Cooper County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29053 · population 17,086 · 565 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 544 records for Cooper County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 386 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (158 records). The deadliest single record is the June 26, 2015 flash flood: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1973, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on May 21, 2025.
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
- 544on 386 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $4.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 19strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2025
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 Cooper County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 158 since 1996. 41% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in May and June. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 158 | 130 | 1996-2021 | 1 | 0 | $3K | 9 of 114 |
| Hail | 148 | 84 | 1970-2024 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 63 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 123 | 95 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 2 | $387K | 66 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 38 | 38 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 95 of 114 |
| Drought | 28 | 28 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 16 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 76 of 114 |
| Heat | 15 | 15 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2008-2019 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 97 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 85 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 61 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 1 | $202K | 30 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 Cooper County had?
NOAA records 19 tornadoes in Cooper County from 1968 to 2025, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. 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 19 tornadoes whose track touched Cooper County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 19, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Cooper County (19)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-02 | Pilot Grove, Cooper County | EF2 6.13 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2017-03-06 | Hoffman, Cooper County | EF0 17.45 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Pleasant Green, Cooper County | EF0 0.05 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | Otterville, Cooper County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | Blackwater, Cooper County | F0 9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2005-08-13 | Boonville, Cooper County | F0 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2001-04-10 | Pilot Grove, Cooper County | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 1999-04-08 | Boonville, Cooper County | F1 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 1992-09-07 | Cooper County | F2 10.2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-07-11 | Cooper County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-04-29 | Cooper County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-05-14 | Cooper County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-05-14 | Cooper County | F2 1 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-04-20 | Cooper County | F0 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-07-19 | Cooper County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-05-21 | Cooper County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-04-20 | Cooper County | F2 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-04-20 | Cooper County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1968-06-11 | Cooper County | F0 0.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Cooper County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 2, 2025 tornado ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A tornado with an estimated peak wind of 115 mph (EF-2) traveled for around 6.3 miles across portions of western Cooper County, Missouri, impacting the town of Pilot Grove and surrounding areas. The tornado damage path began just southwest of downtown Pilot Grove, where it caused some minor damage to an outbuilding at a farmstead. The tornado then traveled to the northeast, where it caused minor damage to the roofs of homes on W Bock Street and the Katy Manor on Prospect Street. It then caused damage to several structures along W Harris Street near the intersection of W 3rd Street. In this location, a manufactured home was thrown 100 feet off its cinder blocks and completely destroyed. Large trees were uprooted onto the roof of a home next to the destroyed manufactured home, and an outbuilding was destroyed. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1233576)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowCooper County · forecast zone Cooper | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindBlackwater, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindLone Elm, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindBoonville, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindLick, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindBillingsville, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindBoonville Airport, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindBlackwater, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindPilot Grove, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindBoonville Airport, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindLick, Cooper County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindBoonville, Cooper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-26 | Flash FloodPisgah, Cooper County Female victim was camping along Moniteau Creek near Prairie Home, Missouri. Authorities believe she was swept away by flash flood waters. Her body was discovered along Red Bud Road in Moniteau County Missouri. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1992-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindCooper County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2022-10-22 | WildfireCooper County · forecast zone Cooper Around 330 pm CDT on October 22nd, a harvesting combine in a crop field started a wildland fire in the small community of Wooldridge, MO (population: 29) in far eastern Cooper County, about 2 miles west of the Missouri River and about 4 miles south of Interstate 70. Weather conditions on the afternoon of 10/22 were ... | 0 | 1 | $202K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-04-08 | TornadoBoonville, Cooper County | F1 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2022-10-22 | WildfireCooper County · forecast zone Cooper | 0 | 1 | $202K | |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoPilot Grove, Cooper County | EF2 6.13 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2005-08-13 | TornadoBoonville, Cooper County | F0 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2000-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindBoonville, Cooper County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2001-04-10 | TornadoPilot Grove, Cooper County | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 2009-06-17 | HailBoonville, Cooper County | 4.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $14K |
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: September 7, 1992 (tornado, Cooper 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 Cooper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 49 | 92 | 13 | 4 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 23 | 69 | 23 | 4 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 2 | 6 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 17 | 26 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 15 | 15 | 6 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 13 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 33 · Mar 40 · Apr 75 · May 96 · Jun 90 · Jul 45 · Aug 49 · Sep 38 · Oct 15 · Nov 15 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cooper County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Cooper County: 16 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2016-01-02 | EM-3374 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-08-12 | DR-4012 | Flood | 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 |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe 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 |
| 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 |
| 1976-09-24 | EM-3017 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-11-01 | DR-407 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Cooper County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 158 flood or flash flood records for Cooper County from 1996 to 2021, on 130 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cooper County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $137,000 on 9 claims filed in Cooper County; the most in one year was 3 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1993: 3 · 1995: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2021: 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 Cooper County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cooper County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $589K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.0M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $83K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $54K | 9.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $291K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $379K | once in about 614 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cooper 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
- Floods in MissouriThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Cooper CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cooper County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis