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Pittsburg, KS Tornado History — 124 Tornadoes Since 1950

Kansas · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Pittsburg, KS had?

Pittsburg has had 124 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 13 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Pittsburg?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Pittsburg was an EF1 on April 20, 2025.

When is tornado season in Pittsburg?

May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Pittsburg, with 35 on record. April through June account for 79 of the 124 tornadoes on record near Pittsburg.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
124
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
13
10.5% of total
Peak Month
May
35 on record
Per Year Avg
1.6
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Pittsburg

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 20 total, averaging 1.0 per year over this window.

2026 0+3 prelim
2025 3
2024 3
2023 0
2022 0
2021 0
2020 0
2019 4
2018 1
2017 2
2016 0
2015 1
2014 1
2013 1
2012 1
2011 0
2010 0
2009 0
2008 1
2007 2

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Pittsburg 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.

Preliminary EF1° April 27, 2026
Hallowell, Cherokee County, KS
Rating EF1. Estimated peak wind 105 miles. Path Length 4.37 miles. Path width 500 yards. Several trees uprooted or snapped... empty rail cars overturned... grain bins s (SGF)
Preliminary EF1° April 24, 2026
2 NNE Iron Gates, Jasper County, MO
An NWS survey concluded an EF1 tornado with peak winds of 95 mph damaged an outdoor maintenance storage building at the golf course at West 2nd Street and South Schiffe (SGF)
Preliminary EF0° March 7, 2026
1 NE Iantha, Barton County, MO
An EF0 with winds up to 80 mph and a width of 50 yards wide initially overturned portions of irrigation pivots approximately 1 mile northeast of Iantha... MO. The torna (SGF)

Within 25 miles of Pittsburg. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

What storm spotters reported near Pittsburg

3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Pittsburg and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 2, 2025 and the most recent on April 20, 2025. They are already counted in the Pittsburg totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.

EF0° April 20, 2025
5 SSW Oakton, Barton County, MO
An EF 0 tornado touched down in south-central Barton County in Missouri at 229 PM on April 20... 2025... tracking northeast through the city of Lamar before finally lif (SGF)
EF1° April 20, 2025
1 E Riverton, Cherokee County, KS
An EF 1 tornado touched down near Empire Lake to the north of Galena... KS... downing hundreds of trees and damaging multiple roofs before crossing the Missouri border (SGF)
April 2, 2025
3 NW Bronaugh, Vernon County, MO
Corrects previous tornado report from 3 NW Bronaugh. A NWS survey team found EF2 tornado damage to a home along Highway F to the southwest of Moundville. The tornado mo (SGF)

Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 16
1960s 16
1970s 10
1980s 22
1990s 14
2000s 29
2010s 11
2020s 6

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.

EF0 42
EF1 47
EF2 22
EF3 11
EF4 2

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 0
Feb 7
Mar 12
Apr 29
May 35
Jun 15
Jul 5
Aug 2
Sep 6
Oct 2
Nov 5
Dec 6

Casualties on Record Near Pittsburg

20 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Pittsburg since 1950, across 8 events. 327 injuries have been reported across all events. 2003 was the deadliest year on record near Pittsburg.

The deadliest single event was an F3 on May 4, 2003, which caused 5 fatalities along a 25.0-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Pittsburg

Deadliest Tornado
F3 on May 4, 2003 — 5 fatalities, 25.0 mi path, 880 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F3 on March 15, 1982 — est. ~$27.5M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
EF1 on May 20, 2019 — 1,200 yards wide.
Longest Path
F3 on May 4, 2003 — 86.0 mile track.
Most Recent
EF1 on April 20, 2025.

What the record shows near Pittsburg

The 2000s were the busiest decade near Pittsburg, with 29 of the 124 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 6 so far. The Pittsburg record runs from the 1950s to today.

Of the tornadoes rated near Pittsburg, 89 reached EF0 or EF1 and 35 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Pittsburg is rated EF4, of which 2 are logged.

Across the last 20 years Pittsburg has averaged 1.0 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 20 in total. 2019 was the busiest of them with 4, and 9 of those years passed with none at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Pittsburg, KS had?
Since 1950, 124 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Pittsburg. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Pittsburg?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Pittsburg was an F3 on May 4, 2003, which caused 5 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Pittsburg?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Pittsburg, with 35 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
Has Pittsburg been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Pittsburg, there have been 0 EF5 and 2 EF4 tornadoes recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Pittsburg?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Pittsburg was an EF1 on April 20, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Pittsburg?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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