Boone County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29019 · population 183,385 · 686 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 977 records for Boone County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 572 days; the most frequent are hail reports (372 records). The deadliest single record is the July 18, 1999 heat, filed for the forecast zone Boone, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 19 injuries. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1973, 25 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on September 1, 2021.
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
- 977on 572 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 5173 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $86Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 36strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 2021
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 Boone County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 372 since 1958. 49% of its hail reports since 1958 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 | 372 | 181 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $39K | 12 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 327 | 234 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 36 | $395K | 10 of 114 |
| Floods | 91 | 84 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 3 | $1.0M | 46 of 114 |
| Heat | 56 | 56 | 1998-2023 | 3 | 70 | – | 31 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 56 | 55 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 37 | $1.9M | 71 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 29 | 1954-2026 | 0 | 26 | $82M | 34 of 114 |
| Lightning | 15 | 14 | 1998-2018 | 1 | 1 | $905K | 4 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 9 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 29 of 114 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 106 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 106 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 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 Boone County had?
NOAA records 36 tornadoes in Boone County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 26 injuries recorded in the county. That is 34th 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 34 tornadoes whose track touched Boone County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 36: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-11-10 01:58, as SPC files it | Columbia | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1990-11-27 11:12, as SPC files it | McBaine | F3 | 1 mi | 0 |
| 1990-11-27 11:20, as SPC files it | Columbia | F3 | 12 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Boone County (36)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | Hartsburg, Boone County | EF0 2.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-20 | Stephens, Boone County | EF1 2.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2025-04-20 | Cou Cotton Mem Airport, Boone County | EF1 3.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-07 | Harrisburg, Boone County | EF0 0.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-17 | Midway, Boone County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-26 | Centralia, Boone County | F1 0.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $86K |
| 2000-02-25 | Ashland, Boone County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-08 | Hinton, Boone County | F2 10 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-08 | Midway, Boone County | F2 4 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1998-11-10 | Columbia, Boone County | F3 2 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 16 | $11M |
| 1995-07-08 | Columbia, Boone County | F0 0.2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-07-02 | Boone County | F0 0.2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-07-02 | Boone County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-11-27 | Boone County | F3 12 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $25M step |
| 1990-11-27 | Boone County | F3 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1987-06-02 | Boone County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $250 step |
| 1985-06-17 | Boone County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-10-16 | Boone County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-04-29 | Boone County | F1 0.3 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-04-03 | Boone County | F1 0.3 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-05-29 | Boone County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-04-16 | Boone County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-12 | Boone County | F2 16.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-12-04 | Boone County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-05-26 | Boone County | F2 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1973-03-13 | Boone County | F1 6.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-09-07 | Boone County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-12-08 | Boone County | F1 2.5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-01-25 | Boone County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1959-10-04 | Boone County | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-10-04 | Boone County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-09-28 | Boone County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1956-12-04 | Boone County | F2 11.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Boone County | F2 8.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Boone County | F2 46.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Boone County | F2 34.9 mi x 100 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 Boone County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 7, 2026 flash flood ($60,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-08 | FloodHarg, Boone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-07 | Flash FloodColumbia, Boone County | 0 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2026-06-07 | FloodSturgeon, Boone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-07 | FloodColumbia, Boone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindMidway, Boone County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Flash FloodColumbia, Boone County | 0 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2026-05-31 | FloodMidway, Boone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-31 | FloodWilton, Boone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindColumbia, Boone County | 71 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailCou Cotton Mem Airport, Boone County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailColumbia, Boone County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailPrathersville, Boone County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-18 | HeatBoone County · forecast zone Boone A heat wave gripped the area for the last 2 weeks of July. Temperatures stayed in the middle to upper 90s with a few days topping 100. Columbia set a record high with 104 degrees on 7/29/99. St. Louis tied a record with 103 degrees on 7/30/99. The Heat Index generally ranged from 105 to near 115. Most of the deaths ... | 2 | 19 | – | |
