Lawrence, KS Tornado History — 165 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Lawrence, KS had?
Lawrence has had 165 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 18 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Lawrence?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Lawrence was an EF1 on May 19, 2024.
When is tornado season in Lawrence?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Lawrence, with 58 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Lawrence
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 32 total, averaging 1.6 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Lawrence since December 29, 2025
These are 3 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Lawrence. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Lawrence
68 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Lawrence since 1950, across 9 events. 965 injuries have been reported across all events. 1957 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F5 on May 20, 1957, which caused 44 fatalities along a 69.4-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Lawrence
About Tornadoes in Lawrence
This overview was written July 24, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Lawrence sits in northeastern Kansas along the Kansas River, on the eastern edge of the Great Plains. This is classic tornado country: broad, open terrain where the large-scale ingredients for severe weather come together readily, and where tornadoes are a well-known part of the spring and summer landscape.
The setup here is the textbook one for Plains tornadoes. Warm, moist air surging north from the Gulf of Mexico collides with hot, dry air from the high plains to the west and cooler air from the north, often along a sharp boundary known as a dryline. When a strong jet stream adds wind shear, thunderstorms can grow into long-lived rotating supercells. Activity is greatest from mid-spring into early summer, when these clashes are most frequent and most intense.
Tornado strength is measured on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which grades a tornado from EF0 to EF5 by the damage it produces rather than a measured wind speed. While most tornadoes are relatively weak, the central plains are capable of producing the strongest and most violent tornadoes on record. For the specific history near Lawrence — the number on file, the breakdown by decade and rating, and the deadliest, costliest, and most recent events — see the figures compiled from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center elsewhere on this page.