BlockFrom the record
3 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Rooks County, Kansas
27 topographic sheets cover 9 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 114 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 3 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 9 populated places in this county; 9 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
3Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rooks County Courthouse | building | 2002 | 02000400 |
| Rooks County Record Building | building | 2005 | 05000555 | |
 | St. Joseph Catholic Church | building | 2005 | 05001203 |
Wildfire, 2015 to 2020
54 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 54 of them, burning about 5,836 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 41 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 5 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
| Fireworks | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 November 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3,500 acres | Rooks County | FELLHOELTER |
| 4 March 2017 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1,500 acres | Rooks County | 1700003 |
| 19 October 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 350 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 83 |
| 10 March 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 350 acres | Rooks County | SOUTH ROOKS |
| 31 August 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 61 |
| 12 October 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 80 |
| 30 June 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 51 |
| 31 August 2015 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 10 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 62 |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1951 to 2025
60 of 552 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 552 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 10 injuries and about $26,982,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 317 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 141 |
| Tornado | 53 |
| Flash Flood | 20 |
| Heavy Rain | 14 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 |
| Flood | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Webster Res | 3 hurt, $75,000 | The occupants of a camper overturned by strong thunderstorm winds were slightly injured. |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 2 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 1991 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Plainville | 1 hurt, $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stockton | 1 hurt, $50,000 | Wind estimated to 70 mph tore down power lines, branches. A horse barn at the fairgrounds lost a roof. One person was injured by flying debris at the fairgrounds. Funnel clouds were observed east of Codell with this storm. |
| July 1972 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1968 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Hail | Stockton | $3,000,000 | The local newspaper reported that the combination of wind and hail that pummeled the area broke numerous home and vehicle windows, damaged siding and roofs, ruined gardens and stripped trees of leaves. |
| April 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1985 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1985 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Flash Flood | Webster | $1,000,000 | Radar estimated that rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches fell over much of the warned area, with a small area exceeding 4 inches centered near Stockton. Emergency management reported that water rapidly flowed over numerous roads in Stockton, including Highway 183. The local newspaper reported that several Stockton city streets were impassable for up to a few hours (including Highway 183), many nearby rural county roads were damaged, and several area basements were flooded. |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Plainville | $600,000 | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plainville | $500,000 | A 71 MPH wind gust was measured by a mesonet site located near Plainville. Emergency management and media confirmed considerable tree damage in Plainville, along with a roof blown off of a former lumberyard and all but the bottom section of a county communications tower toppled to the ground. Three transformers were struck by lightning and power lines were downed. An NWS cooperative observer located 4 miles west-northwest of Plainville reported multiple tree limbs downed and chimney damage to their home. A semi-truck was blown over approximately 5 miles south of Plainville. |
| May 2019 | Hail | Codell | $300,000 | The hailstone 3 inches in diameter was by far the exception, the majority of the hail ranged from pea to quarter size. |
| June 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Zurich | $300,000 | A tornado destroyed an electrical substation, several power poles and three outbuildings along its path through central Rooks County. |
| June 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Stockton | $300,000 | A tornado began near Stockton and skipped northeast through town, and eventually lifted a few miles northeast of town. |
| June 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Zurich | $300,000 | A tornado, the second of two tornadoes at the same time, destroyed a barn on a farm southwest of Stockton. Damage to the farmhouse included shingles, broken windows and other minor damages. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Woodston | $250,000 | Rooks County Emergency Manager relayed information he saw on a Facebook post of hail over two inches in diameter south of Woodston. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Plainville | $250,000 | Hail up to the size of golf balls nearly covered the ground. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Damar | $250,000 | Hail up to the size of tennis balls nearly covered the ground. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Palco | $250,000 | Large hail resulted in broken windshields. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Zurich | $250,000 | Large hail resulted in homes with broken windows. |
| April 2008 | Hail | Stockton | $250,000 | Quarter to softball sized hail was reported across the northern portion of Stockton. This caused a lot of window and siding damage. There were also scattered reports of power outages. |
| June 2000 | Hail | Stockton | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1991 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 1973 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stockton | $230,000 | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zurich | $150,000 | Law enforcement estimated wind gusts to be between 70 and 80 MPH. Emergency management reported power lines down in and around Zurich. A garage was destroyed 2 miles east of Zurich. |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plainville | $125,000 | Numerous tree branches were downed, some up to 6 to 7 inches in diameter. A hog facility building suffered roof damage and a cement block wall collapsed. A few power poles in the area were damaged. |
| May 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Stockton | $120,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Hail | Zurich | $100,000 | Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported in the area. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Plainville | $100,000 | Quarter to ping pong ball size hail was reported. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Stockton | $100,000 | There were two reports of ping pong ball size hail in this area south of Stockton, including a social media report of broken windows at a business near Highway 183. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Stockton | $100,000 | Large hail resulted in tree damage, dented aluminum siding, and a couple broken windshields. |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Plainville Arpk | $100,000 | A brief touchdown was observed by local law enforcement. They were able to see a few flashes as power poles were snapped by the tornado. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stockton | $100,000 | Wind gusts estimated at 100 mph. Numerous power lines down including high tension wires. Two trees were blown onto houses. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Plainville | $100,000 | Penny to walnut size hail was reported in the Palco area along with 70 mph winds. |
| May 2019 | Hail | Zurich | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stockton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Woodston | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Palco | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Woodston | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Palco | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damar | $100,000 | no account filed |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Damar | $75,000 | Storm total rainfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches were reported. Emergency management reported numerous county roads covered in water across the area and a few culverts were washed out. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Webster | $75,000 | Hail up to the size of baseballs covered the ground in many locations along the path of this storm. Many windows were broken and trees striped of their leaves. Crops along the path also sustained considerable damage. |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Palco | $75,000 | This tornado touched down southwest of Palco and tracked east for 2 miles. Along its path, the tornado damaged four farms. The damage was primarily confined to outbuildings, garages, and trees. The most significant damage was a wood framed metal building, which was completely destroyed and rated as EF 1 with wind speeds to 105 mph. |
| April 2008 | Hail | Webster | $75,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stockton | $75,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Woodston | $60,000 | Wind gusts estimated near 70 mph damaged around 40 power poles, resulting in the loss of power in town, and blew 15 to 20 hay bales across a road. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plainville | $60,000 | Fence was damaged and bleachers were overturned at ball field. Golf ball size hail was also reported. |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Zurich | $60,000 | The tornado entered from Ellis County and quickly dissipated. The tornado damaged some trees, snapped power poles and an outbuilding. |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Woodston | $60,000 | A supercell storm produced a brief tornado in the town of Woodston. Eye witness accounts suggest this tornado skipped through town on its short path. The most significant damage was done to a brick building and a house along Main Street. This damage was rated as EF 1 with winds speeds of 85 to 90 mph. |
| June 2020 | Hail | Plainville | $50,000 | Hail ranging in size from ping pong balls to 3 inches in diameter was reported along this path. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damar | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in some downed power lines. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Palco | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in some downed power lines. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Webster Res | $50,000 | Quarter to ping pong ball size hail was reported in the vicinity of Webster State Park. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Webster | $50,000 | A line of thunderstorms producing damaging wind speeds moved through Rooks County, with a wind gust of 64 MPH measured by the AWOS at Rooks County Regional Airport. At Webster State Park, a number of campers were blown over and one cabin suffered roof damage. |
Mines and quarries
1 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 1 working inside this county. It still produces. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simons Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
9Named 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.
The vanished settlements of Rooks County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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.