Tornado History

Clay Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Clay, Kansas. The records below identify 45 tornadoes from 1951 through 2026, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $53.6M, with 1 deaths and 31 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes45
Total Deaths1
Total Injuries31
Property Damage$53.6M
Avg Length5.7 mi
Avg Width115 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Clay, Kansas

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

Average 0.6 tornadoes per year (0.9/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 20 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Clay, Kansas with 1 deaths
1951 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (9 events)
Longest tornado: 23.7 miles in Clay, Kansas
Widest tornado: 880.0 yards in Clay, Kansas
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on May 30, 1951

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 Clay, Kansas, May is the most active month with 20 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

4320

Summary: 1951 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
F3
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 9 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.

$50.5M$5.0M$505K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1973 with at least $50.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 September 25, 19731973F3 September 25, 19731973F3 May 25, 19511951F2 October 18, 19791979F2 September 25, 19731973F2 September 26, 19731973F2 May 16, 19601960F2 April 20, 19641964F2 June 8, 19661966F1 April 6, 20062006F1 May 16, 19601960F1 May 16, 19861986F1 May 30, 19511951F1 April 22, 19571957F1 April 22, 1957F1 May 27, 1962F1 May 17, 1971EF1 June 5, 2008EF1 June 5, 2008EF1 May 18, 2013EF1 October 4, 2016EF1 October 6, 2016EF1 October 6, 2016EF1 May 1, 2018EF1 May 1, 2018F0 April 6, 2006F0 January 28, 2006F0 May 30, 1951F0 July 15, 1988F0 July 15, 1988F0 July 20, 1961F0 June 10, 1983F0 May 18, 1989F0 April 6, 2006EF0 June 5, 2008EF0 April 14, 2011EF0 May 9, 2016EF0 May 19, 2017Unknown May 25, 1965Unknown May 30, 1951Unknown May 4, 1959Unknown May 15, 1960Unknown June 4, 1955EFU May 9, 2023EFU May 18, 2026© 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
September 25, 1973F3Clay, Kansas19.8 mi100 yd020$25.0M
September 25, 1973F3Clay, Kansas13.3 mi100 yd00$25.0M
May 25, 1951F3Clay, Kansas4.1 mi440 yd10$250K
October 18, 1979F2Clay, Kansas23.7 mi400 yd011$2.5M
September 25, 1973F2Clay, Kansas5.9 mi67 yd00$250K
September 26, 1973F2Clay, Kansas2.5 mi33 yd00$250K
May 16, 1960F2Clay, Kansas0.3 mi100 yd00$25K
April 20, 1964F2Clay, Kansas12.4 mi50 yd00$25K
June 8, 1966F2Clay, Kansas8.9 mi100 yd00$25K
April 6, 2006F1Clay, Kansas9 mi880 yd00$100K
May 16, 1960F1Clay, Kansas4.7 mi250 yd00$25K
May 16, 1986F1Clay, Kansas9 mi100 yd00$25K
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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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