NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Garnett, KS
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Garnett, Kansas since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
47 deaths in all
What the records show for Garnett
The strongest of the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 20, 1957; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 44 people. Of the 61, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2024. Of the 171 Kansas cities on this site, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Garnett. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 101 times since 1973, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 171 Kansas cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Garnett.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Garnett
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s4
- 2000s17(2 EF3+)
- 1990s3
- 1980s11
- 1970s2
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s14(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 1957 | F5 | 17 mi | 69.4 mi | 44 / 207 |
| Apr 12, 1964 | F4 | 3 mi | 19.4 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Feb 28, 2007 | EF4 | 15 mi | 24.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2003 | F3 | 23 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 16, 1960 | F3 | 14 mi | 9.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1957 | F3 | 18 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1956 | F3 | 14 mi | 69.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2003 | F2 | 15 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2003 | F2 | 14 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 15, 1982 | F2 | 19 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 1981 | F2 | 7 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 1974 | F2 | 2 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Garnett
The Storm Prediction Center has 101 hail reports within 10 miles of Garnett since 1973, made on 65 separate days. Of these, 67 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 11, 2020. The most recent report is from May 19, 2025. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Garnett
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Garnett 1 E, KS, 2 miles east of Garnett at 998 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 20°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.2 inches; the year adds up to 40.6 inches over 59 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 107 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.6 inches is more than at 83 of the 103 Kansas stations used on this site (81%). Osawatomie, 22 miles northeast, has its own station (Paola, KS): 41.2 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 20 | 1.2 | 3 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 46 | 23 | 1.8 | 4 | 2.5 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 2.4 | 5 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 66 | 43 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.2 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 2.3 | 3 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 44 | 24 | 1.7 | 3 | 3.0 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 40.6 | 59 | 12.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Garnett 1 E, KS (998 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Garnett
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Garnett: 76 thunderstorm wind reports, 36 flash floods and 5 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on August 24, 2016. June has had the most flash floods, 11 of 36. Of the 169 Kansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 138 have had fewer than Garnett.
June 28, 2007: flood 7 miles from the centre of Garnett — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “With persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms, Pottawatomie Creek reaches moderate flooding and continues to rise to record levels. Heavy rains continue intermittently for the rest of the month with widespread flooding developing.”
July 1, 2007: flood 7 miles from the centre of Garnett — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread flooding continues into early July. Numerous roads are still under water from heavy rain in late June.”
May 7, 2007: flood 2 miles from the centre of Garnett — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Persistent heavy rain through the predawn and early forenoon hours brought flooding of streets and creeks in and around Garnett. Unofficial estimates of three to four inches of rain were received during this time.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Anderson County, which includes Garnett, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on July 15, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anderson County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.1 million a year, the 85th highest of 105 Kansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.7 million (34%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Garnett
- Osawatomie, KS22 mi
- Ottawa, KS23 mi
- Pomona, KS25 mi
- Iola, KS25 mi
- Burlington, KS27 mi
- La Cygne, KS29 mi
- Paola, KS30 mi
- Wellsville, KS30 mi
- Pleasanton, KS31 mi
- Humboldt, KS34 mi
- Baldwin City, KS35 mi
- Edgerton, KS36 mi
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