Cedar County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29039 · population 14,177 · 474 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 510 records for Cedar County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 354 days; the most frequent are hail reports (163 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 2003 tornado: 3 deaths, 37 injuries and $69.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1976, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 9, 2019.
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
- 510on 354 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 542 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $202Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 19strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Cedar County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 163 since 1965. 52% of its hail reports since 1965 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 | 163 | 114 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 17 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 156 | 118 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 24 of 114 |
| Floods | 52 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 60 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 52 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 36 of 114 |
| Drought | 34 | 34 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 5 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 16 | 1958-2020 | 5 | 42 | $150M | 54 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 32 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 10 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 69 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $72K | 54 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 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 Cedar County had?
NOAA records 19 tornadoes in Cedar County from 1958 to 2020, the strongest rated F3, with 5 deaths and 42 injuries recorded in the county. That is 54th 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Cedar County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 19: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 8 people, 5 of them in Cedar County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 16:31, as SPC files it | Liberal to Stockton | F3 | 86 mi | 5 |
| 1982-03-15 19:35, as SPC files it | El Dorado Springs to OsceolaCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 70 mi | 2 |
| 2006-03-12 20:47, as SPC files it | Sheldon to Vista | F2 | 38 mi | 1 |
| 1973-04-20 14:30, as SPC files it | Umber View Heights | F3 | 1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Cedar County (19)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-10 | Masters, Cedar County | EF1 0.45 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-20 | Stockton Municipal Airport, Cedar County | EF0 3.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2013-01-29 | Cedar Spgs, Cedar County | EF1 2.66 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2009-06-16 | Stockton, Cedar County | EF1 5.81 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2008-03-31 | El Dorado Spgs Airport, Cedar County | EF0 0.59 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-03-12 | Cane Hill, Cedar County | F0 17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | El Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | F2 16 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 5 | $1.2M |
| 2003-05-04 | Arnica, Cedar County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | Jerico Spgs, Cedar County | F3 25 mi x 880 yd | 3 | 37 | $69M |
| 2002-12-18 | Arnica, Cedar County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2001-04-11 | El Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-08 | Stockton, Cedar County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 1992-07-04 | Cedar County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-03-15 | Cedar County | F3 14 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1973-04-20 | Cedar County | F3 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-06-22 | Cedar County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1961-03-05 | Cedar County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-03-05 | Cedar County | F1 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1958-09-16 | Cedar County | F2 2.3 mi x 50 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 Cedar County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 26, 2026 hail ($900,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Hail to baseballs in size was reported with multiple homes and vehicles in town damaged.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1331732)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-28 | HailWagoner, Cedar County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | HailEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $900K |
| 2026-04-26 | HailEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2026-04-26 | HailClaud, Cedar County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2026-04-26 | HailEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2026-04-26 | HailEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | HailEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | Thunderstorm WindEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-10 | Thunderstorm WindEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoJerico Spgs, Cedar County A large tornado laid out a path of destruction across the entire county. During this time, it took a path through the center of Stockton, which is the most populated community in the county. 350 homes, businesses, and outbuildings were destroyed while 650 received major damage. 37 local residents sustained injuries as ... | F3 25 mi x 880 yd | 3 | 37 | $69M |
| 2006-03-12 | TornadoEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County This tornado is a continuation of the Vernon County tornado. The tornado increased in intensity as it tracked across Cedar County. 47 structures were damaged and 26 were destroyed including homes and businesses. Five injuries and one fatality resulted. A 77 year old man died six days later in the hospital from blunt ... | F2 16 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 5 | $1.2M |
| 1982-03-15 | TornadoCedar County | F3 14 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 0 | $25M 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoJerico Spgs, Cedar County | F3 25 mi x 880 yd | 3 | 37 | $69M |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2026-04-26 | HailEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindJerico Spgs, Cedar County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9.6M |
| 2023-12-01 | DroughtCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2022-11-01 | DroughtCedar County · forecast zone Cedar | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2006-03-12 | TornadoEl Dorado Spgs, Cedar County | F2 16 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 5 | $1.2M |
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, Cedar County, 1 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 Cedar 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 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 31 | 59 | 34 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 55 | 33 | 27 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 26 | 13 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 10 | 19 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its hail reports since 1965 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 22 · Mar 44 · Apr 76 · May 97 · Jun 85 · Jul 42 · Aug 38 · Sep 23 · Oct 12 · Nov 18 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cedar County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Cedar County: 16 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and severe ice storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2013-09-06 | DR-4144 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds 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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-05-06 | 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 |
| 1976-09-24 | EM-3017 | Drought | Drought |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Cedar County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cedar County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.4 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 | $257K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $693K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $691K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.7M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $232K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $761K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $203K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $47K | 11 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 Cedar 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 Cedar CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cedar County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis