Harper County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Harper County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 26, 2009Flash Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall from numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon, evening and overnight hours on the 26th produced widespread flooding across much of Harper county. Rainfall amounts across the county ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Numerous roads were closed countywide. It is estimated that around 100 homes were flooded or received some form of water damage in the Anthony area, along with several other homes and businesses across the county. Portions of the elementary school and hospital in Harper were flooded. Three water rescues took place, one of which produced an injury near Third Lake Road when a vehicle attempted to cross a flooded roadway. Crop damage estimates are unknown, and…

2. May 29, 2004Tornado$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The following were damaged or destroyed: 15 farm dwellings and service buildings, and 30 pieces of farm machinery and equipment. (This portion of narrative courtesy of USDA Flash Flood Situation report.) One home unroofed resulting in damage to most of property inside. Widespread damage to wheat fields that had been ready for harvest.

3. May 6, 2007Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding was reported across the county. Numerous roads were closed due to high water and sand bagging was conducted in the city of Harper.

4. Nov 1, 1998Flood, Harper$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread heavy rains of 6-10 inches inundated South-Central and Southeast Kansas from the evening of October 30th thru November 1st while 4-8 inches drenched Central Kansas. As a result, record flooding occurred along the following rivers:Whitewater River: At Towanda: crest: 30.53 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 29.73 feet on 06/08/79). At Augusta: crest: 34.95 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 32.70 feet on 06/08/79).Arkansas River: At Derby: crest: 16.60 feet on 11/01/98. (Old record: 16.19 feet on 07/15/93). At Arkansas City, 28.89 feet on 11/03/98. (Old record: 27.62 feet on 05/11/93).Walnut River: At Arkansas City: crest: 32.45 feet on 11/03/98. (Old record: 29.22 feet on…

5. Apr 23, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Large tree fell onto mobile home. One woman injured, sustaining fractured vertebrae, requiring ambulance transport to Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita where, upon arrival, the woman was listed in fair condition. (Narrative courtesy of Wichita Eagle, Winfield Courier, Anthony Republican, and Harper Advocate.)

6. Jul 20, 2009Hail$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A supercell moved southeast across northern and eastern portions of Harper county, producing a swath of golfball to baseball size hail and 60 to 70 mph winds from just east of Runnymede, southeast through the Danville and Freeport areas. A narrow swath of intense damage occurred, including uprooted trees, shattered car and building windows, at least three damaged irrigation systems, a damaged stock show trailer, structural and roof damage to several barns and homes, damage to various sheds and outbuildings, and devastating crop damage to soybeans, milo and corn. Additionally, a camper trailer was thrown into a field near Danville, and a railroad crossing was blown down just east…

7. May 12, 2004Tornado$275,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Large destructive tornado completely demolished a two story farm house and 5 other barns associated with the homestead. Five cars were also dismantled as the engines were spread across the shaven wheat fields. Very few automobile body parts could be located.

8. Jun 10, 2007Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Harper County Law Enforcement reported a water rescue on Highway 160 just west of Attica. A later report from Law Enforcement indicated that there was 4 feet of water flowing over the highway. Flash flooding was also reported in the town of Harper early in the morning. Numerous washouts were reported across the county. The Harper Advocate contributed to this report.

9. Jun 15, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong winds blew over five double stacked railroad cars. An estimated 40 containers were blown with both tracks of the railroad being blocked. The railroad containers were full of paper, cereal and other non hazardous materials.

10. Mar 27, 2009Blizzard, Harper$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A wintry mix of light to moderate sleet and snow affected the county during the day on the 27th. The wintry mix eventually changed over to snow during the evening and overnight hours from west to east, and persisted into the afternoon hours on the 28th. Sleet accumulations across the county ranged from roughly 2 to 4 inches, with 6 to 15 inches of snow, highest over northwest portions of the county, accumulating on top of the sleet from the evening and overnight hours on the 27th and beyond. Stout north to northeast winds resulted in considerable blowing and drifting of snow, with visibilities occasionally dropping to one-quarter mile or less. The combination of ice, snow and wind…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

115°F2 times, most recently Aug 12, 1936

All-time low

−20°FFeb 12, 1899

Warmest night

87°FJul 3, 1983

Coldest day

1°FJan 17, 1930

Wettest day

7.49 inMay 5, 1987

Snowiest day

13.0 inFeb 17, 1975

Hottest year

1933mean 62.0°F

Coldest year

1917mean 55.2°F

Wettest year

191547.48 in

Driest year

196611.71 in

Snowiest season

39.7 in1911-12

Station Anthony (USW00013980), 1,340 ft elevation, 4.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1897 to October 28, 2026; 99.4% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013980.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.