| 2002-08-01 | HeatBoone County · forecast zone Boone The hot temperatures of late July continued across central and eastern Missouri into early August. The temperature his 101 degrees in St. Louis on August 1, and then was 99 for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Columbia hit 99 degrees on August 3rd. There was one death reported by local health officials. A 59 year old man died ... | 1 | 7 | – | |
| 2009-06-17 | LightningBrowns, Boone County Lightning struck and killed a woman who was walking across an open field after fishing on one of the lakes at the Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area north of Columbia. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-09-13 | FloodRucker, Boone County An additional two to three inches of rain, from the remnants of Hurricane Ike, fell onto already saturated soils causing flooding. Numerous roads remained flooded and numerous creeks were well out of their banks due to the heavy rainfall. One woman drowned in flood waters on the east side of Columbia. Her and a friend ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-02-11 | Winter WeatherBoone County · forecast zone Boone A light coating of freezing rain and sleet fell during the morning of February 11, 2008 resulting in numerous traffic accidents and injuries. At least 130 accidents were reported in Boone County resulting in 35 injuries. One death occurred in a traffic accident in Warren County on I-70 near mile marker 191. | 0 | 35 | – | |
| 2008-08-28 | Thunderstorm WindCou Cotton Mem Airport, Boone County A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through the Columbia, Missouri area around 711 pm. There was a tent revival occurring north of the city and when the storms hit, the high winds caused the tent to collapse. Twenty people were injured. Eighteen had minor injuries and two had moderate injuries. Four were ... | 48 kt wind | 0 | 20 | – |
| 2000-08-28 | HeatBoone County · forecast zone Boone A late summer Heat Wave hit the region as temperatures rose into the middle to upper 90s with the heat Index ranging from 105 to around 110 degrees. Many area schools either closed or reduced class time to a half day because of the heat. | 0 | 18 | – | |
| 1998-11-10 | TornadoColumbia, Boone County Close to 50 homes or businesses were destroyed or suffered major damage from an early morning tornado that hit on the southeast side of Columbia. Miraculously, only 16 people were injured, most minor cuts and bruises, by the the multiple-vortex tornado which reached F3 intensity. The tornado first touched down in the ... | F3 2 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 16 | $11M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-11-10 | TornadoColumbia, Boone County | F3 2 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 16 | $11M |
| 2007-01-12 | Ice StormBoone County · forecast zone Boone | 0 | 0 | $929K | |
| 2006-12-01 | Winter StormBoone County · forecast zone Boone | 0 | 0 | $789K | |
| 2004-03-26 | Flash FloodCountywide, Boone County | 0 | 0 | $781K | |
| 2000-03-26 | TornadoCentralia, Boone County | F1 0.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $86K |
| 2026-06-01 | Flash FloodColumbia, Boone County | 0 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2026-06-07 | Flash FloodColumbia, Boone County | 0 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2025-04-20 | TornadoStephens, Boone County | EF1 2.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
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: November 27, 1990 (tornado, Boone 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 Boone 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 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 49 | 169 | 64 | 13 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 12 | 17 | 14 | 67 | 41 | 83 | 52 | 41 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 40 | 27 | 15 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 3 | 23 | 29 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 24 | 15 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 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 1958 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 18 · Mar 109 · Apr 136 · May 190 · Jun 150 · Jul 132 · Aug 87 · Sep 45 · Oct 16 · Nov 27 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Boone County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Boone County: 19 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-01 | DR-4612 | 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 |
| 2016-01-02 | EM-3374 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-06-30 | EM-3325 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-03-23 | DR-1961 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2011-02-03 | EM-3317 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2006-12-29 | DR-1673 | Severe 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 |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1403 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1995-06-02 | DR-1054 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Hail, Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-05-24 | DR-867 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1986-10-14 | DR-779 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-09-24 | EM-3017 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Boone County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 91 flood or flash flood records for Boone County from 1996 to 2026, on 84 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Boone County ranks 949th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.1 million on 195 claims filed in Boone County; the most in one year was 36 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 8 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 23 · 1982: 13 · 1983: 9 · 1984: 7 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1990: 12 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 36 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 14 · 1997: 4 · 2001: 4 · 2002: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2008: 10 · 2009: 4 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 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 Boone County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Boone County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $75.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.8M | 50 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $11M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $583K | 9.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.8M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $890K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.2M | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $64K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $41M | 2.9 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 Boone 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 Boone CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Boone County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis