Barber County, KS Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 784 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $14.11M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 784
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 2
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 40.3 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 24.5 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 55.5 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $2.12B · Agriculture value exposed: $120M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $13.12M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively High$2.33M/yr expected annual loss, about 59 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Moderate$2.23M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- Cold waveRelatively Moderate$5.53M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.0 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$727K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.7 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$108K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.11M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Low$339K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.9 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$97.01K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.7 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$6,057/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$24.94K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,238 years
- LandslideVery Low$89/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- LightningVery Low$54.91K/yr expected annual loss, about 48 events a year
- Winter weatherVery Low$6,682/yr expected annual loss, about 8.7 events a year
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 2 of 3,283 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 3
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1,219
Storm history
Since 1996: 784 events, 1 death, $51.76M in damage
- Hail369
- Thunderstorm Wind192
- High Wind60
- Heavy Rain32
- Tornado25
- Winter Weather19
- Heavy Snow17
- Winter Storm16
- Flood14
- Flash Flood9
Events per year
42 tornadoes on record (EF0 18, EF2 1, F0 12, F1 5, F2 1, F3 1, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Wildfire03/23/2016
Barber
$30.1M damage
What happened
The damage values were shared between Comanche and Barber counties.
- Drought08/29/2003
Barber
$20M damage
What happened
A two to three year drought plagued most of the area. Some rainfall deficits were as high as 20 inches over a 28 month long period. Record low river and stream levels were noted across much of the area. Summer crops suffered greatly with yields of beans, corn and milo being much less than normal. Beneficial rains fell in the last three days of August but at least 50 percent of western Kansas was still in a drought with continued large deficits of rainfall.
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill12/18/2016
Barber
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
The coroner reported that a 52 year old male froze to death sometime between midnight and 12 PM on the 18th. The location was near Manter. The individual apparently was under the influence of drugs and got locked out of his home and was not able to get back inside. Low temperatures were around 20 below zero.
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind06/16/2017
Stubbs, Barber County
1 injured
What happened
A semi truck was blown off the road by the high wind. The driver suffered non-life threatening head injuries but was taken to the hospital.
- Lightning07/27/2009
(P28)medicine Lodge, Barber County
1 injured
What happened
A 14 year old male was struck and severely injured by a lightning bolt. He was going outside where some tents were pitch. CPR had to be performed as he had not pulse or respiration when rescuers reached him. Miraculously he made a full recovery after about 2 weeks in the hospital.
- Hail0.75" hail06/16/1997
Kiowa, Barber County
$500K damage
What happened
Two to three mile swath of hail. Some of the hail piled 4 feet deep at the corner of one fenced in area.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Hail1" hail07/09/2026
Uppdegraff, Barber County
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind04/12/2026
Deerhead, Barber County
- High Wind54 kt wind03/15/2026
Barber
- High Wind68 kt wind03/15/2026
Barber
- Hail1.5" hail03/11/2026
Sharon, Barber County
- Hail1.5" hail03/11/2026
(P28)medicine Lodge, Barber County
- Hail1" hail03/11/2026
Uppdegraff, Barber County
- Hail1.75" hail03/06/2026
Sharon, Barber County
Drinking water
9 community water systems serve about 3,623 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 2 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Medicine Lodge, City ofServes 1,723 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Kiowa, City ofServes 869 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+20 monitoring or reporting
- Barber Co Rwd 2Serves 245 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Barber Co Rwd 3Serves 230 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Hardtner, City ofServes 164 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Sharon, City ofServes 147 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Barber Co Rwd 1Serves 95 · Purchased groundwater · Local government1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting
- Hazelton, City ofServes 84 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Medicine Lodge, 7.9 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 94°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 22°F in Jan. About 27.8 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 9.4 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 22°F | 0.80 in | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 26°F | 1.03 in | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 35°F | 2.03 in | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 44°F | 2.43 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 79°F | 55°F | 3.65 in | - |
| Jun | 90°F | 65°F | 3.93 in | - |
| Jul | 94°F | 70°F | 3.13 in | - |
| Aug | 92°F | 68°F | 3.51 in | - |
| Sep | 84°F | 59°F | 2.61 in | - |
| Oct | 72°F | 45°F | 2.44 in | - |
| Nov | 58°F | 33°F | 1.10 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 24°F | 1.09 in | 2.1 in |
| Year | 58°F average | 27.8 in | 9.4 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Barber County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Gold Bond Building Products - Medicine Lodge168 lbs released, Medicine Lodge
Total: 168 lbs in 2024, under 1 lb to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk1 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Barber County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Barber County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $14.11M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively high), wildfire (relatively moderate), cold wave (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Barber County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 784 storm events affecting Barber County, most often hail (369), thunderstorm wind (192), high wind (60).
- How many tornadoes have hit Barber County?
- 42 tornadoes have been recorded in Barber County since 1950, including 2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Barber County have flood insurance?
- 2 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Barber County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $1,219 on 3 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Barber County?
- At Medicine Lodge, average highs reach 94°F in Jul and lows fall to 22°F in Jan, with 27.8 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.