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Sedgwick County, Kansas
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
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. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 3,150 storm events in Sedgwick County, Kansas, led by hail.
That is 316.0 events per 100 square miles, above the Kansas figure of 115.0, and 60.1 per 10,000 residents against 320.3 statewide.
136 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 40 deaths and 613 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $1.3B and crop damage at $24M.
FEMA has designated the county in 18 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Covid-19 Pandemic (major disaster, 29 Mar 2020).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 990 claims since 1978, of which 675 were paid, totalling $15M (about $22K per paid claim). FEMA counts 850 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($256M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with Kansas and the United States
| Measure | Sedgwick County | Kansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 3,150 | 94,007 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 316.0 | 115.0 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 60.1 | 320.3 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 136 | 2,357 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 40 | 475 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $1.3B | $5.3B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 2.7 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $22K | $19K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 10.9 | 15.9 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 1,826 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 908 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 1999 | Tornado | Tornado | F4 | $140M | — | 6 | 150 | County |
| 26 Apr 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F5 | $250M | — | 4 | 75 | County |
| 26 May 1973 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | — | — | 3 | — | County |
| 4 Jan 2005 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | — | — | 3 | — | Forecast zone |
| 16 Jul 2006 | Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 3 | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Jan 2025 | Blizzard | Winter | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 4 Jan 2025 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 25 Feb 2011 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $30K | — | 2 | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Jun 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2021 | Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | Cold | — | — | — | 2 | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Sep 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $7K | $10K | 1 | 1 | County |
| 2 Jan 1996 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | $8K | — | 1 | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 15 Dec 2019 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 21 Jun 2026 | Tornado | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 1 Feb 2011 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | $20K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Dec 2008 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $10K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Feb 2000 | High Wind | Wind | 40 mph | $2K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Aug 1998 | Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Jul 2014 | Excessive Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 27 May 2016 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar 2020 | DR-4504 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3481 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 20 Oct 2016 | DR-4287 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 24 May 2012 | DR-4063 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 30 Sep 2009 | DR-1860 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 1 Feb 2008 | DR-1741 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms | Public assistance |
| 12 Dec 2007 | EM-3282 | Emergency | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2005 | EM-3236 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 8 Feb 2005 | DR-1579 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 6 Feb 2002 | DR-1402 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm | Individual assistance |
| 4 May 1999 | DR-1273 | Major disaster | Tornado | Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Nov 1998 | DR-1258 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Ks-Flooding 10/31/98 | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 9 Jun 1998 | EM-3126 | Emergency | Other | Debruce Grain Elevator Explosion (Sedgwick Cty) | Public assistance |
| 22 Jul 1993 | DR-1000 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 29 Apr 1991 | DR-903 | Major disaster | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Sep 1973 | DR-403 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 May 1973 | DR-378 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 23 Jun 1965 | DR-201 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 4 | $573,412 | $143,353 |
| 2025 | 27 | 25 | $1,424,149 | $56,966 |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | $953 | $953 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 8 | 7 | $45,597 | $6,514 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | $34,979 | $34,979 |
| 2019 | 39 | 32 | $458,580 | $14,331 |
| 2018 | 5 | 4 | $32,319 | $8,080 |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2016 | 66 | 53 | $1,094,400 | $20,649 |
| 2015 | 7 | 3 | $6,633 | $2,211 |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | $314 | $314 |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2012 | 7 | 2 | $41,156 | $20,578 |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | $3,439 | $3,439 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | $47,963 | $23,981 |
| 2009 | 56 | 45 | $1,942,920 | $43,176 |
| 2008 | 85 | 71 | $1,822,237 | $25,665 |
| 2007 | 22 | 12 | $66,265 | $5,522 |
| 2005 | 6 | 4 | $58,454 | $14,614 |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | $977 | $977 |
| 2003 | 24 | 15 | $345,811 | $23,054 |
| 2002 | 3 | 2 | $7,356 | $3,678 |
| 2001 | 2 | 1 | $752 | $752 |
| 2000 | 7 | 3 | $4,194 | $1,398 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $100,974,456 | |
| Tornado | $52,818,481 | |
| Cold wave | $50,851,859 | |
| Heat wave | $19,399,997 | |
| Hail | $12,379,333 | |
| Ice storm | $8,072,912 | |
| Lightning | $3,350,629 | |
| Wildfire | $3,299,371 | |
| Strong wind | $1,967,212 | |
| Earthquake | $1,248,940 | |
| Winter weather | $1,125,482 | |
| Drought | $386,537 | |
| Hurricane | $40,415 | |
| Landslide | $1,382 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 67110 121
- 67218 113
- 67209 89
- 67037 75
- 67235 69
- 67212 56
- 67230 52
- 67206 48
- 67208 43
- 67026 36
- 67217 36
- 67207 35
- 67147 29
- 67060 26
- 67213 21
- 67204 19
- 67233 19
- 67214 18
- 67149 16
- 67211 16
- 67052 13
- 67215 11
- 67220 11
- 67226 9
- 67205 8
- 67030 7
- 67216 7
- 67219 7
- 67210 6
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Sedgwick County, KS?
NCEI records 1,397 hail events in Sedgwick County since 1950, in 70 different years; that is about 18.1 recorded events a year. 333 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Sedgwick County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 91 tornadoes in Sedgwick County since 1950, 24 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 14.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Sedgwick County?
29 Mar 2020: Covid-19 Pandemic, a major disaster declaration for biological. The county appears in 18 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Sedgwick County, and how much was paid?
990 NFIP claims since 1978, 675 of them paid, for $15M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Sedgwick County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Sedgwick County compare with the rest of Kansas?
316.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 115.0 statewide, and 1.9 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 2.7. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.