Bollinger County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29017 · population 10,557 · 618 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 822 records for Bollinger County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 697 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (116 records). 489 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the April 5, 2023 tornado: 5 deaths, 4 injuries and $1.9 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1973, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on September 1, 2026.
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
- 822on 697 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1244 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $72Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 2026
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 Bollinger County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 116 since 1996. 68% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 116 | 116 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $3.3M | 8 of 114 |
| Hail | 112 | 81 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | 78 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 108 | 93 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 77 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 94 | 92 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 114 |
| Heat | 88 | 88 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 13 | – | 12 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 81 | 80 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | 5 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 79 | 79 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 7 of 114 |
| Floods | 66 | 61 | 1996-2024 | 6 | 2 | $29M | 56 of 114 |
| Drought | 36 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 25 | 1955-2025 | 6 | 28 | $16M | 38 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 11 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 24 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | $17K | 64 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 Bollinger County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Bollinger County from 1955 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 6 deaths and 28 injuries recorded in the county. That is 38th 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 32 tornadoes whose track touched Bollinger County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 7 people, 6 of them in Bollinger County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-05 02:30, as SPC files it | Glen Allen | EF2 | 20.66 mi | 5 |
| 2025-03-14 22:15, as SPC files it | Greenville | EF3 | 28.64 mi | 1 |
| 2002-04-27 23:40, as SPC files it | Marble Hill | F3 | 4 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Bollinger County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-14 | North Patton, Bollinger County | EF1 5.61 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-03-14 | Sitzke Store, Bollinger County | EF3 16.66 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.0M |
| 2024-05-26 | Grisham, Bollinger County | EF1 4.23 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2023-04-05 | Grassy, Bollinger County | EF2 19.78 mi x 150 yd | 5 | 4 | $1.9M |
| 2021-10-24 | Gipsy, Bollinger County | EF1 19.76 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $436K |
| 2021-04-28 | Hurricane, Bollinger County | EF1 3.37 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-01-11 | Patton Jct, Bollinger County | EF1 0.2 mi x 45 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2019-03-24 | Grisham, Bollinger County | EF2 10.3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $69K |
| 2014-10-13 | Sturdivant, Bollinger County | EF1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2014-10-13 | Leopold, Bollinger County | EF1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2014-10-13 | Zalma, Bollinger County | EF1 7.16 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $312K |
| 2013-10-31 | Leopold, Bollinger County | EF1 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 2012-02-29 | Mayfield, Bollinger County | EF2 2.33 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $90K |
| 2012-02-29 | Grisham, Bollinger County | EF1 10.34 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2011-05-25 | Grisham, Bollinger County | EF1 10.76 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-04-25 | Sedgewickville, Bollinger County | EF1 2.77 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $262K |
| 2011-04-19 | Patton, Bollinger County | EF0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2009-03-08 | Leopold, Bollinger County | EF1 4.87 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2004-10-18 | Patton, Bollinger County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-25 | Patton Jct, Bollinger County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Marble Hill, Bollinger County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Grassy, Bollinger County | F2 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2002-04-27 | Marble Hill, Bollinger County | F3 4 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 16 | $6.6M |
| 2000-05-26 | Sturdivant, Bollinger County | F1 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2000-05-23 | Marble Hill, Bollinger County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-11-14 | Zelma, Bollinger County | F0 0.4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1984-10-16 | Bollinger County | F1 1 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1977-06-30 | Bollinger County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1968-04-03 | Bollinger County | F2 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-04-22 | Bollinger County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Bollinger County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindLeopold, Bollinger County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindLutesville, Bollinger County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindHahn, Bollinger County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2026-04-16 | HailZalma, Bollinger County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-16 | HailZalma, Bollinger County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | DroughtBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-16 | Dense FogBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | DroughtBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Dense FogBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-05 | TornadoGrassy, Bollinger County The tornado moved northeast across central Bollinger County, passing just north and west of Marble Hill. The most severe damage occurred in Glenallen (near Marble Hill), where several fatalities and injuries occurred. All five occupants of a demolished mobile home were killed there, including two teenagers, a ... | EF2 19.78 mi x 150 yd | 5 | 4 | $1.9M |
