Alta Vista, KS Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Alta Vista is about the same as Kansas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Alta Vista is lower than Kansas average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #33
| Alta Vista, KS | 0.12 |
| Kansas | 0.05 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Alta Vista, KS | 0.0000 |
| Kansas | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #498
| Alta Vista, KS | 202.59 |
| Kansas | 252.53 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 4,853 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Alta Vista, KS were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 4 | Cold: | 8 | Dense Fog: | 9 | Drought: | 5 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 338 | Hail: | 2,509 | Heat: | 23 | Heavy Snow: | 23 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 10 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 33 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,626 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 54 | Winter Weather: | 29 |
| Other: | 181 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Alta Vista, KS.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Alta Vista, KS.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Alta Vista, KS.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 77 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Alta Vista, KS.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.2 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 38°54'N / 96°34'W | 38°56'N / 96°29'W | 5.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Geary |
| 6.5 | 1985-08-17 | 3 | 38°48'N / 96°24'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabaunsee | |
| 6.9 | 1974-03-07 | 2 | 38°44'N / 96°29'W | 38°48'N / 96°26'W | 5.10 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 7.8 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 38°56'N / 96°29'W | 39°01'N / 96°27'W | 10.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 8.1 | 1971-06-06 | 3 | 38°48'N / 96°37'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morris | |
| 10.7 | 1974-03-07 | 2 | 38°41'N / 96°32'W | 38°44'N / 96°29'W | 4.50 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morris |
| 12.7 | 1969-06-17 | 2 | 38°40'N / 96°36'W | 38°42'N / 96°29'W | 6.20 Miles | 37 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Morris |
| 15.7 | 1974-03-07 | 2 | 38°38'N / 96°42'W | 38°41'N / 96°32'W | 9.40 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morris |
| 16.0 | 1974-03-07 | 2 | 38°48'N / 96°26'W | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 28.30 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 16.8 | 1953-05-10 | 3 | 38°21'N / 96°40'W | 38°56'N / 96°03'W | 52.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chase |
| 16.9 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 38°36'N / 96°58'W | 38°54'N / 96°34'W | 30.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Morris |
| 19.9 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 38°44'N / 96°15'W | 39°06'N / 96°00'W | 28.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 21.5 | 1954-03-18 | 2 | 38°45'N / 96°07'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wabaunsee | |||
| 21.8 | 2008-06-11 | 4 | 39°07'N / 96°42'W | 39°12'N / 96°34'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Riley |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down to the southwest of Manahattan on a farm, and first destroyed a large machine shed, and threw a grain cart into an adjacent field. The tornado tracked to the northeast and destroyed several homes that were in the process of being built. Then, the tornado entered the Miller Ranch area of Manhattan, where the EF-4 damage was observed. Fifteen well built homes were completely destroyed. Nearby in the Amherst residential area, approximately thirty homes were damaged. A local newspaper reported that 45 residences in Manhattan were destroyed, 142 were damaged, and 637 were affected by the tornado. Ninety three apartments or duplexes, twenty mobile homes, and ten total businesses were impacted. Thereafter, the windows at the Little Apple Honda/Toyota car dealership were blown out, and several cars on the lots were tossed. A nearby hardware store and several self-storage units were demolished. Other nearby businesses were also damaged. The Lee Elementary School was then damaged. The tornado continued toward the Kansas State University campus. There, the roof was blown off a fraternity house, windows were blown out of buildings, the USDA Wind Erosion Labratory roof was damaged, and debris from damage to the southwest was blown across the campus. Summer classes at the University were shuffled around to find appropriate, undamaged buildings to hold summer students. New student orientation was also going on the week the tornado struck. It was reported that $20 million dollars in damage was done to the KSU campus alone. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Two long lived supercells wreaked havoc across portions of north central and northeast Kansas on the night of June 11th. Three significant tornadoes touched down, caused millions of dollars in damage, killed two, and critically injured three citizens. The town of Chapman saw the most extensive damage. Approximately three-quarters of the town were damaged by the tornado that passed through. Numerous homes were demolished, as were both the middle school and high school. One death occured, as a result of a tree having fallen onto a young woman oustide her car, who had just placed her daughter into her car seat. The most severe, but more localized damage occurred in the Miller Ranch neighborhood in Manhattan, where several homes were completely destroyed. Several buildings on the Kansas StiThe Soldier, Kansas tornado was responsible for the other death. A man was killed in his mobile home when it flipped several times and was found a few miles from it's original location. The unoccupied home a few hundred feet from the mobile home went virtually untouched. Thousands of citizens turned up over the next few weeks to help with the clean-up effort in both Chapman and Manhattan. | |||||||||||
| 22.9 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°23'N / 96°33'W | 38°50'N / 95°53'W | 47.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 25.7 | 1966-06-08 | 3 | 39°04'N / 96°46'W | 39°16'N / 96°46'W | 13.80 Miles | 660 Yards | 0 | 50 | 2.5M | 0 | Riley |
| 26.3 | 1962-05-26 | 2 | 38°34'N / 96°11'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lyon | |
| 28.0 | 1960-05-19 | 4 | 39°09'N / 96°20'W | 39°11'N / 95°57'W | 20.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 12 | 25.0M | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 28.1 | 1965-06-21 | 2 | 39°16'N / 96°33'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |||
| 28.2 | 1987-05-18 | 2 | 38°27'N / 96°23'W | 38°29'N / 96°21'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Chase |
| 28.2 | 1951-05-21 | 2 | 39°02'N / 96°58'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Geary | |||
| 29.1 | 1971-07-09 | 2 | 38°28'N / 96°16'W | 38°31'N / 96°12'W | 4.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lyon |
| 29.7 | 2008-06-11 | 3 | 38°54'N / 97°07'W | 38°59'N / 96°57'W | 13.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 3 | 20.2M | 0K | Dickinson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This is the first segment of a tornado that moved through 2 counties. This tornado continued northeast out of Dickinson County and dissipated shortly after entering Geary County. The tornado first touched down at a farmstead to the north-northwest of the town of Enterprise. A grain bin was destroyed, and some tree damage was observed. Damage was also noted to another farmstead where a grain bin was destroyed, as were a center pivot and several power poles. The tornado then entered Chapman on the southwest side. It was reported that 70 homes were completely destroyed, and 215 damaged. In all, three-quarters of the buildings in town sustained damage. Two churches were demolished. The town's middle school and high school were both severely damaged. Approximately 100 residents were in the locker rooms of the high school seeking shelter from the storm when the tornado struck. Trees across town were twisted and nearly stripped of their leaves and branches. For the most part, the downtown business section received only minor damage. Once outside the town, another farmstead was hit which damaged trees and outbuildings before lifting to the northeast of town. Debris from the town was littered for several miles east of the town. Dozens of individuals sustained minor injuries. Three were critically injured. One death was reported when a tree was blown onto a woman who had just put here daughter into the carseat of her vehicle. Thousands of volunteers took part in the clean-up effort over the next few weeks. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Two long lived supercells wreaked havoc across portions of north central and northeast Kansas on the night of June 11th. Three significant tornadoes touched down, caused millions of dollars in damage, killed two, and critically injured three citizens. The town of Chapman saw the most extensive damage. Approximately three-quarters of the town were damaged by the tornado that passed through. Numerous homes were demolished, as were both the middle school and high school. One death occured, as a result of a tree having fallen onto a young woman oustide her car, who had just placed her daughter into her car seat. The most severe, but more localized damage occurred in the Miller Ranch neighborhood in Manhattan, where several homes were completely destroyed. Several buildings on the Kansas StiThe Soldier, Kansas tornado was responsible for the other death. A man was killed in his mobile home when it flipped several times and was found a few miles from it's original location. The unoccupied home a few hundred feet from the mobile home went virtually untouched. Thousands of citizens turned up over the next few weeks to help with the clean-up effort in both Chapman and Manhattan. | |||||||||||
