Marion County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Marion County: 1.
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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 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. Dec 10, 2007Ice Storm, Marion$18.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   One to two inches of ice accumulated across Marion County during the ice storm. This resulted in approximately 800 downed power poles and 4300 downed lines. Damage to the electrical infrastructure is estimated at $18.2 million. There was also widespread damage to trees but the cost of the damage is unknown. The Peabody Gazette-Bulletin contributed to this report.

2. Jan 29, 2002Winter Storm, Marion$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On the 28th, an Arctic Front surged south across Kansas, leaving a shallow layer of sub-freezing air in it's wake. Meanwhile, an 850mb low was positioned over New Mexico. As the 850mb low moved east across New Mexico on the 29th and 30th, much warmer, moisture-laden air was transported north across the southern plains in a layer approximately 3,000 feet thick, trapping the sub-freezing layer beneath. On the evening of the 30th, the 850mb low crossed the New Mexico/Texas border. A mid-upper level trough moving east across the southern Rockies provided sufficient lift across the region.Widespread freezing rain and sleet developed late in the afternoon of the 29th across…

3. Nov 1, 1998Flood, Marion$2.3 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…

4. Jul 25, 2001Lightning$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   City of Hillsboro electrical and maintenance building was struck and considered a total loss. Time of occurrence is approximate.

5. Nov 29, 2015Ice Storm, Marion$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Damage to trees and power lines in and around Hillsboro was major! A few reports were of limbs taken down from 6 inches to 1 1/2 feet diameter. Some of the downed limbs no doubt exacerbated the damage to power lines, ultimately resulting in power outages.

6. Apr 26, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The strong winds moved a house off its foundation near the intersection of 140th and Mustang. Several residences sustained roof damage across the area, and there was some barn and outbuilding damage in the Aulne area. It is estimated that 3 homes and 30 outbuildings were damaged across the county. Additionally, a dozen or two power poles were downed, and some automobiles and farm equipment was damaged due to collapsed roofs. Countywide total property damage was likely around $300,000 to $400,000. The Marion County Record contributed to this report, as well as Marion County Emergency Management.

7. Jun 5, 2014Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous reports of wind damage between Tampa, Kansas, and Lost Springs, Kansas. Damage included power poles and five foot diameter trees blown down. Also numerous reports of shed and barn damage.

8. Jun 20, 2009Tornado$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Some tree damage with several power lines down. Two farmsteads were struck causing damage to several barns and feed bins.

9. Jun 13, 2010Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Early morning rainfall up to 6 inches inundated Spring Creek and Doyle Creek. The creeks rose so fast that 10 families had to be evacuated from their homes. All roads leading into Peabody from the south were impassible due to the flooding creeks. Two water rescues occurred when drivers tried to cross the high water.

10. May 15, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Minor damage sustained to boats and docks at Glen Elder Lake Marina, widespread tree damage, power lines downed.

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

110°FJul 28, 2011

All-time low

−24°F2 times, most recently Dec 24, 1989

Warmest night

83°FJul 20, 1980

Coldest day

−6°FDec 22, 1989

Wettest day

5.87 inApr 24, 2008

Snowiest day

12.0 inNov 26, 2023

Hottest year

2016mean 59.5°F

Coldest year

1979mean 52.0°F

Wettest year

199347.71 in

Driest year

198019.09 in

Snowiest season

25.5 in2009-10

Station Marion Rsvr (USC00145039), 1,373 ft elevation, 4.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1966 to October 27, 2026; 97.3% 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 USC00145039.
• 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.