.5 | 1990-06-07 | 2 | 38°20'N / 96°16'W | 38°28'N / 96°11'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 17 | 25.0M | 0 | Lyon |
| 43.6 | 1981-05-23 | 2 | 38°22'N / 95°14'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Anderson | |
| 43.7 | 1954-05-01 | 2 | 37°13'N / 95°40'W | 37°18'N / 95°41'W | 5.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Montgomery |
| 44.2 | 2000-04-19 | 3 | 37°15'N / 95°33'W | 37°24'N / 95°12'W | 21.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 27 | 71.0M | 0 | Labette |
| Brief Description: The same tornado that formed 3 miles south of Cherryvale at 1930 CST in eastern Montgomery County, the tornado entered western Labette County at 1934 CST, 10 miles southwest of Dennis. Moving northeast around 35 mph, the tornado passed 4 miles south of Dennis at 1940 CST. At 1945 CST, the tornado entered southwest Parsons where it inflicted major damage to a law enforcement center, a movie theater, and a carnival. In all, 750 buildings were damaged of which 633 were homes. Of the homes, 53 were destroyed, 112 sustained major damage and 468 received minor damage. Of the 117 commercial buildings that sustained damage, 20 were destroyed, 28 received major damage, and 69 received minor damage. Total damage estimate: $40 million. A total of 27 people were injured, most were minor. Though inflicting F3 damage when it hit Parsons, the tornado possessed F1 intensity for most of it's track. This same tornado would continue moving northeast, clipping southeast Neosho County. Area newspapers contributed to this report. | |||||||||||
| 44.8 | 2006-03-30 | 2 | 37°08'N / 95°55'W | 37°21'N / 95°44'W | 16.00 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 1 | 1.0M | 0K | Montgomery |
| Brief Description: The tornado produced F2 damage 4 miles north of Wayside, and again 2 miles southwest of Sycamore. Several homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed along its 16 mile path. The most concentrated damage occurred roughly 2 to 3 miles southwest of Sycamore in the township of Radical, where several homes and mobile homes sustained damage, some of which was major. Additionally, numerous trailers were overturned at Elk City Lake, along with damage at Elk City Lake State Park. Unfortunately, one man was seriously injured (direct) 3 miles southwest of Sycamore, when his home was hit by the tornado. Average path width ranged from 75 to 125 yards. | |||||||||||
| 44.9 | 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 |
| 45.0 | 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 |
| 45.2 | 2000-04-19 | 2 | 37°33'N / 95°05'W | 37°40'N / 94°56'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Crawford |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado entered western Crawford County about 3 miles south of Walnut and moved through the northwest portion of the county. The damage path was intermittent and about 200 yards wide. The tornado stayed mainly over rural areas and uprooted trees and damaged or destroyed 3 homes and several outbuildings. The tornado exited the county just east of Hepler and moved into southern Bourbon County. | |||||||||||
| 46.7 | 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 |
| 47.4 | 2000-04-19 | 2 | 37°41'N / 94°56'W | 37°42'N / 94°55'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bourbon |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado crossed the Bourbon and Crawford County line 4 miles southwest of Hiattville and lifted about 2 miles southwest of Hiattville. The path was intermittent and stayed over rural areas. | |||||||||||
| 47.9 | 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 |
| 48.2 | 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 |
| 48.9 | 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 |
| 49.0 | 1971-07-09 | 2 | 38°28'N / 96°16'W | 38°31'N / 96°12'W | 4.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lyon |
| 49.7 | 1974-06-08 | 4 | 38°25'N / 96°13'W | 38°42'N / 95°58'W | 23.70 Miles | 1760 Yards | 6 | 177 | 25.0M | 0 | Lyon |
* 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.