How risky is Gove County for natural disasters?

FEMA rates Gove County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.22M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate), wildfire (very low).

What storms are most common in Gove County?

Since 1996, NOAA recorded 873 storm events affecting Gove County, most often hail (374), thunderstorm wind (203), high wind (67).

How many tornadoes have hit Gove County?

62 tornadoes have been recorded in Gove County since 1950, including 2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

What is the weather like in Gove County?

At Quinter, average highs reach 90°F in Jul and lows fall to 17°F in Jan, with 23.5 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Risk: Very Low

Gove County, KS Environment & Hazard Risk

Very Low natural hazard risk, led by hail. 873 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss: $4.22M; Very Low nationally
Storm events since 1996: 873; Most often hail
Hurricanes nearby: 0; Since 1851

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Very Low

Score 4.8 of 100

Social vulnerability

Very Low

Score 10.6 of 100

Community resilience

Relatively Moderate

Score 48.0 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $1.48B · Agriculture value exposed: $260M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3.16M

Risk by hazard

HailRelatively Moderate$1.12M/yr expected annual loss, about 9.0 events a year
DroughtRelatively Moderate$886K/yr expected annual loss, about 70 events a year
WildfireVery Low$34.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,804 years
Winter weatherRelatively Low$53.01K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
TornadoVery Low$479K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
Strong windRelatively Low$311K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.5 events a year
Cold waveVery Low$222K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
Heat waveVery Low$28.73K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
Ice stormVery Low$6,364/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
LightningVery Low$27.93K/yr expected annual loss, about 44 events a year
EarthquakeVery Low$8,217/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,564 years
LandslideVery Low$9/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6 years

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, hurricane, 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 in high-risk flood zones: 0

Storm history

Since 1996: 873 events, 2 deaths, $23.92M in damage

Hail374
Thunderstorm Wind203
High Wind67
Drought48
Tornado47
Flash Flood31
Winter Storm20 · 1 death
Heavy Snow16
Winter Weather13
Flood11

Events per year

62 tornadoes on record (EF0 24, EF1 10, EF3 1, EF4 1, F0 14, F1 4, F2 2).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

Winter Storm12/29/2006
Gove
$18M damage
What happened
Snowfall totals across the county averaged 2 east, 4 central, 8 west. A period of freezing rain occurred before the snow, producing 1/2 of ice. Damage costs are a preliminary combined estimate for both the Dec 20 and Dec 30 storms.
Winter Storm01/04/2005
Gove
1 death
What happened
A 63-year old man died of exposure when he became disoriented in poor visibility while driving across his property. Low visibility in freezing rain and snow was occurring at the time, with wind chill temperatures eventually falling to near zero by late afternoon Tuesday (Jan 4). His truck was found late in the day partially submersed in a pond on his property.
Blizzard12/27/2018
Gove
1 death
What happened
Visibility as low as 10 ft. in the wet, blowing snow. Power outages were also reported. Multiple vehicles were involved in accidents on I-70. One of these accidents resulted in a fatality.
TornadoEF4, 11.39 mi path, 1,320 yd wide05/24/2008
Quinter, Gove County
2 injured, $2.5M damage
What happened
A large wedge tornado developed about 9 miles SSW of Quinter and moved north, then northwest, eventually dissipating 2 miles SE of Park. This tornado caused extensive damage to several homes, including EF4 damage to one home which was completely destroyed. A car and a pickup truck were tossed or bounced 200 yards at the residence. Nearby, two other homes suffered extensive damage. This tornado caused two injuries, including the driver of a vehicle which was thrown off Interstate 70, and an older male attempting to get into his storm cellar when he was struck by flying debris.
Winter Weather01/19/2011
Gove
3 injured, $55K damage
What happened
Numerous slide off and rollover accidents due to light freezing drizzle were reported by local law enforcement. Among the incidents were two single vehicle accidents on Interstate 70 involving injuries, and a school bus which left the road near the town of Gove and rolled over, injuring one student.
High Wind61 kt wind03/15/2026
Gove
2 injured
What happened
Gusts up to 70 mph were measured two miles east-southeast of Quinter, with additional gusts of 58 to 62 mph reported across the county. The high winds contributed to a two person injury accident east-bound on Interstate 70 just south of Grinnell.

Latest storm reports

Newest first

Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/28/2026
Campus, Gove County
Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/01/2026
Grinnell, Gove County
Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind07/01/2026
Gove, Gove County
Thunderstorm Wind54 kt wind07/01/2026
Campus, Gove County
Hail1" hail06/21/2026
Grainfield, Gove County
Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/21/2026
Quinter, Gove County
Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/21/2026
Quinter, Gove County
Thunderstorm Wind57 kt wind06/21/2026
Grainfield, Gove County

Drinking water

5 community water systems serve about 1,736 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.

Quinter, City ofServes 958 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Grainfield, City ofServes 321 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
Grinnell, City ofServes 257 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Park, City ofServes 117 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
Gove, City ofServes 83 · Groundwater · Local government4 health violations

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 Quinter, 17 mi from the county center

Summer highs peak around 90°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 17°F in Jan. About 23.5 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 20.2 inches of snow.

Month	High	Low	Rain	Snow
Jan	41°F	17°F	0.48 in	3.7 in
Feb	44°F	20°F	0.73 in	5.2 in
Mar	55°F	28°F	1.30 in	3.9 in
Apr	64°F	37°F	1.97 in	0.8 in
May	74°F	48°F	3.84 in	0.2 in
Jun	85°F	59°F	3.04 in	-
Jul	90°F	65°F	3.57 in	-
Aug	87°F	63°F	3.21 in	-
Sep	80°F	54°F	1.83 in	-
Oct	66°F	40°F	1.85 in	0.7 in
Nov	53°F	28°F	0.86 in	1.6 in
Dec	42°F	20°F	0.83 in	4.1 in
Year	52°F average		23.5 in	20.2 in

Pollution sites

0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Gove County

Superfund sites

None in this county.

Toxic release facilities

Western Plains Energy LLC5,281 lbs released, Oakley

Total: 5,281 lbs in 2024, 5,281 lbs to air.

Superfund sites Toxic release facilities EPA inspections and enforcement Air toxics cancer risk 5 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Gove County for natural disasters?: FEMA rates Gove County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.22M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate), wildfire (very low).
What storms are most common in Gove County?: Since 1996, NOAA recorded 873 storm events affecting Gove County, most often hail (374), thunderstorm wind (203), high wind (67).
How many tornadoes have hit Gove County?: 62 tornadoes have been recorded in Gove County since 1950, including 2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
What is the weather like in Gove County?: At Quinter, average highs reach 90°F in Jul and lows fall to 17°F in Jan, with 23.5 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.

More about Gove County

Data sources

National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency
OpenFEMA NFIP Policies and ClaimsFederal Emergency Management Agency
Storm Events DatabaseNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
HURDAT2NOAA National Hurricane Center
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Toxics Release InventoryU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Data as of 08/01/2026

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About this data

Environmental hazards and flood zones: Flood zones, hazard scores and pollution data come from federal and state agencies and are for general information only. They are not an official flood zone determination, environmental assessment or insurance rating. For a property decision, request an official determination from your community floodplain administrator, insurer or a licensed professional. Maps may not show recent changes.

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