Dallas County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29059 · population 17,058 · 541 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 624 records for Dallas County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 408 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (166 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 2003 tornado: 2 deaths, 10 injuries and $6.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1973, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on July 9, 2020.
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
- 624on 408 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 844 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $191Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 19strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Dallas County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 166 since 1967. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 166 | 125 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 2 | $5.4M | 32 of 114 |
| Floods | 158 | 100 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 0 | $7.3M | 20 of 114 |
| Hail | 151 | 100 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $482K | 35 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 53 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $150M | 46 of 114 |
| Drought | 33 | 33 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 15 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 17 | 1959-2026 | 4 | 27 | $12M | 63 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 8 | 2015-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | 39 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 87 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 55 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 1 | $56K | 5 of 114 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2008-2015 | 0 | 14 | $2K | 37 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2007-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 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 Dallas County had?
NOAA records 19 tornadoes in Dallas County from 1959 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 4 deaths and 27 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 18 tornadoes whose track touched Dallas 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 2 people, 4 of them in Dallas County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-02-28 23:58, as SPC files it | Buffalo | EF2 | 9.5 mi | 1 |
| 1971-12-14 23:10, as SPC files it | Republic | F2 | 48.3 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Dallas County (19)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-26 | Wood Hill, Dallas County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-04-26 | Buffalo, Dallas County | EF0 0.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2024-05-26 | Foose, Dallas County | EF0 0.75 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2024-05-06 | Olive, Dallas County | EF0 0.97 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2024-04-01 | Long Lane, Dallas County | EF0 1.14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $188K |
| 2019-04-30 | Louisburg, Dallas County | EF0 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2017-03-01 | Buffalo Airport, Dallas County | EF0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2015-05-17 | Wood Hill, Dallas County | EF0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2012-02-28 | Foose, Dallas County | EF2 9 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 12 | $835K |
| 2009-05-08 | March, Dallas County | EF2 4.25 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 2 | $2.8M |
| 2008-03-31 | Foose, Dallas County | EF2 4.67 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.4M |
| 2008-01-07 | Handley, Dallas County | EF0 1.33 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Olive, Dallas County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | Tunas, Dallas County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | Louisburg, Dallas County | F3 14 mi x 880 yd | 2 | 10 | $6.1M |
| 1996-05-05 | Conway, Dallas County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 1966-10-14 | Dallas County | F1 3 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-05-05 | Dallas County | F0 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-12-11 | Dallas County | F1 5.1 mi x 30 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 Dallas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 26, 2026 tornado ($30,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A National Weather Service survey determined that an EF0 tornado with winds up to 80mph briefly touched down north of Pumpkin Center. Damage included several outbuildings including a concrete block milk barn. Roofing tin from another barn was blown north, east and south of the barn. Trees were also uprooted.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1329376)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodCloverdale, Dallas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | FloodBuffalo, Dallas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Flash FloodCedar Ridge, Dallas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Flash FloodHandley, Dallas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-23 | FloodEarnestville, Dallas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | HailOlive, Dallas County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailOlive, Dallas County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailWindyville, Dallas County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailRedtop, Dallas County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | TornadoWood Hill, Dallas County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-04-26 | TornadoBuffalo, Dallas County | EF0 0.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-04-26 | HailBuffalo, Dallas County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $100K |
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 | TornadoLouisburg, Dallas County This is a continuation of the Polk County tornado that entered the northwestern portion of Dallas County near the Polk-Hickory-Dallas County lines. The tornado then tracked through rural areas and small communities of northern Dallas County where it destroyed approximately 48 homes and outbuildings and claimed the ... | F3 14 mi x 880 yd | 2 | 10 | $6.1M |
| 2012-02-28 | TornadoFoose, Dallas County This is a continuation of the EF-2 rated tornado that touched down in Polk County at 23:58 and moved into Dallas County from one mile north northwest of Foose to two miles east of Buffalo. In Dallas County, two frame home and six mobile homes were damaged or destroyed, three turkey barns were damaged along Wildlife ... | EF2 9 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 12 | $835K |
| 2009-05-08 | TornadoMarch, Dallas County A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-2 tornado touched down two miles west of Charity and tracked northeast over an intermittent path. The tornado destroyed three frame homes and numerous outbuildings. One indirect fatality and another injury resulted from this tornado. A man and his wife were ... | EF2 4.25 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 2 | $2.8M |
| 2025-05-08 | FloodLouisburg, Dallas County A fatality occurred when a moped was driven into a low water crossing on Mathis Road and was swept into Lindley Creek. An estimated rainfall amount of 0.50 to 0.75 inches had fallen. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-09-07 | Flash FloodOlive, Dallas County A Green County Sheriffs vehicle was swept off of a roadway at a low water crossing due to flash flooding. This low water crossing was located on Cabin Creek Drive, a quarter mile south of State Road AA, where Cabin Creek intersects Cabin Creek Drive. The Deputy was overcome by flood waters attempting to escape the ... | 1 | 0 | $35K | |
| 2015-12-26 | Flash FloodSpring Grove, Dallas County A 48 year old male was swept off of Bannon Road due to flash flooding along Opossum Creek. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-11-15 | Flash FloodColt, Dallas County Flash flooding developed following two to three inches of rain. While driving on private property, a 75 year old man died after he attempted to drive his pickup truck across AB Creek that was estimated to be four feet deep. Two other occupants were able to escape the vehicle downstream. | 1 | 0 | $7K | |
| 2008-10-31 | LightningBuffalo, Dallas County Fourteen Buffalo High School students were injured from a large tree limb falling to the ground. This tree limb fell due to lightning striking the tree. All of the injuries from the students were minor. | 0 | 14 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-01-12 | Ice StormDallas County · forecast zone Dallas | 0 | 0 | $142M | |
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtDallas County · forecast zone Dallas | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2007-12-09 | Ice StormDallas County · forecast zone Dallas | 0 | 0 | $7.1M | |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoLouisburg, Dallas County | F3 14 mi x 880 yd | 2 | 10 | $6.1M |
| 2002-05-08 | FloodDallas County · forecast zone Dallas | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeDallas County · forecast zone Dallas | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2009-05-08 | TornadoMarch, Dallas County | EF2 4.25 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 2 | $2.8M |
| 2008-03-31 | TornadoFoose, Dallas County | EF2 4.67 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 3 | $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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 14, 1966 (tornado, Dallas 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 Dallas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 53 | 39 | 41 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 43 | 61 | 49 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 60 | 42 | 18 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 18 | 9 | 21 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 7 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Dallas County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 44 · Mar 61 · Apr 92 · May 99 · Jun 78 · Jul 66 · Aug 46 · Sep 31 · Oct 17 · Nov 19 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Dallas County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Dallas County: 18 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4552 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2016-01-21 | 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 |
| 2015-08-07 | DR-4238 | Severe Storm | 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 |
| 2008-02-05 | DR-1742 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-09-21 | DR-1728 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-01-15 | DR-1676 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms 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 |
| 1995-06-02 | DR-1054 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Hail, Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | 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 Dallas County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 158 flood or flash flood records for Dallas County from 1996 to 2026, on 100 days, with 4 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Dallas County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $28,000 on 3 claims filed in Dallas County; the most in one year was 2 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2015: 2 · 2022: 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 Dallas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dallas County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.4 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 | Very High | $2.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $690K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $492K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $183K | once in about 317 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $784K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $232K | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $63K | 12 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 Dallas 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MissouriThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Dallas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Dallas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis