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Tornado in Riley County, Kansas
30 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Riley County, Kansas, has 30 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 23 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 10 events against 7 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 4,965 tornado events recorded in Kansas; its 4.9 per 100 square miles compares with 6.1 statewide.
By rating: 15 at (E)F0, 5 at (E)F1, 2 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 6 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Kansas
| Measure | Riley County | Kansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 30 | 4,965 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.9 | 6.1 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 4.2 | 16.9 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 238 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
1Apr
2May
8Jun
8Jul
2Aug
1Sep
1Oct
2Nov
5Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 30 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 2026 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2022 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2022 | Tornado | EF2 | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2019 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2008 | Tornado | EF4 | $66M | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $800K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1981 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 1979 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 1969 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 1968 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1966 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 50 | County |
| 18 May 1962 | Tornado | — | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 1956 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 1954 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 1952 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1951 | Tornado | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1950 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 24 May 1950 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1950 | Tornado | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Riley County had?
30 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Riley County?
4 Jun 2026 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Riley County?
The tornado of 11 Jun 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $66M.
How does Riley County compare with Kansas for tornado?
4.9 events per 100 square miles against 6.1 statewide; the county holds 30 of the state's 4,965 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.