| 30.0 | 1974-06-08 | 4 | 38°25'N / 96°13'W | 38°42'N / 95°58'W | 23.70 Miles | 1760 Yards | 6 | 177 | 25.0M | 0 | Lyon |
| 30.4 | 1974-06-08 | 4 | 38°42'N / 95°58'W | 38°52'N / 95°54'W | 11.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Osage |
| 30.8 | 1958-06-12 | 2 | 39°02'N / 96°00'W | 39°02'N / 95°55'W | 4.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 30.9 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°50'N / 95°53'W | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 9.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 31.0 | 1952-08-14 | 2 | 38°41'N / 97°01'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dickinson | |
| 31.8 | 1954-04-05 | 2 | 39°11'N / 96°55'W | 39°17'N / 96°46'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Geary |
| 32.2 | 1953-06-19 | 2 | 38°36'N / 97°04'W | 38°36'N / 96°54'W | 8.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Marion |
| 32.6 | 1974-06-08 | 4 | 38°52'N / 95°54'W | 38°54'N / 95°52'W | 1.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 33.8 | 1979-10-18 | 2 | 39°15'N / 96°21'W | 39°20'N / 96°01'W | 18.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 33.9 | 1950-07-01 | 2 | 38°42'N / 97°05'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dickinson | |||
| 34.5 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 38°55'N / 95°51'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Shawnee | |||
| 34.8 | 1962-05-28 | 2 | 38°50'N / 95°54'W | 38°56'N / 95°47'W | 0.90 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Osage |
| 35.0 | 1990-06-07 | 2 | 38°20'N / 96°16'W | 38°28'N / 96°11'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 17 | 25.0M | 0 | Lyon |
| 36.3 | 1978-05-31 | 3 | 39°19'N / 96°23'W | 39°22'N / 96°02'W | 18.90 Miles | 1300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 36.4 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 39°06'N / 95°53'W | 0.60 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 36.4 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 39°06'N / 96°00'W | 39°14'N / 95°52'W | 9.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 36.8 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 38°28'N / 97°05'W | 38°36'N / 96°58'W | 10.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 37.8 | 1964-06-21 | 2 | 38°57'N / 97°11'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dickinson | |||
| 38.5 | 1966-06-08 | 2 | 39°08'N / 97°09'W | 39°13'N / 97°01'W | 8.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay |
| 39.2 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 38°19'N / 96°41'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Chase | |||
| 39.5 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°15'N / 96°52'W | 38°23'N / 96°33'W | 19.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 40.2 | 1972-04-30 | 3 | 38°55'N / 97°14'W | 1.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Dickinson | |
| 40.7 | 1962-05-28 | 2 | 38°20'N / 96°07'W | 38°23'N / 96°05'W | 3.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lyon |
| 40.8 | 1966-06-08 | 5 | 38°55'N / 95°55'W | 39°05'N / 95°35'W | 21.10 Miles | 880 Yards | 16 | 450 | 250.0M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 41.7 | 1968-04-16 | 2 | 39°04'N / 96°10'W | 39°24'N / 95°35'W | 38.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wabaunsee |
| 41.8 | 1983-05-06 | 3 | 38°54'N / 95°52'W | 39°03'N / 95°35'W | 19.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 25 | 25.0M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 41.9 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 38°17'N / 96°43'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Chase | |||
| 43.0 | 1962-05-26 | 3 | 38°58'N / 95°42'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 43.5 | 1973-03-13 | 2 | 38°14'N / 96°07'W | 38°23'N / 96°06'W | 10.20 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lyon |
| 43.7 | 1974-03-08 | 2 | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 39°12'N / 95°30'W | 29.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 43.8 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 39°14'N / 95°52'W | 39°16'N / 95°49'W | 7.00 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jackson |
| 43.9 | 1978-05-23 | 2 | 38°49'N / 95°43'W | 38°49'N / 95°38'W | 4.10 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Osage |
| 44.5 | 1964-06-21 | 3 | 38°57'N / 97°22'W | 39°02'N / 97°14'W | 8.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dickinson |
