Barton County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29011 · population 11,603 · 592 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 730 records for Barton County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 474 days; the most frequent are hail reports (222 records). The deadliest single record is the May 22, 2019 tornado: 3 deaths, 1 injury and $854,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1976, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on September 21, 2023.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 730on 474 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 624 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $223Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 40strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2023
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Barton County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 222 since 1956. 49% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in April and May. The rank column places the county among Missouri's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 222 | 145 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $315K | 16 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 182 | 132 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 3 | $7.3M | 37 of 114 |
| Floods | 154 | 107 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $1.5M | 22 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $12M | 62 of 114 |
| Drought | 43 | 43 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $69M | 4 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 35 | 1954-2026 | 5 | 19 | $121M | 15 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | 59 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 91 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2015-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 4 | 2003-2009 | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | 62 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2008-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2012-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 63 of 114 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Barton County had?
NOAA records 40 tornadoes in Barton County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 5 deaths and 19 injuries recorded in the county. That is 15th of 114 Missouri counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 39 tornadoes whose track touched Barton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 40: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 15 people, 5 of them in Barton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 16:31, as SPC files it | Liberal to Stockton | F3 | 86 mi | 5 |
| 2003-05-04 15:35, as SPC files it | Girard to ArmaCrossed KS, MO | F4 | 33 mi | 4 |
| 2019-05-22 19:51, as SPC files it | Jasper to Golden | EF3 | 11.29 mi | 3 |
| 1982-03-15 19:35, as SPC files it | El Dorado Springs to OsceolaCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 70 mi | 2 |
| 2002-12-18 01:53, as SPC files it | Jasper | F1 | 9.5 mi | 1 |
| 1958-11-17 11:30, as SPC files it | Nevada | F3 | 30.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Barton County (40)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-06 | Iantha, Barton County | EF0 1.78 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-04-20 | Boston, Barton County | EF0 19.75 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.4M |
| 2021-10-11 | Golden City, Barton County | EF0 0.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-22 | Kenoma, Barton County | EF3 7.26 mi x 880 yd | 3 | 1 | $854K |
| 2019-05-20 | Mindenmines, Barton County | EF1 4.53 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2018-08-19 | Milford, Barton County | EF0 0.25 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-08-19 | Irwin, Barton County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-08-19 | Verdella, Barton County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-04-02 | Golden City, Barton County | EF0 2.57 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2013-05-20 | Iantha, Barton County | EF1 6.81 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2012-02-28 | Nashville, Barton County | EF1 16 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $321K |
| 2010-07-12 | Lamar, Barton County | EF0 0.27 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-13 | Mindenmines, Barton County | EF0 0.03 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-06-10 | Lamar, Barton County | EF0 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-24 | Golden City, Barton County | EF0 2.83 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-05-03 | Oskaloosa, Barton County | F0 16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | Boston, Barton County | F0 12 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-09-28 | Golden City, Barton County | F0 0.4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-09-13 | Liberal, Barton County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | Liberal, Barton County | F3 23 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.6M |
| 2003-05-04 | Liberal, Barton County | F4 6 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 10 | $22M |
| 2002-12-18 | Lamar Municipal Airport, Barton County | F1 9.5 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 7 | $226K |
| 1996-05-26 | Oskaloosa, Barton County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1996-05-26 | Liberal, Barton County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1995-07-25 | Golden City, Barton County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-26 | Mindemines, Barton County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1992-02-14 | Barton County | F1 14 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-12-01 | Barton County | F1 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1982-03-15 | Barton County | F3 14 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1981-06-22 | Barton County | F1 3.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-07-28 | Barton County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1966-05-11 | Barton County | F2 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-05-11 | Barton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1963-03-04 | Barton County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-05-19 | Barton County | F1 1.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-26 | Barton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1958-11-17 | Barton County | F3 1.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-04-26 | Barton County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1956-02-24 | Barton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1954-03-24 | Barton County | F1 15.