BlockOttawa County, Kansas
57 topographic sheets cover 15 settlements here.
What the record shows
- 219 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 15 populated places in this county; 15 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Wildfire, 2000 to 2020
57 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 57 of them, burning about 4,044 acres. 1 started naturally and 5 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 27 |
| Debris and open burning | 11 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 January 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,500 acres | Ottawa County | not named |
| 22 February 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 650 acres | Kansas Counties | 230 AND HOMESTEAD |
| 6 February 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 500 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 2 |
| 19 March 2017 | Smoking | 300 acres | Ottawa County | 201708 |
| 4 April 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 acres | Kansas Forest Service | not named |
| 19 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 200 acres | Ottawa County | 3 |
| 17 February 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 120 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 2 |
| 10 April 2020 | Smoking | 70 acres | Kansas Forest Service | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1955 to 2025
60 of 673 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 673 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 12 injuries and about $56,538,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 376 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 218 |
| Tornado | 31 |
| Flash Flood | 28 |
| Flood | 15 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 |
| Lightning | 2 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2007 | Tornado (EF2) | Bennington | 1 killed, 5 hurt | The tornado touched down near the intersection of Granite Rd and 190th Rd approximately 3 miles south of the Ottawa State Fishing Lake. It lifted approximately 11 miles north of it's touchdown point, at Rifle Rd between 200th and 210th Rds. 38 structures were destroyed or damaged; including homes, mobile homes, cabins, outbuildings, and small cottages. A mobile home that was anchored to the ground was totally destroyed by the tornado. |
| September 1973 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 killed, 2 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Tornado (EF3) | Niles | 3 hurt | The 26 mile long violent tornado began 1-2 miles NNE of Niles Kansas and destroyed 2 homes in Ottawa county before crossing into Dickinson county. The tornado produced high end EF3 damage in extreme eastern Ottawa county. Only 3 minor injuries were reported but none requiring a trip to the hospital. |
| September 1973 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 2 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| September 2025 | Flood | Tescott | $3,590,000 | Widespread flooding in Tescott. Water up to porch level on several houses. One to two feet of water in many locations. 3.5 million dollars in damage in the town, plus 90000 dollars in damage to the local school. |
| September 2025 | Flood | Culver | $1,200,000 | Widespread flooding in town of Culver. 1.2 million dollars in damage, including the rest of Ottawa County outside of Tescott. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $500,000 | Strong thunderstorms caused extensive tree damage as well as damage to numerous homes. |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1959 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Flood | Niles | $100,000 | Moderate or greater flooding along the Solomon River. Widespread flooding of roads vicinity of the river near Niles. |
| May 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Bennington | $80,000 | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Lindsey | $50,000 | Several Reports of flash flooding. 6 to 8 inches of water was flowing over Granite Road between 170th and 180th Roads. 4 inches of water flowing over 160th Road near K-106 Highway. One house was flooded. |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Bennington | $50,000 | Six to eight inches of water flowing over 170th road near Bennington. |
| May 2007 | Flood | Bennington | $50,000 | Moderate or greater flooding immediate reach of the gage vicinity of Niles with flooding of lowland areas and some county roads. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Minneapolis | $50,000 | Large hail and high winds produced widespread damage in the county. |
| June 1995 | Hail | Minneapolis | $50,000 | Large hail fell in and west of the city causing widespread damage to buildings and crops. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $50,000 | Several telephone poles were blown down in this area by strong winds. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $50,000 | Strong winds blew a roof off of a house. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bennington | $25,000 | Strong winds moved a mobile home 6 feet off its foundation and did extensive damage. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ada | $25,000 | High winds, large hail, some two inches in diameter, and heavy rain caused widespread damage between Ada and Minneapolis in central Ottawa County. Damage to crops, outbuildings, barns, and farm equipment was reported. |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1992 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| February 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Delphos | $20,000 | Strong winds damaged a farmstead and destroyed several outbuildings, a corral, and cattle feeder. |
| April 2012 | Tornado (EF1) | Niles | $10,000 | Numerous reports of a well formed stove-pipe tornado were received as the storm crossed the Saline/Ottawa County line. The storm was also watched on live TV at the office via storm chaser cameras. The tornado was very well formed and was likely very strong; however, it did not impact many structures so the subsequent rating was EF-1. The extent of the damage was to a gas transfer station along K-18 near Solomon Road in rural Ottawa County. Near the station some power poles were snapped and laying across the roadway. Aside from the gas transfer station a few farmsteads were impacted, with the main damage being some damaged outbuildings. The tornado crossed the Ottawa/Dickinson County line near Barn Road and 3200 Road, and eventually dissipated in an open field in near Manchester. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wells | $10,000 | Damage was reported around Lake Goodwin. A roof was blown off of a home near Wells, Kansas; and multiple trees were blocking Goodwin Drive. |
| June 1995 | Hail | Minneapolis | $10,000 | High winds accompanied the large hail and caused widespread damage to buildings, cars, and crops. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $6,000 | Strong winds blew down tree limbs onto power lines and knocked out power for a time. The tree limbs were reported to be 6 to 8 inches in diameter. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $6,000 | Strong winds broke off 3 power poles. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $5,000 | A localized downburst blew over 4 trees and several powerlines down on the south side of Minneapolis, Kansas. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lindsey | $5,000 | Power poles were down near US 81 and Ivy Road. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lindsey | $5,000 | Power poles were down near K106 and 170th Road near Minneapolis. |
| May 2006 | Flash Flood | Minneapolis | $5,000 | Measured up to 3.5 inches of rain in the area in 1 hour. Six inches of fast flowing water over rural roads. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bennington | $5,000 | Strong winds blew a tree onto a house damaging the house. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $5,000 | High winds knocked down power lines and power poles. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bennington | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1993 | Hail | Bennington | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 1999 | Lightning | Ada | $3,000 | Lightning struck a house near Ada starting a fire which did minor damage. |
| June 1995 | Hail | Minneapolis | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tescott | $2,000 | Strong winds blew down power lines east of Tescott. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tescott | $2,000 | Strong winds knocked down power lines. |
| July 2000 | Lightning | Bennington | $2,000 | Lightning struck a house igniting a fire that did considerable damage to a laundry room. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Minneapolis | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lindsey | $500 | Four to five inch tree limbs were broken. |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Delphos | $500 | This tornado only made contact with the ground three or four times during it's short lifetime and caused only minor damage. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Minneapolis | $500 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Lamar | $500 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Minneapolis | $500 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Minneapolis | $500 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Hail | Lamar | - | Ping pong ball size hail. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Lamar | - | Hail dented vehicles. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bennington | - | Public report. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Niles | - | Estimated wind gust. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tescott | - | Reported by personal weather station. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lamar | - | This is a delayed report. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bennington | - | This is a personal weather station. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wells | - | This is a personal weather station. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tescott | - | Estimated 60 mph gust in Tescott. |
| September 2025 | Flood | Culver | - | A few streets flooded in Culver. |
| September 2025 | Flood | Culver | - | Water over 90th Rd 1/2 mile south of Coronado Rd north of Culver. |
| September 2025 | Flood | Tescott | - | K-18 closed due to flooding. |
Every populated place in the county
15Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
-
Alfmil
Center township · 67467 · On Pipe Creek · Minneapolis North quadrangle
14 sheets, 1892 to 1985
-
Bennington
Bennington township · 67422 · On Sand Creek · Bennington quadrangle
14 sheets, 1892 to 1985
-
Lindsey
Concord township · 67467 · On Lindsey Creek · Minneapolis South quadrangle
15 sheets, 1892 to 1985
-
Minneapolis
Minneapolis city · 67467 · On Pipe Creek · Minneapolis South quadrangle
15 sheets, 1892 to 1985
Provenance
- Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
- Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
- Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.