County Hazards

Storm events on record through

Rooks County, Kansas Storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record

This page is a county record of past events and claims. It does not show the flood zone or the risk of an address. For the flood map of an address, use FEMA's address search (opens in a new tab).

NCEI has 755 storm events on record for Rooks County, Kansas, from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.

The newest event on record is a high wind event on 15 Mar 2026.

FEMA has 19 disaster declarations on record for the county from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is DR-4869 of 21 May 2025.

OpenFEMA has no NFIP claim on record for the county from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026.

The NWS collects event reports from a variety of sources, which include (but are not limited to): county, state, and federal emergency management officials, local law enforcement officials, SKYWARN spotters, NWS damage surveys, newspaper clipping services, the insurance industry, and the general public, among others.

The National Weather Service reports property and crop damage estimates using available data at the time of event reporting. These values should therefore be considered broad estimates. Damage amounts are not adjusted for inflation.

Zone (NWS Forecast Zone): A zone is a geographic area defined by the NWS for issuing forecasts, watches, and warnings. While zones often align with counties, they can also represent smaller or subdivided areas within a county to account for differences in weather conditions, such as elevation or proximity to water. Larger-scale events—such as heat, cold, drought, and winter storms—are typically recorded by zone.

The words of the agency. Source: NOAA NCEI, Storm Events Database, page "Frequently Asked Questions", copied on .

This is raw, unedited data from FEMA's National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) and as such is subject to a small percentage of human error.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-10-01.

It is derived from the National Flood Insurance Program system of record, staged in the program's reporting platform and redacted to protect policy holder personally identifiable information.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "NFIP Redacted Claims - v3", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-09-09.

Dates of the data: NCEI storm events through . OpenFEMA disaster declarations through . NFIP claims through .

Since the last update: no change is on record for Rooks County. The site compares the agency data at each update. Updates of the data

The five hazards

Storm events on record for Rooks County by hazard and period (NCEI, through 30 Jun 2026)
Hazard1950 to 20262000 to 20092010 to 20192020 to 2026Newest event
Hail317929638
Tornado532250
Flood23993
Wind181405258
Winter90203520
Other event types91Heat, cold, drought, wildfire, lightning, fog, tropical and other types
All storm events755192239154

A hazard name opens the page of that hazard for the county. A hazard has a page from 10 events. The year 2026 has the events through 30 Jun 2026 only.

Forecast zones with the name of the county give 203 of the 755 events. A county count has the events that NCEI gives to the county. It also has the events of a forecast zone that has the name of the county. A zone with another name counts for the state only.

Rates of Rooks County beside the total of the counties of Kansas and of the United States
MeasureRooksAll counties of KansasAll counties of the United States
Storm events for each 100 square miles, 1950 to 202684.8114.949.3
Storm events for each 10,000 residents, 1950 to 2026no figure320.152.5
NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force, 2016 to 2025no figure180.5185.3

The columns for the state and the United States total the counties. They count the events of each county in the same way as the county column. The site gives a rate for each 10,000 residents only from 10,000 residents. Residents and area: Census Bureau, 2021.

Newest storm events on record

High Wind58 mph (50 knots, measured gust)

On record for the forecast zone

Hail1.50 in, ping-pong ball size

3 miles ESE of CODELL

Thunderstorm Wind59 mph (51 knots, measured gust)

6 miles S of STOCKTON

Thunderstorm Wind66 mph (57 knots, measured gust)

6 miles N of PLAINVILLE

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

2 miles SW of WEBSTER

Thunderstorm Wind59 mph (51 knots, measured gust)

1 mile E of STOCKTON

Thunderstorm Wind64 mph (56 knots, measured gust)

6 miles S of PALCO

Blizzard

On record for the forecast zone

High Wind63 mph (55 knots, measured gust)

On record for the forecast zone

High Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

On record for the forecast zone

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill

On record for the forecast zone

Winter Weather

On record for the forecast zone

Winter Weather

On record for the forecast zone

Winter Storm

On record for the forecast zone

Winter Weather

On record for the forecast zone

Thunderstorm Wind64 mph (56 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles N of WEBSTER RES. Damage estimate: $25 thousand

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

5 miles NW of WEBSTER

Hail1.50 in, ping-pong ball size

At PLAINVILLE. Damage estimate: $2.1 million

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

6 miles ENE of CODELL

Hail1.75 in, golf ball size

At ZURICH. Damage estimate: $2.1 million

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

5 miles NW of WEBSTER

Thunderstorm Wind83 mph (72 knots, measured gust)

6 miles N of PLAINVILLE

Drought

On record for the forecast zone

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, measured gust)

2 miles NNW of WEBSTER

High Wind67 mph (58 knots, measured gust)

On record for the forecast zone

The 25 events above are the newest in the NCEI record. A place is the text of the NCEI record: a distance and a direction from a reference place. Wind speed is in miles per hour, with the knots that NCEI gives. The site does not show a place text that names a private property or reads as a person. Download these events (CSV)

Storm events on record for Rooks County by year, 1950 to 2026
DecadeYear that ends in 0Year that ends in 1Year that ends in 2Year that ends in 3Year that ends in 4Year that ends in 5Year that ends in 6Year that ends in 7Year that ends in 8Year that ends in 9All
1950s01000000236
1960s053050012117
1970s224210001012
1980s101217431020
1990s127138661816623115
2000s1121161219241117529192
2010s32253032231618141831239
2020s1625314423141 (part of the year)154

A darker cell has a larger count. The number is in each cell.

