Neosho County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

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. Jul 1, 2007Flash Flood$12.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extremely heavy rainfall from the end of June into early July caused flash flooding throughout Neosho County. The flash flooding and the ensuing river flooding resulted in roughly 100 homes being destroyed and another 50 sustaining major damage. This resulted in at least 10.5 million dollars in damages. An additional 1.5 million dollars in damage was reported public infrastructure. The Neosho River reached a record crest of 40.6 feet on the morning of July 2nd. This was 11.6 feet above flood stage. Major flooding was seen on the Neosho at Chanute when a crest of 36.82 feet was recorded on the morning of July 1st. The Neosho inundated the city of Chanute with some areas under as…

2. Apr 19, 2000Tornado$1.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Forming at 1920 CST 6 miles southwest of Erie, the tornado moved northeast around 35 mph passing just south of Erie at 1931 CST. F2 intensity for much of it's track, the tornado injured 3 people on the southern periphery of Erie as it destroyed or heavily damaged 12 homes, several mobile homes, as well as a few trees. This tornado then crossed into Crawford county.

3. Jun 30, 2005Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive damage! Large trees uprooted, with many falling onto homes and businesses. Roofs literally blown off many homes and businesses. Numerous barns and sheds destroyed. All of town without power.

4. Jun 29, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Two stores unroofed andtwo mobile homes heavily damaged. Numerous trees and power lines downed.

5. Jun 30, 2005Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive damage! Numerous large trees uprooted, with some falling onto homes. One home reportedly destroyed 0.5 mile north of Erie. Many homes unroofed with numerous barns and sheds destroyed. All of town without power.

6. Jun 30, 2005Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive damage! Numerous large trees uprooted with many falling onto homes. Many homes unroofed, with numerous barns and sheds destroyed. All of town without power.

7. Nov 1, 1998Flood, Neosho$500,000
   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…

8. Jun 30, 2005Thunderstorm Wind$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tall church steeple removed. Large trees uprooted, downed power lines and power poles, as well as other unspecified structural damage. (Arkansas City Traveler contributed to this narrative.)

9. Sep 25, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$265,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Four travel trailers and eight vehicles were damaged or destroyed. One such trailer was 28 feet long and attached to a Ford F250, both of which were blown over. A couple of old barns and tin buildings were also destroyed. Downed trees and power lines were reported in Chanute.

10. Jan 1, 1999Winter Storm, Neosho$250,000

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

116°FJul 18, 1936

All-time low

−23°FJan 30, 1949

Warmest night

87°FSep 6, 1936

Coldest day

−2°FDec 24, 1983

Wettest day

8.92 inApr 8, 1927

Snowiest day

12.0 inMar 16, 1970

Hottest year

2024mean 61.6°F

Coldest year

1979mean 53.9°F

Wettest year

192763.86 in

Driest year

196321.30 in

Station Chanute Martin Johnson Airport (USW00013981), 980 ft elevation, 5.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1894 to October 25, 2026; 99.7% 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 USW00013981.
• 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.