Douglas County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29067 · population 11,559 · 814 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,076 records for Douglas County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 542 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (394 records). The deadliest single record is the May 6, 1998 flash flood: 2 deaths. 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 and Flooding” on July 22, 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
- 1,076on 542 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 5355 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $53Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 42strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Douglas County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 394 since 1996. 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 | 394 | 208 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 0 | $20M | 3 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 260 | 154 | 1975-2026 | 0 | 0 | $8.6M | 52 of 114 |
| Hail | 241 | 127 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 57 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 56 | 55 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 3 | $496K | 93 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 30 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 2 | $19M | 45 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 27 | 19 | 2004-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 114 |
| Drought | 25 | 25 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 350 | $1.3M | 68 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 109 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $96K | 91 of 114 |
| Lightning | 8 | 8 | 2001-2022 | 0 | 0 | $158K | 14 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2008-2014 | 0 | 0 | $31K | 102 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2007-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 37 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 Douglas County had?
NOAA records 42 tornadoes in Douglas County from 1957 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 45th 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 Douglas County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 42: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-04-11 15:00, as SPC files it | Houston to Licking | F3 | 35.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Douglas County (42)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Mt Zion, Douglas County | EF1 0.46 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-07 | Ongo, Douglas County | EF1 8.86 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2025-04-20 | Goodhope, Douglas County | EF0 2.76 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2024-11-04 | Sweden, Douglas County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-11-04 | Denlow, Douglas County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-11-04 | Goodville, Douglas County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | Cross Rds, Douglas County | EF0 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2021-04-28 | Blanche, Douglas County | EF0 1.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2019-10-21 | Richville, Douglas County | EF1 6.71 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-10-21 | Rippee, Douglas County | EF1 16.32 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2019-04-30 | Smallett, Douglas County | EF1 8.57 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $87K |
| 2019-04-30 | Merritt, Douglas County | EF0 1.84 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-30 | Ava, Douglas County | EF1 3.05 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-30 | Brushyknob, Douglas County | EF0 2.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-03 | Squires, Douglas County | EF1 0.78 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-07-09 | Midway, Douglas County | EF0 2.36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-09 | Mt Zion, Douglas County | EF0 1.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-02 | Vanzant, Douglas County | EF1 0.92 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2014-05-08 | Ava Municipal Meml Airport, Douglas County | EF1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2014-04-27 | Goodhope, Douglas County | EF0 0.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2011-05-25 | Dogwood, Douglas County | EF1 3.69 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2009-05-08 | Mt Zion, Douglas County | EF1 1.13 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2009-05-08 | Goodhope, Douglas County | EF2 2.48 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 2009-05-08 | Merritt, Douglas County | EF2 2.3 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 0 | $275K |
| 2009-05-08 | Merritt, Douglas County | EF1 2.31 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $138K |
| 2008-05-02 | Roy, Douglas County | EF0 7.38 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-02 | Ava, Douglas County | EF0 0.35 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2008-04-10 | Topaz, Douglas County | EF0 0.33 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2008-01-08 | Drury, Douglas County | EF1 2.23 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $171K |
| 2008-01-08 | Tigris, Douglas County | EF0 9.65 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2006-03-11 | Vanzant, Douglas County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2005-11-05 | Goodhope, Douglas County | F1 13 mi x 530 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 2002-08-12 | Squires, Douglas County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-12 | Douglas County | F2 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-12-24 | Douglas County | F2 14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1982-12-02 | Douglas County | F2 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-04-11 | Douglas County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1974-04-13 | Douglas County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-03-13 | Douglas County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-10-10 | Douglas County | F1 3.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-05-06 | Douglas County | F2 5.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-06-12 | Douglas County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Douglas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 26, 2026 tornado ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A National Weather Service ground survey determined that an EF-1 tornado with estimated peak winds of 95 mph occurred a mile southwest of Mount Zion in Douglas County, lasting approximately 2 minutes and traveling a half mile. The tornado produced a 75 yard wide path of tree damage consisting of snapped trunks, uprooted trees, and large branches thrown around.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1334775)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | FloodColdspring, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-27 | Flash FloodDenlow, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-27 | Flash FloodAnn, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-26 | TornadoMt Zion, Douglas County | EF1 0.46 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-26 | FloodAnn, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | FloodAva, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | FloodAva Municipal Meml Airport, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindAva, Douglas County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindAva, Douglas County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodAva, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | FloodAnn, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-07 | TornadoOngo, Douglas County | EF1 8.86 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-06 | Flash FloodAnn, Douglas County A young man and woman died when their truck was washed off Highway EE at the North Fork of the White River. The flooded section of Highway EE was at the bottom of a hill at the river. The truck ran into the water and apparently stalled and then was washed off. One inch of rain occurred in the area that evening on top ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-02-15 | Winter WeatherDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas Several reports of between 0.10 and 0.15 inches of ice accumulation were reported in and around Ava, with numerous accidents and slide-offs being reported. There was 1 indirect fatality reported near Ava. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2019-04-30 | Flash FloodSweden, Douglas County Heavy rainfall across portions of Douglas County caused Hunter Creek to rise quickly out of its banks during the late evening of April 30th and continued into May 1st. Nearly 7.00 inches of rain fall across portions of the Hunter Creek basin. A 59 year old male was camping in the Vera Cruz Conservation Area and was ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-12-27 | FloodSmallett, Douglas County A 52 year old man was attempting to move cattle to higher ground when he was swept into flood water by the South Spring Creek. This incident occurred near the community of Smallet. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-11-01 | DroughtDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas Drought conditions improved across Morgan County by the end of November. The US Drought Monitor indicated that Abnormally Dry (D0) drought conditions remained at the end of the month after several rainfall events helped ease drought conditions below severe (D2) drought levels. Impacts across the region were primarily ... | 0 | 350 | – | |
| 2022-01-06 | Winter WeatherDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas A report of a measured 1.5 inches of total snowfall was received via an Amateur Radio operator in Ava. Schools were closed due to the snow covered roads. Several accidents were reported around the county due to the snow covered roads. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1982-12-24 | TornadoDouglas County | F2 14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-05 | Flash FloodAva Municipal Meml Airport, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2017-04-30 | Flash FloodEvans, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2011-04-25 | Flash FloodAva Municipal Meml Airport, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2015-07-07 | Flash FloodAva, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2024-05-08 | HailMt Zion, Douglas County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2015-12-26 | Flash FloodAva Municipal Meml Airport, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $934K | |
| 2005-11-05 | TornadoGoodhope, Douglas County | F1 13 mi x 530 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | $720K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 2, 1982 (tornado, Douglas County); May 12, 1990 (tornado, Douglas 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 Douglas 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 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 59 | 153 | 173 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 66 | 95 | 78 |
| Hail | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 91 | 64 | 58 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 16 | 12 | 22 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 8 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 20 | 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 Douglas County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 73 · Feb 61 · Mar 141 · Apr 172 · May 204 · Jun 97 · Jul 80 · Aug 66 · Sep 50 · Oct 41 · Nov 39 · Dec 52 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Douglas County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Douglas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4885 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-01-01 | DR-4855 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2011-05-09 | DR-1980 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2008-11-13 | DR-1809 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Tornado |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-12 | DR-1748 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 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 |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Douglas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Douglas County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.5 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 | $356K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $602K | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $8K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $789K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $440K | once in about 284 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $661K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $878K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $33K | 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 Douglas 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 Douglas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Douglas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis