Shawnee County, Kansas
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1951 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
52
Tornado reports
629
Hail reports
125
Floods since 1996
1,652
All events
26
Deaths
$308.5M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Shawnee County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 51 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Tornado F4 Tornado
Tornado F3 Tornado
Tornado F3 Tornado
A winter storm bringing periods of freezing rain and moderate to heavy snow moved into Shawnee county on February 20. Reports from across the area indicated that around .10 inch of ice and around 6 inches of snow fell between February 20 and February 21. The highest total from Sh…
Fourteen accidents were reported across Shawnee County. One of these accidents resulted in the death of an 84-year-old man. He had been driving along Hwy 75 on the Westgate bridge but lost control of his vehicle. He died several hours later at a local hospital. Four other acciden…
A woman was struck by lightning near the 2700 block on SW Villa West Dr. in Topeka. She was originally taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and later passed away as a reult of these injuries. A second man was struck by a lightning bolt in an open air garage next …
A wintery mix of precipitation caused slick roads and resulted in a multi vehicle accident near the junction of Kansas Highway 4 and Interstate 70 east of Topeka. The slick roads caused two vehicles to collide. A passenger of one of the vehicles stepped outside the car to inspect…
Snow and sleet combined to make roads slick and hazardous and resulted in 2 accidents 10 minutes apart. The first occurred 18 miles south of Topeka on U.S. Highway 75 where a 2 vehicle accident resulted in 5 injuries, 2 of them critical. The second was a single vehicle accident o…
Eighty-nine traffic accidents were reported in the Topeka area on the 16th as a result of the slick road conditions. A portion of the turnpike between Wanamaker and 21st Street in Topeka was closed for a portion of the morning. Further east on the turnpike, three accidents were r…
A mix of freezing drizzle, sleet and snow created hazardous driving conditions throughout the county. Fourty accidents occurred on the city streets of Topeka. Seven of the accidents cause minor injuries to the driver or passanger.
Water rushing over the road as deep as mailboxes in the 3800 block of Tecumseh Rd.
Shawnee county dispatch reported water rescues were being conducted along the Shunganunga Creek. Water entering residences south of Washburn University. Almost 500 water rescues were completed in the city of Topeka.
Most homes in the town of Wakarusa inundated with flood waters from the Wakarusa River. Water rescues of 22 residents stranded on their rooftops were conducted by the fire department. The rescues were hampered by floating propane tanks. Numerous roads in the county were closed by…
A spotter reported Halfday Creek was out of it's banks and water was rushing at least 6 inches deep over several roads including 50th St.
A bow echo moved across Shawnee county and produced high winds in excess of 60 mph. The winds did extensive damage to many homes and businesses mainly in the northern half of Topeka. Preliminary damage estimates from officials in Shawnee county totaled 2 million dollars.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Six inch diameter tree limb down across Highway 24 in Silver Lake.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured on the home weather station.
Tornado EF0 Tornado
Delayed reports of damage lead to a NWS survey of this area that revealed a small tornado likely had occurred during the late night on June 8th/9th just after midnight local time. The tornado did damage to mobile homes and tree limbs on its short path. This was associated with a …
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Multiple large tree branches were snapped and older trees were uprooted. Power poles were also blown down along Kansas Ave. Widespread tree damage was observed from Gage Park in Topeka to the Expocenter and.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A tree fell on top of a house with power lines downed.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Local fire department reported 6 to 12 inches of water over roadways throughout Tecumseh.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Report of multiple roads flooded throughout Topeka.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
A water rescue occurred where 5 individuals were saved from a car caught in rising flood waters.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A few shingles were blown off a roof. Tree limbs that were 6 to 8 inch in diameter are downed.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
NWS employee estimates wind gusts based on damage to roof and tree limbs.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Multiple reports of flash flooding in Dover.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Tree limbs up to 2 inches in diameter are downed.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured 64 mph gust.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Estimated 65 mph gusts.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Estimated 65 mph wind gusts near downtown Topeka.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
KFOE asos measured 69 mph gust. Earlier gust at 19:20 cst measured 59 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Personal weather station measured 65 mph gust.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Time of report estimated by radar.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 65 | 2 |
| 2023 | 43 | 0 |
| 2022 | 30 | 0 |
| 2021 | 27 | 0 |
| 2020 | 50 | 0 |
| 2019 | 30 | 1 |
| 2018 | 30 | 0 |
| 2017 | 25 | 1 |
| 2016 | 55 | 3 |
| 2015 | 42 | 0 |
| 2014 | 45 | 1 |
| 2013 | 31 | 0 |
| 2012 | 30 | 1 |
| 2011 | 80 | 2 |
| 2010 | 33 | 1 |
| 2009 | 30 | 0 |
| 2008 | 50 | 1 |
| 2007 | 32 | 0 |
| 2006 | 50 | 0 |
| 2005 | 79 | 0 |
| 2004 | 39 | 2 |
| 2003 | 40 | 0 |
| 2002 | 60 | 0 |
| 2001 | 45 | 0 |
| 2000 | 54 | 0 |
| 1999 | 22 | 0 |
| 1998 | 33 | 1 |
| 1997 | 32 | 0 |
| 1996 | 26 | 0 |
| 1995 | 6 | 1 |
| 1994 | 6 | 0 |
| 1993 | 7 | 1 |
| 1992 | 7 | 0 |
| 1991 | 27 | 3 |
| 1990 | 23 | 2 |
| 1989 | 7 | 0 |
| 1988 | 6 | 1 |
| 1987 | 10 | 1 |
| 1986 | 17 | 0 |
| 1985 | 5 | 0 |
| 1984 | 13 | 1 |
| 1983 | 9 | 1 |
| 1982 | 14 | 0 |
| 1981 | 11 | 2 |
| 1980 | 17 | 1 |
| 1979 | 9 | 1 |
| 1978 | 13 | 0 |
| 1977 | 9 | 1 |
| 1976 | 4 | 0 |
| 1975 | 9 | 0 |
| 1974 | 13 | 3 |
| 1973 | 13 | 0 |
| 1972 | 5 | 0 |
| 1971 | 7 | 1 |
| 1970 | 13 | 1 |
| 1969 | 12 | 0 |
| 1968 | 10 | 0 |
| 1967 | 5 | 1 |
| 1966 | 10 | 2 |
| 1965 | 2 | 0 |
| 1964 | 14 | 1 |
| 1963 | 9 | 0 |
| 1962 | 13 | 1 |
| 1961 | 4 | 0 |
| 1960 | 6 | 3 |
| 1959 | 2 | 0 |
| 1958 | 11 | 2 |
| 1957 | 1 | 1 |
| 1956 | 8 | 0 |
| 1955 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954 | 1 | 1 |
| 1951 | 2 | 2 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Shawnee County, measured to its path.
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