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Tornado History

Elk Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Elk, Kansas. The records below identify 30 tornadoes from 1956 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $3.1M, with 2 deaths and 8 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes30
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries8
Property Damage$3.1M
Avg Length4.8 mi
Avg Width143 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Elk, Kansas

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

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.7/yr in last decade)
April is the peak tornado month with 10 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Elk, Kansas with 1 deaths
1957 was the most active year with 5 tornadoes
The 1950s had the most tornado activity (10 events)
Longest tornado: 22.4 miles in Elk, Kansas
Widest tornado: 880.0 yards in Elk, Kansas
Most tornadoes in one day: 5 on May 16, 1957

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 Elk, Kansas, April is the most active month with 10 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

5420

Summary: 1957 was the most active year with 5 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
F3
F4
Unknown
EFU

Summary: Unknown tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 7 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.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1956 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 April 2, 19561956F4 April 2, 19561956F3 April 26, 19911991F2 November 27, 19601960F2 June 18, 19591959F2 June 3, 19651965F1 October 8, 19821982F1 April 26, 19841984EF1 September 21, 20192019F1 April 16, 19601960EF1 April 27, 20242024EF1 April 27, 20242024F0 June 8, 19741974F0 June 12, 20042004F0 June 12, 2004F0 September 13, 2005F0 June 17, 2006EF0 May 1, 2008EF0 May 10, 2010EF0 April 26, 2024Unknown November 17, 1958Unknown May 16, 1957Unknown May 16, 1957Unknown May 16, 1957Unknown May 16, 1957Unknown May 16, 1957Unknown November 17, 1958EFU September 21, 2019EFU April 27, 2024EFU April 27, 2024© OpenStreetMap contributors

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 2, 1956F4Elk, Kansas15.8 mi880 yd16$2.5M
April 2, 1956F4Elk, Kansas11.5 mi880 yd00N/A
April 26, 1991F3Elk, Kansas12 mi200 yd12$250K
November 27, 1960F2Elk, Kansas17.3 mi33 yd00$25K
June 18, 1959F2Elk, Kansas2.5 mi100 yd00$2K
June 3, 1965F2Elk, Kansas22.4 mi87 yd00N/A
October 8, 1982F1Elk, Kansas3 mi17 yd00$250K
April 26, 1984F1Elk, Kansas13 mi200 yd00$25K
September 21, 2019EF1Elk, Kansas1.2 mi75 yd00$5K
April 16, 1960F1Elk, Kansas1 mi33 yd00$2K
April 27, 2024EF1Elk, Kansas0.04 mi50 yd00N/A
April 27, 2024EF1Elk, Kansas0.48 mi40 yd00N/A

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Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.