Wallace County, KS Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by hail. 782 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $1.48M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 782
- Most often hail
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 1.2 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 33.2 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 21.2 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $788M · Agriculture value exposed: $105M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $1.5M
Risk by hazard
- HailRelatively Low$319K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.0 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$46.86K/yr expected annual loss, about 70 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$35.92K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$14.87K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,607 years
- Cold waveVery Low$194K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.8 events a year
- TornadoVery Low$159K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Strong windVery Low$122K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.9 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$7,920/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,356 years
- LightningVery Low$18.4K/yr expected annual loss, about 45 events a year
- Ice stormVery Low$1,485/yr expected annual loss, about once every 30 years
- LandslideVery Low$3/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
- Heat waveVery Low$926/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 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: 782 events, 0 deaths, $2.29M in damage
- Hail308
- Thunderstorm Wind187
- High Wind79
- Drought62
- Tornado28
- Heavy Snow19
- Flash Flood17
- Blizzard15
- Winter Storm15
- Winter Weather15
Events per year
45 tornadoes on record (EF0 10, EF1 4, F0 16, F1 4, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Blizzard10/25/1997
Wallace
1 injured
- Winter Weather04/13/2018
Wallace
1 injured
What happened
The Salina Journal reported a teenage driver became stranded in the winter storm due to zero visibility. The sheriff was able to rescue the teenager during the storm. Based on radar and surface observations, blizzard conditions were intermittent across the county which did not allow for a consecutive three hours of blizzard conditions to occur. Around three inches of snow fell across the county.
- Thunderstorm Wind83 kt wind06/20/2011
Sharon Spgs Arpt, Wallace County
$488K damage
What happened
A small thunderstorm complex produced a long-swath of significant wind and hail damage across south-central into central Wallace county. The damage began near the Wallace-Greeley county border about 13 miles SSW of Sharon Springs, and continued to about 8 miles SSE of Wallace. Approximately 25 irrigation pivots were blown over, numerous grain bins were either damaged or destroyed, utility poles were broken, some outbuildings damaged and one semi-truck blown over. Some residences reported shingle damage and broken winds due to a combination of wind and hail.
- Winter Storm12/29/2006
Wallace
$350K damage
What happened
Snowfall totals across the county averaged 18-32. Highest totals occurred in a NE-SW band across the county, including the Sharon Springs and Wallace areas where 30-32 was reported. Damage costs are a preliminary combined estimate for both the Dec 20 and Dec 30 storms.
- TornadoEF1, 8 mi path, 100 yd wide03/29/2007
Weskan, Wallace County
$250K damage
What happened
Tornado began 5 WSW of Tribune and continued into Wallace county, Kansas, crossing the county border near Road 10. EF0 damage occurred in Greeley county. After the tornado crossed into Wallace county, it damaged three unoccupied mobile/modular homes producing EF1 damage. The tornado continued to 3 S of Weskan before dissipating. Other minor damage occurred along the path, however no homes were affected.
- Thunderstorm Wind87 kt wind08/27/2002
Sharon Spgs, Wallace County
$150K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Dust Storm04/23/2026
Wallace
- High Wind51 kt wind04/11/2026
Wallace
- High Wind52 kt wind03/15/2026
Wallace
- High Wind50 kt wind02/17/2026
Wallace
- High Wind52 kt wind01/16/2026
Wallace
- High Wind54 kt wind12/18/2025
Wallace
- Hail1.25" hail09/23/2025
Sharon Spgs, Wallace County
- Thunderstorm Wind63 kt wind09/10/2025
Sharon Spgs Arpt, Wallace County
Drinking water
3 community water systems serve about 1,034 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Sharon Springs, City ofServes 744 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Wallace Co Rwd 1Serves 245 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Wallace, City ofServes 45 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+5 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 Sharon Springs, 2.4 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 91°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 17°F in Jan. About 19.8 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 21.0 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 17°F | 0.40 in | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 19°F | 0.59 in | 4.7 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 28°F | 0.95 in | 3.3 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 37°F | 1.80 in | 1.4 in |
| May | 75°F | 48°F | 2.58 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 59°F | 2.77 in | - |
| Jul | 91°F | 64°F | 3.86 in | - |
| Aug | 88°F | 62°F | 2.96 in | - |
| Sep | 81°F | 53°F | 1.57 in | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 38°F | 1.27 in | 1.4 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 27°F | 0.65 in | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 19°F | 0.45 in | 4.5 in |
| Year | 53°F average | 19.8 in | 21.0 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Wallace County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Wallace County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk4 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Wallace County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Wallace County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $1.48M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively low), drought (relatively low), winter weather (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Wallace County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 782 storm events affecting Wallace County, most often hail (308), thunderstorm wind (187), high wind (79).
- How many tornadoes have hit Wallace County?
- 45 tornadoes have been recorded in Wallace County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- What is the weather like in Wallace County?
- At Sharon Springs, average highs reach 91°F in Jul and lows fall to 17°F in Jan, with 19.8 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.