Yates Center, Kansas
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Yates Center City. It lies in ZIP code area 66783. The Survey maps it on the Yates Center quadrangle. 1,352 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,132 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Yates Center
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 4 records
Stockbrands and Kemmerer Department Storelisted 1985
Woodson County Courthouselisted 1985
Yates Center Carnegie Librarylisted 1987
Yates Center Courthouse Square Historic Districtlisted 1986
Population over time
2 figuresYates Center fell from 1,417 to 1,352 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,417 | |
| 2020 | 1,352 | -65 (-5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 18 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1886 USGS Fredonia quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Fredonia quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1947 USGS Joplin quadrangle1:250000
- 1949 USGS Joplin quadrangle1:250000
- 1954 USGS Joplin quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Joplin quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Joplin quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Yates Center quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Chanute quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Chanute quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
2 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of Yates Center between 2006 and 2016, burning about 2 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June 2006 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Woodson County | not named |
| 22 February 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2016-05 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 153 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Yates Center in 153 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 72 hail, 56 thunderstorm wind, 16 flash flood, 4 heavy rain. The reports record 4 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | 2 hurt, $500,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds overturned a mobile home and rolled it five times, resulting in the injury of its two occupants-a man and his teenage son. They sustained bruises and cuts. Another mobile home was destroyed. Twelve barns were destroyed, along with some outbuildings and sheds. Total damage exceeded $100,000. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | 2 hurt, $100,000 | Flat bed-trailer overturned, barn destroyed, livestock trailer picked up and thrown, barrel rolled 1 1/2 blocks and destroyed and 2-story house displaced from foundation with most of top floor removed. In addition, a couple, both around 50 years of age, were lifted by the wind with one knocked unconscious by blown debris. Both were taken to a hospital, treated, and released. Based on description of this damage, winds are being estimated at 70-78kts. |
| June 2004 | Hail | Yates Center | $97,200 | The following sustained damage: 16 farm dwellings & service buildings ($96,000), 3 pieces of equipment/ machinery ($1,200), and an estimated 4,800 acres of land ($21,600) due primarily to gullying and erosion. Acreage breakdown of 3rd category follows: Corn: 800, Wheat: 1,400; Soybeans: 1,200; Grain sorghum: 1,200; Hay: 200. (This portion of narrative courtesy of USDA Flash Situation Report, Woodson County.) Property damage extensive, involving the following: Broken windows in numerous buildings, business and residential, including the courthouse, a hardware store, and a restaurant, roofs and siding on numerous homes and, obviously, trees and other foliage. (Latter narrative courtesy of Iola Register.) |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $75,000 | Barn destroyed and blown across highway, cars blown off road and power lines downed. |
| July 2007 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $71,000 | Extremely heavy rainfall from the end of June into early July caused flash flooding throughout Woodson County. This resulted in roughly 71 thousand dollars in damage. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $50,000 | Part of roof of west wing of the historic Woodson Hotel torn from it's rafters. Trailer overturned at community building. Widespread tree damage. Yates Center News contributed greatly to this narrative. |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $35,000 | Power lines and power poles blown down. In one instance, a large tree fell onto primary power lines that were carrying 12,000 volts resulting in power outages to part of southeast Yates Center. Another tree fell onto a vehicle causing roof damage. A health and fitness center had four of 10 plate glass windows blown out, had one of the double doors in front broken and a lock twisted. Yates Center News contributed to this report. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $25,000 | Barn blown down. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $25,000 | Widespread tree damage. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $15,000 | A barn was blown over. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $15,000 | Two homes sustained roof damage. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $10,000 | Reports of trees and power lines down near Yates Center and the western portions of the county. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $10,000 | Windows blown out off several houses and widespread tree damage. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $7,500 | A roof was blown off an old armory building in Yates Center. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $5,000 | Power lines were blown down at this location. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $5,000 | Some minor property damage was reported with the strong winds. |
| April 2007 | Heavy Rain | Yates Center | $5,000 | A fatal car accident happend at 10:45 pm when a pickup truck hydroplaned and crashed into a car. A 51 year old passanger of the car was killed. The Coffeyville Journal contributed to this report. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $5,000 | Windows broken out of one home and trees with 12 inch diameter trunks uprooted. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $3,000 | Trained spotter reported small trees downed with power outages in Yates Center. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $1,000 | Tree limbs up to 10 inches in diameter were blown down. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $500 | A 6-inch diameter tree limb was downed, and a stop sign was blown over. Pea size hail occurred with the wind. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $500 | Tree limbs, power lines and a small shed were blown over. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | $250 | Two inch diameter tree limbs were blown down. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $100 | High water led to the temporary closure of Highway 54 east of Yates Center. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $100 | Numerous rural roads were flooded across the county, especially just to the east of Yates Center. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 4 inches were reported. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $100 | Law enforcement reported several rural roads across the county were impassable due to high water. |
| August 2013 | Flood | Yates Center | $100 | Several rural roads had water over them. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $100 | Widespread street flooding was reported across Yates Center. The heavy rainfall also closed Highway 54 for a short time. |
| July 2010 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $100 | Numerous low water crossings were closed across the county from Buffalo to Neosho Falls. |
| May 2009 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | $100 | Several county roads were under water during the morning hours due to 2 to 4 inches of rainfall falling in a very short period of time. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | The wind gust was estimated. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Wind gusts were estimated near 65 mph with pea size hail. |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | - | The westbound lane of Highway 54 was flooded at Jay Road. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Wind gusts estimated to be around 60 mph. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Power poles were down and tree limbs broken in Yates Center. |
| June 2024 | Tornado (EFU) | Yates Center | - | A brief landspout was reported by the fire department; there were public reports on social media with pictures and videos. |
| February 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Kansas Mesonet measured 63 mph winds. |
| July 2023 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | - | There was street flooding reported. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | There was a report of a semi trailer blown over on Highway 54. There were also multiple power lines down across the county. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | The Kansas Mesonet site near Yates Center reported an 85 mph wind gust. |
| July 2021 | Heavy Rain | Yates Center | - | This was a 24 hour rain total of 4.9 inches. |
| September 2021 | Heavy Rain | Yates Center | - | A Coop observer reported 5.08 inches. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | The wind was measured by a Woodson county mesonet. |
| May 2019 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | - | U.S. Highway 75 was closed from Yates Center to the Woodson/Coffey County Line. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | No damage was reported. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Large tree limbs were blown down. This report came in via social media. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Estimated wind speed. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Winds were estimated by a trained spotter. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | A trained spotter reported the gust. |
| October 2016 | Hail | Yates Center | - | The hail was pea to dime sized. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Yates Center | - | Report relayed via twitter. |
| September 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | There were reports of tree damage and a sign being pulled off of a house. A semi truck was also blown over and off of the road. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Estimated 70 mph wind gust was reported. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | Estimated 60 mph wind gust was reported. |
| September 2014 | Heavy Rain | Yates Center | - | The COOP observer reported 2.56 inches of rainfall. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Yates Center | - | Slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall amounts in excess of 3 inches across portions of Woodson county during the evening hours of the 23rd. The excessive runoff produced flooding over Highway 75 between 90th and 50th Streets, south of Yates Center. Any damage estimates the flash flooding may have incurred is unknown. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Yates Center | - | The strong winds were accompanied by dime size hail. |
| May 2010 | Hail | Yates Center | - | The hail was accompanied by estimated 70 mph winds. |
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.
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 Yates Center | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2320183 | The 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 474470. 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.









