Cass County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29037 · population 107,719 · 697 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 898 records for Cass County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 456 days; the most frequent are hail reports (382 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 1977 tornado: 2 deaths and 15 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1973, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm” on March 23, 2011.
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
- 898on 456 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 738 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $194Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 41strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2020
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 Cass County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 382 since 1955. 45% of its hail reports since 1955 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 | 382 | 161 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7.3M | 22 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 281 | 169 | 1955-2026 | 1 | 7 | $985K | 26 of 114 |
| Floods | 72 | 51 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 70 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 58 | 56 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 5 | $12M | 69 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 33 | 1955-2025 | 3 | 26 | $173M | 25 of 114 |
| Drought | 25 | 25 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 114 |
| Heat | 18 | 18 | 1999-2023 | 2 | 0 | – | 63 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 11 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | $41K | 41 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | $42K | 70 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 Cass County had?
NOAA records 41 tornadoes in Cass County from 1955 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 3 deaths and 26 injuries recorded in the county. That is 25th 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 41 tornadoes whose track touched Cass County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 41, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 3 of them in Cass County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-04 11:40, as SPC files it | Merwin | F3 | 29.8 mi | 2 |
| 1964-04-12 18:00, as SPC files it | Pleasant Hill to Lone Jack | F3 | 19.5 mi | 1 |
| 2006-03-12 19:52, as SPC files it | Butler | F2 | 26 mi | 1 |
| 1968-05-15 14:45, as SPC files it | LouisburgCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 2.7 mi | 0 |
| 1960-04-15 18:00, as SPC files it | West LineCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 8.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Cass County (41)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-11 | Strasburg, Cass County | EF0 0.88 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-15 | Peculiar Airport, Cass County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-04 | Archie, Cass County | EF0 1.15 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-02 | Belton, Cass County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-09-18 | Harrisonville Airport, Cass County | EF0 2.27 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-09-18 | West Line, Cass County | EF1 5.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-01 | Gowdy, Cass County | EF0 1.41 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-15 | Belton Villnave Airport, Cass County | EF0 2.9 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-06 | Harrelson, Cass County | EF0 0.19 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-06 | Raymore, Cass County | EF0 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Daugherty, Cass County | EF0 0.05 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-08 | Harrisonville, Cass County | EF0 2.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-05-01 | Belton, Cass County | EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-02-28 | Gunn City, Cass County | EF1 1.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 2006-03-12 | Creighton, Cass County | F2 5 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2005-06-04 | Garden City, Cass County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-09 | Harrisonville, Cass County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-09 | Freeman, Cass County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
| 2003-05-04 | Garden City, Cass County | F2 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $321K |
| 2003-05-04 | Drexel, Cass County | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-30 | East Lynne, Cass County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1981-06-21 | Cass County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-21 | Cass County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-19 | Cass County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-19 | Cass County | F0 7.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-05-04 | Cass County | F3 27.1 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 15 | $25M step |
| 1969-04-04 | Cass County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1968-05-15 | Cass County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1967-08-18 | Cass County | F1 6.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1967-04-16 | Cass County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1967-04-16 | Cass County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1965-06-04 | Cass County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1965-05-26 | Cass County | F1 10.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-10 | Cass County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-04-12 | Cass County | F3 5.2 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 10 | $2.5M step |
| 1964-04-12 | Cass County | F3 7.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1961-04-23 | Cass County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-04-22 | Cass County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-04-15 | Cass County | F3 6.1 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-09-24 | Cass County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-05-27 | Cass County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Cass County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2021 thunderstorm wind ($22,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
