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Kismet, Kansas

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Fargo Township. It lies in ZIP code area 67859. The Survey maps it on the Kismet quadrangle. 340 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,782 feet above sea level.

Kismet within Seward County

Population over time

2 figures

Kismet fell from 459 to 340 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
2010459
2020340-119 (-26%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 8 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

13 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 13 fires within 5 miles of Kismet between 2015 and 2020, burning about 322 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 1 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined5
Equipment and vehicle use2
Debris and open burning2
Natural2
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Arson/incendiarism1

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
31 August 2017Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreSeward County394
20 June 2017Natural3.0 acresSeward County286
24 May 2020Natural4.0 acresKansas Forest Servicenot named
4 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined300 acresSeward CountyROCK
17 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresKansas Forest Service124
28 March 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresKansas Forest Servicenot named
28 March 2017Power generation/transmission/distribution2.0 acresSeward County148
24 March 2020Debris and open burning1.0 acresKansas Forest Servicenot named

Every fire recorded in Seward County

Storms near this place

60 of 171 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Kismet in 171 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 98 hail, 48 thunderstorm wind, 12 heavy rain, 8 tornado. The reports record 8 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
April 1994Tornado (F2)Kismet8 hurt, $50,000A tornado touched down 3.5 WSW of Kismet at 1535 CST and moved ENE across Highway 54 and east into Meade County where it ended at 1610 CST at a point one southeast of Meade. Speed of movement was 35 mph with total path length of 26 miles. In Seward County the tornado struck a car and mobile home 2 E of Kismet at 1540 CST. Two adults were in the car and one adult and five children were in the mobile home. All eight sustained minor injuries and the mobile home was demolished. The tornado had a maximum path width of 1,000 yards in Seward County, but expanded to a maximum width of a mile southeast of Plains in Meade County.
May 2003HailKismet$2,000,000A tremendous hail storm pounded Kismet, lasting for more than 30 minutes. Every structure in the town received significant damage. Trees were stripped bare of leaves, even cedar trees! Nearly all windows were broken in vehicles and homes.
May 2015Tornado (EF1)Kismet$250,000This tornado appeared much stronger and wider than it actually was due to very low cloud bases. Irrigation pivots were damaged. The tornado moved into Meade county at 20:49 LST.
July 2020Tornado (EF1)Kismet$200,000A detailed storm survey was done on this tall and very visible tornado. Pivot irrigation sprinklers, power poles and crops were impacted.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindKismet$120,000The high wind was also accompanied by golf ball sized hail. Crops were destroyed by the wind and hail and several pivot irrigation sprinklers were overturned.
August 2009Tornado (EF1)Kismet$5,000This narrow tornado moved out of Haskell county at 853 PM. It damaged two small grain bins and caused some roof damage to a home. Also, corn was destroyed as the vortex moved through the fields.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindKismet$5,000A building lost a roof.
May 2010HailKismet$600Three windows were broken by the hail. There was also strong wind with the hail.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindKismet-Heat burst winds at Mesonet station UR350 Kismws recorded a 61 mph wind gust.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindKismet-A mesonet site recorded a 65 mph wind gust.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindKismet-Mesonet in Satanta recorded a 64 mph wind gust.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindKismet-The Emergency Manager estimated a 60 mph wind gust and a semi blown down from thunderstorm wind.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindKismet-The Mesonet site UR350 recorded a 60 mph wind gust.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindKismet-The Emergency Manager reported 17 power poles down roughly 3 miles east of the US-160 and US-83 intersection. The report included a picture. Time estimated from radar.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindKismet-A 68 mph wind gust reported.
June 2024Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall report of 2.7 inches.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindKismet-Measured by a mesonet station.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindKismet-Reported in Cocorahs.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindKismet-Strong winds.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindKismet-Observed at a Mesonet station 4.4 NE of HAYNE.
July 2020Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 4.00 inches was observed.
August 2019Flash FloodKismet-Water was over the road.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindKismet-Winds were estimated to be 70 MPH.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindKismet-Winds were estimated to be 60 MPH.
December 2016Tornado (EF0)Kismet-This was a QLCS tornado that did damage to a hog farm. Estimated wind speeds were 80 MPH.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindKismet-A small tree was blown down.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindKismet-Winds were estimated to be 60 MPH.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindKismet-Winds were estimated to be 60 MPH.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindKismet-Winds were estimated to be 60 MPH.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindKismet-A semi was blown over by the high wind.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindKismet-Winds were estimated to be 60 MPH.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindKismet-A partially dead tree was blown down onto a porch damaging it's roof.
May 2010Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 2.45 fell in about 2 hours.
May 2010Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 2.34 was reported during the early morning hours in Kismet.
May 2010FloodKismet-Highway 160 was closed for a time as runoff from earlier heavy rain ran across the highway.
May 2010Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 3.30 inches fell in a 2 hour period at a location 7 miles WNW of Kismet.
May 2010Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 3.00 fell in about 2 hours.
May 2010HailKismet-The broadcast media also received photos of this large hail.
May 2010Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 5.00 was reported.
June 2009Tornado (EF0)Kismet-A brief tornado occurred over a field of grass. No damage was indicated.
July 2009HailKismet-A 2 to 3 mile wide swath of golf ball sized hail entered the northwest corner of Seward county and continued south into Oklahoma, southwest of Liberal at 1047 PM. Crops were destroyed by the hail as the hail was also accompanied by 70 to 85 mph winds.
August 2008Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 7.00 was measured.
August 2008Heavy RainKismet-Five inch capacity rain gauges overflowed. But no flooding was observed.
August 2008Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 7.00 was measured. There was no mention of flooding.
August 2008Heavy RainKismet-Rainfall of 3.80 was measured.
April 2005Tornado (F1)Kismet-This tornado moved south-southwest and damaged two structures. A roof was blown off a barn, windows blown out of a vehicle and power lines were taken down.
June 2005Tornado (F1)Kismet-This tornado touched down about 1/4 mile south of 190 Road and 1/2 mile east of SS Road at 1745 CST. No evident damage was observed until the tornado reached a residence near 230 Road and UU Road at around 1752 CST. A roof of a deck was lifted and blown about 100 feet. The tornado moved south-southeast, damaging part of a center pivot sprinkler system and then crossed into northeastern Seward county before turning east. Damaged sprinkler systems were found 0.6 miles east of Road T and 1/4 mile north of Road 23. The last damage evident was a partially rolled sprinkler and 1/4 mile south of Road 23 and just east of Road X.
October 2005Thunderstorm WindKismet-Numerous tree limbs were blown down.
October 2005Thunderstorm WindKismet-Large trees were blown down by the high wind. A large tree branch went through the roof of a house. The county reported multiple power poles down and 20 center pivot sprinklers were damaged or destroyed. Damage was generally north of Road 11 and south of Road 16, from the west side to the east side of the county. Twenty cattle that got out of a field due to a fence blown down huddled on railroad tracks and were killed by a UNP train.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindKismet-There was tree damage, windows were broken and siding was damaged.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindKismet-This wind occurred with the golf ball sized hail.
September 2001HailKismet-Smaller hail mixed with the quarter sized hail accumulated two to three inches deep on the highway.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindKismet-Tree blown down.
May 1999HailKismet-Lasted 15 minutes
June 2024Thunderstorm WindKismet-no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindKismet-no account filed
May 2024Thunderstorm WindKismet-no account filed
June 2024HailKismet-no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindKismet-no account filed
February 2023Thunderstorm WindKismet-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Seward 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
Arkalon7.1 miles10
Hayne9.0 miles8
Liberal16.1 miles10

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 KismetAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q603474The 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 470634. 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.