Home › Kansas › Ellis County

Ellis County, Kansas

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
39th of 105highest risk in Kansas
$16Mexpected losses a year
13federal declarations
1 in 111homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Ellis County, Kansas has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 67% of US counties. It ranks 39th of 105 counties in Kansas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and hail. FEMA estimates about $16 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $554 per resident. Since 1993 it has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (11 major disasters). The most recent was in May 2025 (severe winter storm, straight-line winds, flooding and wildfires). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (107 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $246,000 on 97 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Ellis County

$6.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$2.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.

Hail

Moderate
$1.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 9 times a year.
  • Ask about the roof age and any impact-rated shingles.
  • Check your home policy for a separate wind and hail deductible.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery Low34.4
$6M
TornadoLow57.6
$2M
HailModerate85.0
$2M
Cold waveLow54.7
$2M
Strong windModerate73.1
$2M
LightningModerate66.2
$654K
Ice stormModerate78.4
$547K
DroughtLow60.9
$456K
Winter weatherModerate82.8
$365K
WildfireVery Low60.7
$133K
Heat waveVery Low17.0
$68K
EarthquakeVery Low23.3
$57K
LandslideVery Low12.2
$60

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Ellis County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm9
Snowstorm2
Flood1
Hurricane1

Most recent

May 21, 2025Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and WildfiresMajor disaster
May 25, 2022Severe Winter Storms and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Feb 17, 2022Severe Storms and Straight Line WindsMajor disaster
Oct 20, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 26, 2013SnowstormMajor disaster
Aug 10, 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jul 9, 2008Severe Storms, Flooding and TornadoesMajor disaster
Feb 1, 2008Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Dec 12, 2007Severe Winter StormsEmergency
Jan 7, 2007Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Show all 13
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Aug 3, 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jul 22, 1993Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Kansas also had 10 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1951

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 1,023 storm reports in Ellis County since 1951, with 1 death and 12 injuries and about $13.5 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on April 25, 1990.

66tornadoes
539hail reports, largest 4 inches
308damaging thunderstorm winds
44floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 25, 1990F3–0 / 0
Oct 16, 1998F3Yocemento1 / 0
Oct 16, 1980F3–0 / 0
Oct 11, 1954F3–0 / 0
Aug 31, 1964F3–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
May 24, 1998HailSchoenchen$4M
Apr 25, 1990Tornado–$3M
Jun 28, 2003HailEllis$2M
Aug 23, 2010Thunderstorm WindHays$2M
Oct 16, 1998TornadoYocemento$1M
Jun 7, 2010Thunderstorm WindEllis$500K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 9, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Ellis County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.9%of homes have federal flood insurance (107 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$245,801paid on 97 flood claims since 1978
1984costliest year, with $101,211 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Ellis County

$216,300median home value (Kansas $217,200, US $332,700)
1973median year homes were built (Kansas 1976, US 1980)
64%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4.2%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 13,287 housing units.

Compare in Kansas

All 105 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Johnson CountyHighInland flooding
Sedgwick CountyHighInland flooding
Shawnee CountyModerateInland flooding
Wyandotte CountyModerateInland flooding
Douglas CountyLowInland flooding
Leavenworth CountyLowInland flooding
Riley CountyLowInland flooding
Butler CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Russell CountyVery Low21
Rooks CountyVery Low17
Osborne CountyVery Low17
Rush CountyVery Low21
Trego CountyVery Low11
Ness CountyVery Low19

Common questions about Ellis County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Ellis County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Ellis County, about $6.1 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $2.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Ellis County had?

Ellis County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1993, including 11 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Wildfires in May 2025.

Is Ellis County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 39th highest of 105 in Kansas. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Ellis County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 111 homes in Ellis County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Ellis County had?

NOAA records list 66 tornadoes in Ellis County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on April 25, 1990. The weather service has also logged 539 hail reports and 44 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.