| 45.2 | 1960-05-19 | 4 | 39°11'N / 95°57'W | 39°13'N / 95°35'W | 19.60 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 91 | 2.5M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 45.6 | 1973-04-13 | 2 | 38°11'N / 96°09'W | 38°19'N / 96°12'W | 9.60 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lyon |
| 46.0 | 1959-12-26 | 2 | 39°02'N / 97°19'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dickinson | |
| 46.1 | 1990-05-24 | 3 | 38°29'N / 97°22'W | 38°30'N / 97°02'W | 18.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 46.3 | 1960-05-19 | 2 | 39°07'N / 95°40'W | 39°09'N / 95°44'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 46.3 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 39°21'N / 97°05'W | 2.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clay | |
| 46.5 | 1951-05-25 | 3 | 39°16'N / 97°11'W | 39°19'N / 97°08'W | 4.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 46.6 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 38°58'N / 95°57'W | 39°21'N / 95°28'W | 37.00 Miles | 790 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion |
| 47.2 | 1973-09-25 | 3 | 39°08'N / 97°18'W | 39°23'N / 97°07'W | 19.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 20 | 25.0M | 0 | Clay |
| 47.4 | 1966-05-11 | 3 | 39°10'N / 95°48'W | 39°12'N / 95°37'W | 9.90 Miles | 660 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Shawnee |
| 47.5 | 1950-05-18 | 3 | 38°07'N / 96°49'W | 38°20'N / 96°49'W | 14.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Chase |
| 47.7 | 2003-05-08 | 3 | 38°35'N / 95°45'W | 38°42'N / 95°33'W | 25.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Osage |
| Brief Description: A second tornado touched down in Osage county about 13 miles southwest of Lyndon and moved northeast for 25 miles before dissipating 6 miles south of Overbrook. The tornado was a half mile wide in places and did considerable damage to farm buildings, machinery, and fences along its path. | |||||||||||
| 47.9 | 2008-06-11 | 2 | 39°27'N / 96°06'W | 39°30'N / 96°02'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Pottawatomie |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This is the first segment of an EF-2 tornado that began in Pottawatomie County, moved northeast into Jackson County and continued northeast into Nemaha County before dissipating. This is segment 1 of 3 for the tornado path. In Pottawatomie County the tornado touched down near a farmstead south of Havensville and compromised some of the external walls of a residence as well as tearing a large portion of the roof off of the residence. Extensive damage was noted to outbuildings and trees near the residence. The tornado continued northeast damaging mainly rural areas of northeastern Pottawatomie County damaging trees and power poles. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Two long lived supercells wreaked havoc across portions of north central and northeast Kansas on the night of June 11th. Three significant tornadoes touched down, caused millions of dollars in damage, killed two, and critically injured three citizens. The town of Chapman saw the most extensive damage. Approximately three-quarters of the town were damaged by the tornado that passed through. Numerous homes were demolished, as were both the middle school and high school. One death occured, as a result of a tree having fallen onto a young woman oustide her car, who had just placed her daughter into her car seat. The most severe, but more localized damage occurred in the Miller Ranch neighborhood in Manhattan, where several homes were completely destroyed. Several buildings on the Kansas StiThe Soldier, Kansas tornado was responsible for the other death. A man was killed in his mobile home when it flipped several times and was found a few miles from it's original location. The unoccupied home a few hundred feet from the mobile home went virtually untouched. Thousands of citizens turned up over the next few weeks to help with the clean-up effort in both Chapman and Manhattan. | |||||||||||
| 48.0 | 1988-11-15 | 2 | 39°03'N / 95°41'W | 39°07'N / 95°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 22 | 2.5M | 0 | Shawnee |
| 48.4 | 1973-09-25 | 3 | 39°05'N / 97°22'W | 39°08'N / 97°18'W | 4.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Dickinson |
| 48.4 | 1970-11-08 | 2 | 39°05'N / 95°38'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 48.7 | 1981-07-19 | 2 | 39°08'N / 95°39'W | 0.30 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Shawnee | |
| 49.1 | 1954-08-05 | 2 | 38°10'N / 97°07'W | 38°23'N / 96°53'W | 19.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marion |
| 49.1 | 1961-10-12 | 2 | 39°19'N / 95°47'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 49.6 | 1982-06-08 | 2 | 39°22'N / 95°58'W | 39°26'N / 95°47'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 49.9 | 1979-10-18 | 2 | 39°17'N / 97°22'W | 39°26'N / 96°58'W | 23.70 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 11 | 2.5M | 0 | Clay |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.