Tornado History

Cherokee Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Cherokee, Kansas. The records below identify 46 tornadoes from 1953 through 2026, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $20.4M, with 4 deaths and 56 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes46
Total Deaths4
Total Injuries56
Property Damage$20.4M
Avg Length3.3 mi
Avg Width158 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Cherokee, Kansas

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.6 tornadoes per year (0.7/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 16 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Cherokee, Kansas with 3 deaths
1961 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 2000s had the most tornado activity (11 events)
Longest tornado: 20.89 miles in Cherokee, Kansas
Widest tornado: 1,000.0 yards in Cherokee, Kansas
Most tornadoes in one day: 2 on Mar 15, 1982

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Cherokee, Kansas, May is the most active month with 16 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

4320

Summary: 1961 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
F4
Unknown

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 12 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$10.0M$1.0M$100K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2014 with at least $10.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 April 3, 19561956F3 May 4, 20032003F3 March 15, 19821982EF2 April 27, 20142014F2 May 11, 19731973F2 May 7, 19611961F2 September 3, 19591959F2 February 17, 19611961F2 May 5, 19711971EF1 April 26, 20262026EF1 April 20, 20252025EF1 July 12, 20102010F1 April 3, 19991999F1 November 2, 19611961F1 September 27, 1973F1 June 18, 1977F1 April 2, 1982EF1 May 22, 2019F1 February 9, 1959F1 April 7, 1986F1 May 19, 1960F1 March 24, 1954F1 July 19, 1956F1 April 6, 2006EF1 May 20, 2019EF1 May 22, 2019EF0 May 6, 2024EF0 May 6, 2024EF0 May 10, 2008F0 May 26, 1955F0 May 18, 1965F0 May 11, 1971F0 March 15, 1982F0 April 7, 1986F0 December 18, 2002F0 December 18, 2002F0 June 12, 2004F0 April 21, 2005F0 June 30, 2005F0 June 30, 2005F0 April 6, 2006EF0 June 10, 2007EF0 April 2, 2015Unknown June 5, 1953Unknown May 24, 1957Unknown May 6, 1961© OpenStreetMap contributors
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
April 3, 1956F4Cherokee, Kansas2.7 mi50 yd05$2.5M
May 4, 2003F3Cherokee, Kansas20 mi880 yd319$2.7M
March 15, 1982F3Cherokee, Kansas6 mi167 yd16$2.5M
April 27, 2014EF2Cherokee, Kansas4.27 mi150 yd025$10.0M
May 11, 1973F2Cherokee, Kansas0 mi33 yd00$250K
May 7, 1961F2Cherokee, Kansas5.7 mi33 yd00$25K
September 3, 1959F2Cherokee, Kansas1 mi200 yd01$2K
February 17, 1961F2Cherokee, Kansas7.3 mi880 yd00$2K
May 5, 1971F2Cherokee, Kansas1 mi440 yd00$2K
April 26, 2026EF1Cherokee, Kansas4.4 mi500 yd00$1.1M
April 20, 2025EF1Cherokee, Kansas6.24 mi250 yd00$500K
July 12, 2010EF1Cherokee, Kansas2.82 mi60 yd00$125K
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Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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