There was a report of a roof blown off of a church in Harrisonville.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 967829)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindBelton, Cass County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailStrasburg, Cass County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailEast Lynne, Cass County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindPeculiar Airport, Cass County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindHuber, Cass County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindPleasant Hill, Cass County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindStrasburg, Cass County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-11 | TornadoStrasburg, Cass County | EF0 0.88 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindWingate, Cass County | 52 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-04 | TornadoCass County | F3 27.1 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 15 | $25M step |
| 1999-07-18 | HeatCass County · forecast zone Cass Northwest Missouri suffered through two weeks of oppressive heat and humidity in late July as temperatures topped the 90 degree mark for 14 consecutive days. Dew points in the lower to middle 70s pushed afternoon heat indices above 100 degrees each day. The heat wave was most intense from July 23rd through the 30th, ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1964-04-12 | TornadoCass County | F3 5.2 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 10 | $2.5M step |
| 2003-08-21 | Thunderstorm WindGarden City, Cass County Two mobile homes destroyed with two injuries. One of these injured died as a result of their injuries on September 3, 2003. One house had major damage with one injury. Numerous trees down or damaged along with outbuildings. | 61 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $241K |
| 2018-11-12 | Winter WeatherCass County · forecast zone Cass After 1 to 3 inches of snow fell across the region area roads became very icy, causing numerous vehicle accidents. One such accident that resulted in a fatality occurred along I-49 (Mile Marker 160.2) in Cass County near the town of Archie around 10:00 am, when a vehicle slid off the road, struck a guardrail, and came ... | 1 | 1 | $118K | |
| 2019-02-15 | Winter WeatherCass County · forecast zone Cass Another pile up occurred on I-49 between Belton and Peculiar. Most injuries in this accident were considered moderate and non-life threatening. | 0 | 3 | $577K | |
| 1999-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindArchie, Cass County Roofs were torn off 2 houses by thunderstorm wind gusts. | 0 | 3 | $89K | |
| 2018-11-25 | BlizzardCass County · forecast zone Cass Blizzard conditions started after a few hours of lightly to moderately falling snow. Once the heavy snow arrived winds gusted up to 46 mph for nearly 4 hours, creating whiteout conditions, officially measured by the ASOS at nearby KMKC and KMCI as sub-quarter mile for that duration. Despite the heavy impacts from this ... | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-01-30 | Ice StormCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1995-04-16 | HailHarrisonville, Cass County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6.3M |
| 2003-05-09 | TornadoFreeman, Cass County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
| 1995-04-09 | HailBelton, Cass County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $968K |
| 2004-05-19 | Flash FloodDayton, Cass County | 0 | 0 | $781K | |
| 2019-02-15 | Winter WeatherCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 3 | $577K | |
| 1998-10-04 | Flash FloodPleasant Hill, Cass County | 0 | 0 | $362K | |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoGarden City, Cass County | F2 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $321K |
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: May 4, 1977 (tornado, Cass County, 2 killed).
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 Cass 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 | 15 | 20 | 10 | 43 | 153 | 103 | 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 21 | 23 | 8 | 23 | 65 | 70 | 64 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 26 | 29 | 11 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 23 | 24 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 56 · Mar 76 · Apr 126 · May 183 · Jun 186 · Jul 77 · Aug 71 · Sep 54 · Oct 14 · Nov 14 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cass County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Cass County: 15 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4490 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3482 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-03-23 | DR-1961 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2011-02-03 | EM-3317 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-08-17 | DR-1934 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1773 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-06-11 | DR-1708 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-03-16 | DR-1631 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-11 | DR-1524 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2003-05-06 | DR-1463 | 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 |
| 1986-10-14 | DR-779 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1982-08-26 | DR-667 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-05-07 | DR-535 | Tornado | Tornadoes & 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 Cass County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 72 flood or flash flood records for Cass County from 1996 to 2021, on 51 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cass County ranks 703rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.4 million on 328 claims filed in Cass County; the most in one year was 54 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1981: 3 · 1982: 15 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 22 · 1985: 8 · 1986: 26 · 1990: 18 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 8 · 1995: 16 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 29 · 1999: 6 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 6 · 2004: 30 · 2007: 6 · 2008: 26 · 2010: 8 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 6 · 2014: 2 · 2017: 54 · 2018: 6 · 2019: 12 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 3; 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 Cass County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cass County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $44.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.9M | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.9M | 8.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $9.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.3M | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $291K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $363K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $527K | 51 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 Cass 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 Cass CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cass County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis