Republic County

Every recorded tornado

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

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. Jun 22, 2003Flash Flood$3.4 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms persisted over north and west parts of Republic county the night of the 22nd. Rainfall amounts in excess of 12 inches were reported in some areas. The resulting runoff caused flash flooding. Water was 3 to 4 feet deep on some roadways and vehicles were washed off roadways and rescue efforts made of the vehicles occupants. Several roads were completely washed out. Two homes were destroyed by the floodwaters. Deer and cattle were reported swimming. Some people were stranded in homes and in need of rescue. Fields were flooded and there was severe crop damage. The runoff caused the Republican River to rise quickly and overflow. It was reported to be 1 mile wide in…

2. May 29, 2004Tornado$3.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down southwest of Norway and moved over 3 miles northeast before dissipating. Along the path of the tornado extensive damage was done, including significant crop damage. A number of power poles were downed. Many farm houses were severely damaged. Many farm implements and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Near Norway irrigation equipment was wrapped around a utility pole. In Norway a grain bin was blown over. Many homes in Norway sustained considerable damage. Many trees were downed along the tornado path.

3. May 29, 2008Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed from Jewell County into Republic County 4 miles South Southwest of Courtland. There, tree damage was noted, and several outbuildings were destroyed at a residence. An old rock home was also destroyed. Significant tree, power pole, and power line damage was reported along the path. Several of these trees had been uprooted and thrown for several hundred feet. Irrigation units were destroyed. Several homes, a newspaper reported at least six, were damaged along the path. The home that sustained the most significant damage had portions of the roof removed, and it's eastern wall blown out. Barns, outbuildings, and grain bins were destroyed at the residence as well.…

4. Jun 13, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$775,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong winds knocked down numerous utility poles and power lines, damaged or destroyed a variety of farm structures and equipment and tore the roof off one house. The damage occurred in an area extending from 6 to 10 miles north of Belleville. A survey from the Kansas State Farm Service Agency Office indicated $125,000 of damage to farm structures and $650,000 of damage to farm machinery.

5. Mar 7, 1998Blizzard, Republic$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A snowstorm accompanied by blizzard conditions dumped 6 or more inches of snow northwest of the Kansas Turnpike. A swath of 10 or more inches fell along and north of a line from Holton in Jackson County to Belleville in Republic County. Sabetha reported the most snow with 18 inches. Other higher amounts included Centralia 15, Blaine 13, and Holton 11. Belleville, Washington, and Frankfort all received 10 inches. Strong winds combined with the snow to produce near white out conditions in many areas and forced the closing of at least 22 US and state highways, including 60 miles of interstate 70 from the west side of Topeka to near Junction City. US Highway 75 was closed between…

6. Jun 22, 2003Tornado$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The third in a series of tornadoes touched down northeast of Courtland and traveled 3 miles and damaged 2 homes before dissipating.

7. Jun 13, 2001Tornado$120,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado formed just north of Munden and moved northeast doing considerable damage to several farmsteads before moving into Nebraska.

8. May 22, 2004Tornado$90,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down at the Pawnee Indian Museum and damaged a roof to the museum building before moving 2 miles and lifting at the edge of Republic. Along the tornado's path a windmill was destroyed, power lines were downed, and 3 center pivoting irrigation systems were damaged. A one ton granite memorial at the Pawnee Indian Museum was moved 8 feet off the foundation.

9. Jun 22, 2003Tornado$80,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado struck 3 miles northeast of Republic and moved northeast 4 miles and destroyed a house in its path before it dissipated near the Nebraska border.

10. May 24, 2004Hail$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Large hail damaged windows and several vehicles in Belleville.

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

114°FAug 13, 1936

All-time low

−25°FDec 23, 1989

Warmest night

89°FJun 24, 1952

Coldest day

−4°FJan 13, 2024

Wettest day

7.03 inSep 5, 1958

Snowiest day

14.5 inFeb 2, 1983

Hottest year

1938mean 57.3°F

Coldest year

1993mean 49.7°F

Wettest year

199349.46 in

Driest year

195615.90 in

Snowiest season

48.0 in1947-48

Station Belleville (USC00140682), 1,544 ft elevation, 1.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1935 to October 27, 2026; 93.1% 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 USC00140682.
• 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.