Pratt County, KS Environment & Hazard Risk

• DroughtRelatively High$2.79M/yr expected annual loss, about 55 events a year
• HailRelatively Moderate$1.73M/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
• Cold waveRelatively High$6.73M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
• WildfireRelatively Low$389K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 343 years
• Ice stormRelatively Moderate$208K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.17M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• Strong windRelatively Low$494K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.6 events a year
• Heat waveVery Low$140K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.8 events a year
• EarthquakeVery Low$34.42K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,361 years
• LightningVery Low$49.53K/yr expected annual loss, about 47 events a year
• LandslideVery Low$10/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years
• Winter weatherVery Low$3,915/yr expected annual loss, about 9.3 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, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

12 of 4,402 (0.3%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

0

Flood claims since 1978

12

Claims paid since 1978

$2,009

• Hail504
• Thunderstorm Wind253
• Tornado41 · 3 deaths
• Heavy Rain35
• High Wind22
• Winter Weather20
• Heavy Snow17
• Winter Storm17
• Flash Flood15
• Ice Storm9

• TornadoEF3, 21.9 mi path, 1,430 yd wide05/24/2008

  Sawyer, Pratt County

  2 deaths, 2 injured

  What happened

  This 3/4 mile wide tornado produced EF3 damage and unfortunately claimed two lives. A husband and wife were parked on highway 54 approximately 2 1/4 miles east of Cairo. The tornado picked up their car and carried it approximately 1700 feet NNE into a wheat field (they were not discovered until the next morning at about 9 AM). The female occupant was ejected and was found 30 feet southwest of the wreckage. The male was still strapped in his seat. The car was nearly unrecognizable. ||A second vehicle (3/4 ton truck) was parked 20 yards behind the aforementioned car. It also went airborne briefly but got lodged on the north side ditch. The two male occupants received numerous cuts and bruises but were otherwise unhurt. They both claimed it was extremely cold immediately after crawling out of their vehicle with heavy vapor breath noticed.||This tornado destroyed a home about a mile north and the collapsed east wall trapped a male in the bathtub where he had taken cover. Help was needed in lifting the wall off of him but he claimed he was not hurt. Other homes in the tornadoes path received minor to moderate damage.

• TornadoF2, 22 mi path, 1,800 yd wide05/08/2002

  Pratt, Pratt County

  $20M damage

  What happened

  This very large tornado moved southeast across much of Pratt. Damage was rated a STRONG F2. There were 14 homes destroyed, 15 with major damage and 230 with minor damage. Over 50 Pivot sprinklers were damaged or destroyed. Despite the very heavy damage, there were no injuries thanks in part to adequate warnings.

• TornadoEF3, 6.12 mi path, 2,110 yd wide05/05/2007

  Hopewell, Pratt County

  1 death, 1 injured

  What happened

  This tornado moved across out of southeast Edwards county at 2148 CST and grew into a large tornado of a little more than a mile wide. A male was killed near Hopewell as a basement wall collapsed on him when his home was demolished. Very little of the home was left visible.

• Flood10/09/2018

  Pratt, Pratt County

  $2.5M damage

  What happened

  Heavy rainfall and runoff caused extensive flooding along the Ninnescah river flooding the city park, Memorial lake and the Kansas Department of Wildlife offices and rearing ponds. At the lake, several vehicles, tents and campers were inundated by flood waters. At the fish hatchery at the KDWP offices, many of the ponds were breached washing fingerling fish and brood fish out into the swollen river.

• Thunderstorm Wind110 kt wind08/03/1996

  Cullison, Pratt County

  $2M damage

  What happened

  8 train cars blown off the tracks while the train was moving from intense thunderstorm winds. One family was nearly "run over" by the derailing train cars. One boxcar ended up about 10 feet away from their vehicle. Winds were nearly 125 mph.

• Thunderstorm Wind87 kt wind09/28/1998

  Pratt, Pratt County

  $850K damage

  What happened

  Microburst occurred...centered about 4 miles north of Pratt. The impact point was 4 miles north of Highway 54 and 1/2 mile east of Highway 281. Area extended 3 miles northwest through southwest with the greatest damage at the Pratt airport. Five buildings had considerable damage...7 with major damage and 18 had minor damage. Debris was carried for miles past the impact point. A John Deere tractor had a 16 foot long 2x4 impaled into the engine compartment. Three sprinkler irrigation systems were destroyed.

• Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/04/2026

  Pratt, Pratt County

• Hail1.25" hail04/26/2026

  Sawyer, Pratt County

• Hail1.25" hail04/26/2026

  Pratt, Pratt County

• Hail2" hail04/26/2026

  Pratt, Pratt County

• Hail2" hail04/26/2026

  Waldeck, Pratt County

• Hail2.5" hail04/26/2026

  Pratt Muni Arpt, Pratt County

• Hail1.75" hail04/26/2026

  Pratt Muni Arpt, Pratt County

• Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind04/26/2026

  Iuka, Pratt County

• Pratt, City ofServes 6,573 · Groundwater · Local government8 health violations
• Iuka, City ofServes 155 · Groundwater · Local government18 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
• Preston, City ofServes 120 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
• Sawyer, City ofServes 91 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Cullison, City ofServes 83 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+4 monitoring or reporting
• Coats, City ofServes 68 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+42 monitoring or reporting