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Barton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 15, 2026 flash flood ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-13 | Flash FloodLamar, Barton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-19 | FloodBoston, Barton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | HailLiberal, Barton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | HailGolden City, Barton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-16 | FloodLamar, Barton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-16 | FloodBoston, Barton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Flash FloodKenoma, Barton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Flash FloodBoston, Barton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Flash FloodGolden City, Barton County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindBoston, Barton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-06 | Thunderstorm WindLamar, Barton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-06 | Thunderstorm WindIrwin, Barton County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $12K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-22 | TornadoKenoma, Barton County A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed an EF-3 tornado with maximum winds of 142 mph. This tornado was the last in a series of at least four tornadoes produced by a supercell that had tracked out of northeast Oklahoma into southwest Missouri. The tornado touched down near the intersection of Redbud and CR ... | EF3 7.26 mi x 880 yd | 3 | 1 | $854K |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoLiberal, Barton County An F-4 tornado tracked over the Kansas-Missouri state line and into west central Barton County. The tornado destroyed several farm houses and outbuildings prior to dissipating one mile north of Liberal. Ten injuries and one fatality can be accounted for from this large tornado. Rex Smith age 88, was in his frame house ... | F4 6 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 10 | $22M |
| 2002-12-18 | TornadoLamar Municipal Airport, Barton County The tornado initially touched down and destroyed a mobile home and uprooted trees one mile northwest of Jasper. The tornado then tracked northeast to three miles southeast of Boston where three homes were destroyed at the intersection of highway JJ and 126. A silo and barn were also destroyed with heavy irrigation ... | F1 9.5 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 7 | $226K |
| 2015-12-14 | FloodBoston, Barton County A man drowned while attempting to cross a low water crossing on Farm Road SE 80 approximately two miles south of the community of Boston, Missouri. This area is a tributary of the North Fork of the Spring River. Time was estimated. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-06 | Thunderstorm WindIrwin, Barton County Thunderstorm winds overturned a semi north of Lamar Heights. This was an injury accident. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $12K |
| 2023-07-30 | Thunderstorm WindNewport, Barton County A large tree fell on a home causing significant damage to the roof and exterior walls. On person inside the home was injured in the incident. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $145K |
| 2022-02-17 | Winter WeatherBarton County · forecast zone Barton A mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow changed over to all snow during the early morning hours of February 17th. The Cooperative Observer 7 miles north of Lamar reported 1.5 inches of sleet and snow. Roads were snow and ice covered and hazardous. There were numerous side-offs and schools were closed for the day. ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-02-02 | Winter StormBarton County · forecast zone Barton There were 2 rounds of wintry precipitation that fell across the county. Rain changed to a mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow during the early morning hours of February 2, then changed to all snow before ending around midday. There was a lull in the action before another round of just snow began late in the ... | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 0 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoLiberal, Barton County | F4 6 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 10 | $22M |
| 2023-02-01 | DroughtBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2023-10-01 | DroughtBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 0 | 0 | $8.7M | |
| 2008-12-13 | High WindBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.9M |
| 2007-01-12 | Ice StormBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | |
| 2024-11-01 | DroughtBarton County · forecast zone Barton | 0 | 0 | $5.9M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 15, 1982 (tornado, Barton County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Barton County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 42 | 88 | 47 | 21 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 29 | 60 | 44 | 26 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 50 | 54 | 39 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 8 | 20 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 12 | 24 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 36 · Mar 63 · Apr 116 · May 155 · Jun 101 · Jul 66 · Aug 34 · Sep 54 · Oct 23 · Nov 25 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Barton County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Barton County: 18 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-21 | DR-4741 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4490 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3482 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-07-09 | DR-4451 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2017-06-02 | DR-4317 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2016-01-21 | DR-4250 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-01-02 | EM-3374 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-07-18 | DR-4130 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-03-23 | DR-1961 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2011-02-03 | EM-3317 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-06-19 | DR-1847 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-27 | DR-1736 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-01-15 | DR-1676 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-05-06 | DR-1463 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-05-06 | DR-1412 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1403 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1998-10-14 | DR-1253 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1995-06-02 | DR-1054 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Hail, Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-07-21 | DR-516 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Barton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 154 flood or flash flood records for Barton County from 1996 to 2026, on 107 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Barton County ranks 2155th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $270,000 on 17 claims filed in Barton County; the most in one year was 4 in 2007. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1981: 3 · 1983: 2 · 1986: 2 · 1989: 1 · 2007: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2019: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Barton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Barton County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.6 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $1.7M | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $426K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $852K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $533K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $245K | 7.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $53K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $753K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Barton County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MissouriEvery Missouri tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in MissouriThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Missouri recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Barton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Barton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis