Kansas Tornadoes
Kansas averages 95 tornadoes per year and has the highest tornado density per square mile of any US state. Home of Greensburg 2007 (first-ever EF5) and Andover 1991 F5.
Notable Kansas Tornadoes with Full Details
Greensburg EF5
· May 4, 2007The first tornado ever rated EF5. Destroyed 95% of the town of Greensburg. Read the full story →
Andover F5
· April 26, 1991F5 tornado that killed 17 people, including 13 at Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. Read the full story →
Other Historic Kansas Tornadoes
- Udall, KS (May 25, 1955) — F5, 80 killed in a nighttime tornado that struck the small town
- Topeka, KS (June 8, 1966) — F5, 17 killed on the Washburn University campus
- Andover, KS (April 29, 2022) — EF3, hit the same city 31 years after the 1991 F5
- Hesston–Goessel, KS (March 13, 1990) — F5, dual-tornado event
Key Facts About Kansas Tornado Activity
- "Home" is what Dorothy said about Kansas after the Wizard of Oz tornado — the state's cultural association with tornadoes runs deep in American media
- Kansas has the highest tornadoes-per-square-mile ratio of any US state most years
- The city of Wichita and its suburbs (Andover, Derby) sit in one of the most tornado-prone corridors in America
Kansas Tornado Season
Peak activity in Kansas: May–June. Even outside this window, violent tornadoes are possible — no month is fully safe. Residents should have a household tornado plan year-round. See our tornado season guide → and tornado safety guide →.
Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →