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Atwood, Kansas

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1951 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Atwood Township. It lies in ZIP code area 67730. It stands on Little Beaver Creek. The Survey maps it on the Atwood quadrangle. 1,290 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,858 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Atwood within Rawlins County

On record in Atwood

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Atwood grew from 1,194 to 1,290 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20101,194
20201,290+96 (+8%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 9 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

1 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Atwood in 2015, burning about 250 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
13 September 2015Natural250 acresKansas Forest Service4

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Rawlins County

Storms near this place

60 of 273 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Atwood in 273 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 167 hail, 84 thunderstorm wind, 10 tornado, 5 flash flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2008LightningAtwood2 hurtThree workers were shocked when their natural gas drilling rig was struck by lightning. Two workers were taken to nearby hospitals and were treated, kept overnight, and released the next morning.
April 2007Tornado (EF1)Atwood$305,000Tornado developed near Roads C, 19 and dissipated near Roads M, 22 in Rawlins county. This was a high end EF1 tornado producing significant damage to a home, removing the roof and destroying many outbuildings, grain bins and trees near Roads C, 19. Other farms were affected with outbuilding and irrigation system damage.
August 2017Thunderstorm WindAtwood$145,000Fourteen power lines were broken off along CR 23 southeast of Atwood.
April 2007Tornado (EF1)Atwood$26,000Tornado developed near Roads K, 27 and dissipated near Roads P, 28. Power poles were broken, with one residence receiving outbuilding and window damage.
May 1999HailAtwood$20,000no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindAtwood$15,000Grain Bin destroyed from winds and hail. Crops also suffered extensive damage in the area.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindAtwood$12,000Numerous tree branches blown down in Atwood. A large tree is blocking Highway 25. Reported through Spotter Network. Estimated time of report from radar.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindAtwood$12,000Winds estimated to at least 70 mph brought down 12 power poles.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindAtwood$10,000Thunderstorm wind damage was reported in Atwood with lots of trees down and power out in the city.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindAtwood$10,000Power lines down. Semi overturned.
October 1997Thunderstorm WindAtwood$10,000Gusts to 70 mph blew in or shattered windshields on 5 vehicles. The awning on the Rawlins Museum was brought down and the roof on the courthouse was damaged. At 1321CST, trees and branches were downed 2SW of Atwood.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindAtwood$3,000Carport blown into neighbors fence, taking out 50 ft. of the fence.
June 2008HailAtwood$1,500Hail broke the mirror and resulted in dents to a vehicle.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindAtwood$1,100Strong thunderstorm winds damaged a latched storm door, broke a 4 x 8 foot glass window and snapped some two-inch diameter live tree limbs.
July 2019LightningAtwood$1,000Lightning damage was reported from a thunderstorm in Atwood. The report was received via Facebook message with a picture showing minor damage to a brick chimney with a few bricks damaged.
April 2011LightningAtwood$1,000At 1150 CDT, lightning struck next to the golf cart stalls at the Atwood Country Club. One golf cart, and three cart stalls, were damaged.
June 2008HailAtwood$1,000Wind-driven hail broke windows on the west side of the residences.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindAtwood$1,000Cellar door ripped off. Four-inch live branches down. Hood and seat of lawn tractor blown off.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindAtwood$800Power poles down on Highway 25.
June 2008HailAtwood$650Wind-driven hail up to nickel size piled up into 10-inch deep drifts, broke one house window, the back window of a pickup truck, and two vehicle side mirrors. The brief storm also stripped leaves off vegetation and some bark off of trees.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindAtwood$500Shingles blown off residential roof, 4-inch diameter tree uprooted, several tree branches down.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindAtwood$50Spotter reported a green tree limb down with picture of a 2-3 inch limb.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Estimated wind gusts of 50-60 MPH with the wall of dust.
June 2025HailAtwood-Pea to nickel size hail was reported in Atwood.
July 2025HailAtwood-Public report of penny to nickel sized hail in Atwood.
July 2025HailAtwood-A trained spotter reported hail ranging from pea to nickel size.
July 2025HailAtwood-Nickel size hail was reported in the town of Atwood.
August 2025HailAtwood-A CO-OP Observer reported hail ranging from pea to quarters in size. Hail occurred before the rain did.
September 2025HailAtwood-Photo of 1 3/4 inch hail currently falling in Atwood. The hail ranged from quarter to golf ball in size.
July 2023HailAtwood-Spotter reported quarter sized hail covering Highway 25 near Mile Marker 215.
August 2023HailAtwood-Multiple social media reports received of hail ranging from pea to half dollar in size in the city of Atwood.
July 2023HailAtwood-Spotter report of quarter and ping pong ball sized hail.
July 2023HailAtwood-Spotter report of 1 inch hail.
July 2023HailAtwood-Public report of 1.5 inch hail.
July 2023HailAtwood-Picture and videos of golf ball sized hail.
July 2022HailAtwood-Report received via social media of hail up to pennies in size at location.
June 2022HailAtwood-Multiple reports of nickel to quarter sized hail observed in the city of Atwood.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Report received of an estimated 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust at location.
June 2021HailAtwood-Report of golf ball sized hail received at location. Time is radar-estimated.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Spotter reported wind gusts to 70 mph.
August 2019Flash FloodAtwood-Streets were flooded over in Atwood due to heavy rain.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindAtwood-A storm chaser estimated around 70 mph winds about 1 mile northwest of Atwood, KS.
June 2018HailAtwood-The hail ranged from dime to nickel in size.
August 2017Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Twelve pine trees 70 to 80 ft. tall were blown down. One of the trees was broken in three places. Another tree was pulled out of the ground with the roots still attached. All the wires were pulled off the individual's house due to a tree falling. All the damage was in one direction. There was also significant hail damage, but no size was given. One corn field nearby was completely destroyed.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Trees, big limbs, and power lines blown down by the thunderstorm winds. No details on the number or trees, limbs, or power poles blown down were provided.
June 2016HailAtwood-Hail was reported up to the size of golf balls.
June 2016HailAtwood-Large amounts of hail fell with the largest stones measuring one inch.
June 2016HailAtwood-Large amounts of 0.75 inch hail fell in the town of Atwood.
June 2016Flash FloodAtwood-Highway 25 covered in some areas due to very heavy rain. Street flooding also noted on some of the city roads in Atwood.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Large tree was reported down in Atwood. They were not sure if it was the winds or a lightning strike that downed the tree. Reported via social media.
July 2016HailAtwood-Car windows broken in Atwood.
July 2015HailAtwood-Also reported 2.33 inches of heavy rainfall.
November 2015HailAtwood-Dime to nickel size hail was reported.
June 2014HailAtwood-Time of report estimated from Doppler radar.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Measured at the airport 2 N of town. Coop observer in town estimated 60 MPH wind gusts a few minutes after the severe winds were reported at the airport.
April 2014Tornado (EF0)Atwood-A brief landspout tornado was observed from Highway 36 near Beardsley looking south. Position estimated from outflow boundary location and developing cells on Doppler radar.
June 2013HailAtwood-Estimated quarter size hail and wind gusts to 60 mph. Visibility briefly reduced to near zero.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Estimated quarter size hail and wind gusts to 60 mph. Visibility briefly reduced to near zero.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindAtwood-Employee estimated peak winds around 60 mph.
June 2013HailAtwood-Hail stones ranged from 1/2 inch to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Reported via Spotter Network.

Every storm recorded in Rawlins County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
North Atwood1.2 miles9
Blakeman4.1 miles9
Ludell5.5 miles8
Beardsley9.8 miles9
Chardon10.5 miles8
Achilles12.7 miles9
Midway14.1 miles8
Herndon15.4 miles8

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on AtwoodAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2037404The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 470991. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

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.

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.