| 2019-11-30 | Flash FloodSedgewickville, Bollinger County Flash flooding of two creeks resulted in two separate fatal incidents involving vehicles swept off roads. In the first incident, a vehicle carrying four people was swept away at the low water crossing of the Little Whitewater Creek on County Road 356. This location is several miles south of Sedgwickville. Two of the ... | 3 | 2 | $58K | |
| 2002-04-27 | TornadoMarble Hill, Bollinger County This strong tornado with peak winds near 180 MPH touched down in a rural area southwest of Marble Hill. A total of 19 residences were severely damaged, and 6 were destroyed. Approximately 10 of the residences were mobile homes and 15 were single-family homes. Another 50 outbuildings, such as barns and sheds, were ... | F3 4 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 16 | $6.6M |
| 2023-03-25 | FloodHahn, Bollinger County One person drowned on the evening of the 25th after their car was driven into floodwaters that covered Missouri Highway H near County Road 706, just east of the Castor River Conservation Area. This was lingering flooding from a heavy rain event that occurred Thursday, March 23 through Friday, March 24. The victim was ... | 1 | 0 | $24K | |
| 2008-03-18 | FloodPatton, Bollinger County Historic flooding occurred after 12 to 14 inches of rain fell in 48 hours. One man was killed in Marble Hill when his pickup truck was swept off a highway into Crooked Creek. Most of the major highways in the county were closed for at least part of the day. Evacuations were conducted in some places, especially in ... | 1 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2002-05-12 | Flash FloodCountywide, Bollinger County The most serious flooding struck Wayne, Bollinger, and Cape Girardeau Counties, where 4 to 8 inches of rain fell, mostly in a 12-hour period. The highest totals were in northern Bollinger County, where radar estimates and unofficial measurements indicated up to 8 inches fell. Flash flooding of Crooked Creek, which ... | 1 | 0 | $820K | |
| 1997-07-26 | HeatBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger A heat wave spanning a three-day period caused heat stress problems for the unprepared. A cooling unit of an air conditioner in a Cape Girardeau office building failed, causing four employees to require medical attention. The four women spent a good part of the day in the room without air conditioning. The women ... | 0 | 12 | – | |
| 1977-06-30 | TornadoBollinger County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-14 | Flash FloodMarble Hill, Bollinger County | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Patton, Bollinger County | 91 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 2008-03-18 | FloodPatton, Bollinger County | 1 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2002-04-27 | TornadoMarble Hill, Bollinger County | F3 4 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 16 | $6.6M |
| 2008-02-11 | Winter StormBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2023-04-05 | TornadoGrassy, Bollinger County | EF2 19.78 mi x 150 yd | 5 | 4 | $1.9M |
| 2000-05-23 | HailMarble Hill, Bollinger County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 30, 1977 (tornado, Bollinger County); October 16, 1984 (tornado, Bollinger 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 Bollinger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 35 | 48 | 24 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 43 | 24 | 14 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 31 | 26 | 23 | 17 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 19 | 46 | 25 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 14 | 38 | 31 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 26 | 25 | 27 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
68% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 92 · Feb 81 · Mar 66 · Apr 127 · May 90 · Jun 35 · Jul 86 · Aug 65 · Sep 28 · Oct 49 · Nov 42 · Dec 61 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bollinger County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Bollinger County: 22 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (18) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4939 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4867 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Wildfires |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-07-23 | DR-4803 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-09-21 | DR-4741 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-01-10 | DR-4636 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2011-05-09 | DR-1980 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-02-03 | EM-3317 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-06-19 | DR-1847 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-02-17 | DR-1822 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-11-13 | DR-1809 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Tornado |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-12 | DR-1748 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-03-16 | DR-1631 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes 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 |
| 1993-12-01 | DR-1006 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1982-12-10 | DR-672 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1973-04-19 | DR-372 | Severe Storm | Heavy Rains, Tornadoes & 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 Bollinger County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 66 flood or flash flood records for Bollinger County from 1996 to 2024, on 61 days, with 6 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bollinger County ranks 1227th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.3 million on 116 claims filed in Bollinger County; the most in one year was 32 in 2002. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1982: 1 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 5 · 1993: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 12 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 32 · 2005: 5 · 2008: 32 · 2011: 8 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2023: 5; 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 Bollinger County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bollinger County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $165K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 106 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $7K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $525K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $627K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $60K | 7.7 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $717K | 1.2 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 Bollinger 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
- Winter storms in MissouriThe state's winter storm records, 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 Bollinger CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bollinger County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis