Thomas 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.
62
Tornado reports
493
Hail reports
37
Floods since 1996
1,247
All events
9
Deaths
$9.1M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Thomas County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 62 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.
A corridor of dust, with no visibility, occurred over I-70 at MM 66. Two vehicles were involved in the incident. There was one fatality.
Dense freezing fog led to slick conditions on area roads, specifically I-70. The low visibility and slick conditions caused a multiple vehicle accident on east bound I-70 near mile marker 65. The east bound lanes of I-70 were closed for a short time as a result. Eight or nine veh…
A small stretch of highway 83 just west of Rexford, Kansas in Thomas county experienced severe visibility reductions in blowing dirt early in the afternoon. Three separate accidents occurred around 1400 CST, involving a total of seven semi trailers and eight passenger vehicles. M…
Six inches of snow was reported in Colby. Just as the light snow was beginning before midnight, a traffic fatality occurred when a vehicle attempted to pass another on US Highway 24 in Thomas County and the driver lost control. Other slide-off accidents occurred in the county ear…
Freezing drizzle and fog resulted in slick roads and numerous traffic accidents and slide offs on Interstate 70. Two fatalities and three injuries occurred in two of the more severe accidents occurring between 2100 and 2200 CST. Property damage noted is related only to the fatali…
Snowfall totals across the county averaged 13 east, 18 central and 20-24 extreme southwest. Damage costs are a preliminary combined estimate for both the Dec 20 and Dec 30 storms.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Hail Hail
Per a text message with a photo, quarter size hail occurred in Levant.
Tornado EFU Tornado
No damage was reported, however a weak tornado debris signature was seen on radar.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The report came through Spotter Network.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Visibilities near zero in blowing dirt were reported at the same time and place due to the strong thunderstorm outflow.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The report came through Spotter Network.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Wind gusts up to 100 mph were measured by a personal weather station for ten minutes. Multiple trees were reported down.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
There were multiple Spotter Network reports of numerous trees down in Colby.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Per Spotter Network, multiple trees were blow down across roads.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Per Spotter Network, an unknown number of semis were overturned.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Per a social media report, water was covering the road near the intersection of Thomas County Road 36 and Thomas County Road X. Crop and property damage estimates are unknown.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Near zero visibility in corridors of blowing dust reported in the Rexford and Menlo areas ahead of the thunderstorm. This was from winds speeds of 60 MPH moving into the thunderstorm.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Blowing dust reduced visibility to 100 yards 4 N of Oakley. This was caused by winds going into the thunderstorm.
High Wind High Wind
Measured by the mesonet station FW6347 two miles east of Colby. The high winds were out of the southeast, likely associated with a wake low behind severe thunderstorms departing well to the southeast.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Reported from a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Zero visibility reported by Brewster from blowing dust caused by thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Visibility declined to 100 yards in the blowing dust at I-70 south of Levant. This was due to thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Winds were estimated at 64 mph.
Drought Drought
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about three and one-half inches to ten inches, lowest over west-central portions of the county. These values are about one-half inch above average to seven inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about two and…
Hail Hail
Hail size ranged from pea to penny size. The hail accumulated to an unknown depth, making the ground white.
Hail Hail
Hail size ranged from dimes to nickels.
Hail Hail
Report from mPing.
Hail Hail
Report from mPing.
Hail Hail
Report from mPing.
Hail Hail
Courtesy of spotter network.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
There were a handful of severe wind gusts in Colby measured by personal weather stations. Gusts ranged from 59 to 73 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station. Gusts ranged from 62 to 75 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Spotter network report of wind gusts between 80 and 84 mph, with a few gusts reaching 85 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Photos of two to four and one-half inch diameter live tree limbs down at an I-70 rest area.
Hail Hail
Report from mPing.
Drought Drought
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about two and three-quarters of an inch (one-half inch below average) to a little over five inches (two inches above average), lowest over far southern and southeast portions of the county. Normal monthly precipitation amounts are around …
Dust Storm Dust Storm
Dust storm conditions continued as the outflow boundary moved across Thomas County. Zero visibility was reported in the blowing dust south of Levant near I-70 as the outflow boundary moved through.
High Wind High Wind
A semi pulling an empty enclosed trailer was blown over between MM 46-47 on I-70 from the outflow boundary that moved through. The blow over also caused a grassfire. No information about the size or if the fire burned anything else besides grass.
High Wind High Wind
A 72 mph gust was measured two miles east-northeast of Colby. Other gusts ranging from 58 to 60 mph were measured across the county.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 | 1 |
| 2025 | 36 | 0 |
| 2024 | 48 | 0 |
| 2023 | 60 | 1 |
| 2022 | 51 | 8 |
| 2021 | 47 | 3 |
| 2020 | 39 | 0 |
| 2019 | 63 | 1 |
| 2018 | 40 | 0 |
| 2017 | 37 | 0 |
| 2016 | 37 | 0 |
| 2015 | 18 | 0 |
| 2014 | 49 | 2 |
| 2013 | 33 | 0 |
| 2012 | 24 | 0 |
| 2011 | 38 | 1 |
| 2010 | 31 | 3 |
| 2009 | 19 | 0 |
| 2008 | 20 | 0 |
| 2007 | 22 | 2 |
| 2006 | 26 | 2 |
| 2005 | 17 | 0 |
| 2004 | 40 | 1 |
| 2003 | 35 | 0 |
| 2002 | 27 | 1 |
| 2001 | 49 | 0 |
| 2000 | 32 | 2 |
| 1999 | 21 | 0 |
| 1998 | 20 | 0 |
| 1997 | 29 | 1 |
| 1996 | 30 | 6 |
| 1995 | 17 | 2 |
| 1994 | 21 | 2 |
| 1993 | 5 | 0 |
| 1992 | 9 | 0 |
| 1991 | 5 | 0 |
| 1990 | 12 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | 6 | 0 |
| 1987 | 5 | 0 |
| 1986 | 11 | 0 |
| 1984 | 2 | 2 |
| 1983 | 4 | 3 |
| 1982 | 1 | 1 |
| 1981 | 4 | 2 |
| 1980 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977 | 4 | 0 |
| 1975 | 3 | 0 |
| 1974 | 4 | 0 |
| 1973 | 3 | 0 |
| 1971 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | 2 | 2 |
| 1969 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968 | 3 | 1 |
| 1967 | 2 | 0 |
| 1966 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | 4 | 1 |
| 1964 | 5 | 0 |
| 1963 | 3 | 1 |
| 1962 | 4 | 1 |
| 1960 | 1 | 1 |
| 1957 | 8 | 3 |
| 1956 | 4 | 3 |
| 1951 | 2 | 2 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Thomas County, measured to its path.
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