Stanton County
Population 1,986 (2025) 680 sq mi
Large wildfires have burned 16,294 acres of Stanton County since 1984, 26th most of 105 counties in Kansas; the largest was the Badger Hole Fire in 2018.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195027
- Wildfire burn scars since 19842
At a glance
The record for Stanton County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Acres burned since 1984
16,294
26th of 105 in Kansas
2 large fires; the largest was Badger Hole, 2018
DetailsTornadoes since 1950
27
91st of 105 in Kansas
Fewer than the typical Kansas county, which has had 46
DetailsStrongest tornado
F2
July 25, 1967, 2.0 mile path
Federal disaster declarations
12
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2026
DetailsSnowiest season
43.6in
Winter of 1997-98
Tornadoes
About one every 2.8 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
July 25, 1967
F2, 2.0 mile path
13 yards wide.
Most recent
Thursday, June 5, 2025
EFU, 0.9 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| Jun 5, 2025 | EFU | 0.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 23, 2023 | EF0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 23, 2023 | EF0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 2021 | EF0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| May 21, 2020 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 10, 2013 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 10, 2008 | EF0 | 2.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 18, 1997 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 1992 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 1992 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 1992 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 1992 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 1992 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 5, 1992 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 1991 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 19, 1990 | F2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 21, 1989 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 14, 1986 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 14, 1986 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 26, 1978 | F1 | 22.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 22, 1972 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 1970 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 30, 1970 | F2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 25, 1967 | F2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 21, 1951 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Stanton County: 0.
- 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
16,294 acres burned in 2 large fires since 1984, equal to 3.7% of the land.
Largest
April 17, 2018
Badger Hole Fire, 49,177 acres
15,241 acres inside Stanton County.
Most recent
April 17, 2018
Badger Hole Fire
49,177 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Badger Hole | 2018 | 15,241 | 49,177 |
| Unnamed | 2002 | 1,052 | 1,053 |
- 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
Smokiest year
2021: 41 days
Heavy smoke on 16 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
17.4 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
11 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 24 so far in 2026.
- 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.
Floods and flood insurance
No federal flood insurance claims are recorded for this county.
Flood events since 1996
- Heavy Rain19
- Flash Flood14
- Flood8
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 126 of 1,581 months since 1895 (8%); the longest spell lasted 22 months.
126
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
37
Months in extreme drought
8%
Share of all months, severe or worse
3
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
October 1956
−5.41, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
22 months
June 1936 to March 1938.
Latest month
September 2026
+1.87, slightly wet
Last severe month: May 2026.
- 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.
Earthquakes
4 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1986; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
2
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
September 13, 2021
Magnitude 3.7
9 km NW of Pritchett, Colorado; 48.6 miles away, 9.9 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
September 13, 2021
Magnitude 3.7
9 km NW of Pritchett, Colorado; 48.6 miles away.
- 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).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
749 events in the National Weather Service record, 663 of them since 1996.
233
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
26
Hail, 2 inches or larger
130
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
79
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
3
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
August 14, 2020
4.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 29, 2018
100 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 2 | 0 |
| Dust storms and dust devils | 2 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 4 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Sep 18, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$52,000
National Weather Service narrative
large sprinklers blown down and 15 power poles blown down.
- May 29, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
- Jul 23, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$40,000
National Weather Service narrative
trailer blown over and 55,000 bushel grain bin destroyed
- Apr 11, 2001High Wind, Stanton$25,000
National Weather Service narrative
Siding and shingles blown off houses. Airport sign blew down.
- May 18, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$4,000
- Jul 5, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$1,500
National Weather Service narrative
Windows were blown out of a van and stop signs were blown down.
- Feb 24, 2007High Wind, Stanton$1,500
National Weather Service narrative
A 68 mph gust was recorded at the Johnson City airport.
- 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.
Weather records
From Johnson, 0.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1995.
- All-time high
- 110°FJul 27, 2026
- All-time low
- −18°FFeb 15, 2021
- Warmest night
- 77°FAug 10, 2026
- Coldest day
- −1°FFeb 3, 1996
- Wettest day
- 4.15 inAug 10, 2001
- Snowiest day
- 20.0 inApr 30, 2017
- Hottest year
- 2012mean 58.1°F
- Coldest year
- 1997mean 54.2°F
- Wettest year
- 201528.16 in
- Driest year
- 201210.05 in
- Snowiest season
- 43.6 in1997-98
Median first snow
November 29
Earliest: October 25, 1997
Median last snow
March 19
Latest: April 29, 2005
0 of 24 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Johnson (USC00144114), 3,330 ft elevation, 0.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1995 to October 26, 2026; 99.0% 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.
Federal disaster declarations
12 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, September 1, 2026.
| Sep 1, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4943-KS |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4891-KS |
| Feb 17, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4640-KS |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504-KS |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3481-KS |
| Jun 16, 2017 | Snowstorm | DR-4319-KS |
| Jul 29, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-4010-KS |
| Jun 24, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1848-KS |
| Dec 12, 2007 | Severe Storm | EM-3282-KS |
| Jan 7, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1675-KS |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3236-KS |
| Jun 23, 1965 | Flood | DR-201-KS |
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.
How this compares
Where Stanton County stands among 105 counties in Kansas and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 27 | 91 / 105 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 16,294 | 26 / 105 |
| Flood insurance claims | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance paid | $0 | — |
| Disaster declarations | 12 | 89 / 105 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 41 | 64 / 105 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 515 | 50 / 105 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 79 | 33 / 105 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $174,000 | 104 / 105 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 0 | — |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 126 | 96 / 105 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 17.4 | 102 / 105 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Baca County CO | 88 | 0 |
| Grant County | 28 | 0 |
| Hamilton County | 36 | 0 |
| Kearny County | 46 | 0 |
| Morton County | 20 | 0 |
| Prowers County CO | 90 | 0 |
| Stevens County | 25 | 0 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- 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 USC00144114.
- 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.