NCEI recorded tornado events from 1950, and hail and thunderstorm wind events from 1955. It recorded all event types from 1996. A count before 1996 has fewer event types.

FEMA disaster declarations

FEMA has 19 disaster declarations on record for Rooks County from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is DR-4869: SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRES.

Disaster declarations that name Rooks County (OpenFEMA, through 1 Oct 2026)
DeclaredNumberTypeIncident typeTitle in the FEMA recordAssistance
DR-4869Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRESPublic
DR-4654Major disasterSnowstormSEVERE WINTER STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDSPublic
DR-4640Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDSPublic
DR-4504Major disasterBiologicalCOVID-19 PANDEMICIndividual, Public
EM-3481EmergencyBiologicalCOVID-19Public
FM-5175Fire management assistanceFireROOKS COUNTY FIREPublic
DR-4287Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS AND FLOODINGPublic
DR-4112Major disasterSnowstormSNOWSTORMPublic
DR-4010Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODINGPublic
DR-1932Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOESPublic
DR-1885Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMPublic
DR-1776Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND TORNADOESPublic
DR-1741Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORMSPublic
EM-3282EmergencySevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORMSPublic
DR-1675Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORMPublic
DR-1626Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORMPublic
EM-3236EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATIONPublic
DR-1535Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOESPublic
DR-1000Major disasterFloodSEVERE STORMS & FLOODINGIndividual, Public

DR is a major disaster declaration. EM is an emergency declaration. FM is a fire management assistance declaration. A declaration for the whole state is on the Kansas page. What a disaster declaration is

The dataset includes declared recovery programs and geographic areas (county not available before 1964; Fire Management records are considered partial due to historical nature of the dataset).

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-10-01.

Flood insurance claims (NFIP)

OpenFEMA has no NFIP claim on record with the code of Rooks County, from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026.

FEMA counts 3 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The site gives a rate for each 1,000 policies only from 100 policies, because one claim changes a smaller rate too much.

This dataset is not intended to be an official federal report, and should not be considered an official federal report.

Note, the County Code field may not reflect the individual county the property is located as projects can be associated with more than one county

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "NFIP Redacted Claims - v3", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-09-09.

FEMA cannot verify the quality and/or timeliness of any data or any analysis derived therefrom after the data has been retrieved from FEMA.gov.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions, copied on . The page gives: last updated 2025-01-22.

National Risk Index

Risk Index rating
Very Low
Risk Index score
14.3 of 100
Expected Annual Loss rating
Very Low
Expected Annual Loss
$8.2 million
Social Vulnerability rating
Very Low
Community Resilience rating
Relatively Moderate
National Risk Index of Rooks County by hazard type (FEMA, December 2025 release)
Hazard typeRisk Index ratingExpected Annual Loss
Cold waveVery Low$284,777
DroughtRelatively Moderate$1,306,591
EarthquakeVery Low$14,185
HailRelatively Moderate$3,249,728
Heat waveVery Low$18,806
Ice stormRelatively Low$130,132
Inland floodingVery Low$1,043,379
LandslideVery Low$24
LightningVery Low$58,707
Strong windRelatively Moderate$907,883
TornadoRelatively Low$1,051,366
WildfireVery Low$68,631
Winter weatherRelatively Low$82,309

The National Risk Index dataset leverages available source data for natural hazard and community risk factors to develop a baseline relative risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract.

The rating is a qualitative categorization that describes the community in comparison to all other communities at the same level, ranging from “Very Low” to “Very High.”

The National Risk Index data are meant for planning purposes only.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, National Risk Index Data: Frequently Asked Questions (December 2025, v1.20), copied on .

The labels and the ratings are those of FEMA. Expected Annual Loss is a figure for a whole county. It is not a figure for a property. How to read the National Risk Index

Tropical storm and hurricane tracks

The HURDAT2 record of the National Hurricane Center goes through the 2025 season. It has no track at tropical storm strength within 100 miles of the centre point of Rooks County.

ZIP Codes, cities and towns of Rooks County

A city or town has no page of its own. This page is the record for the whole county, which has these places:

  • Codell
  • Damar
  • Palco
  • Plainville
  • Stockton
  • Woodston
  • Zurich

Official channels

These links open the pages of the agencies. The site checked the links on .

Cite this page

County Hazards. "Rooks County, Kansas: storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record". https://countyhazards.com/county/ks/rooks/. Data: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database through 30 Jun 2026; FEMA OpenFEMA disaster declarations through 1 Oct 2026; FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP claims through 8 Sep 2026. Page made on .

Where the data comes from

  • Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026.
  • Disaster declarations: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, read on 1 Oct 2026.
  • NFIP claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, as of 8 Sep 2026. Multiple-loss properties: 2 Aug 2026. Policies in force: 3 Aug 2026.
  • National Risk Index: FEMA, December 2025 release. Storm tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through the 2025 season.
  • Residents, area, places and adjacent counties: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage.

How the counts are made · Corrections · Hazards in all states: hail, tornado, flood, wind, winter

Questions

How many tornado events are on record for Rooks County?
NCEI has 53 tornado events on record for Rooks County from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026. 8 events have a rating of EF2 or F2, or a higher rating.
How large is the hail on record for Rooks County?
NCEI has 317 hail events on record from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026. 85 events have a hail size of 1.75 inches or more. NCEI names 1.75 inches a golf ball.
Which month has the most storm events on record for Rooks County?
June has 162 of the 755 storm events on record from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.
How many NFIP claims are there for each 1,000 policies in force in Rooks County?
FEMA counts 3 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The site gives a rate for each 1,000 policies only from 100 policies, because one claim changes a smaller rate too much.