Howard County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29089 · population 10,117 · 464 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 374 records for Howard County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 282 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (103 records). The most damaging was the January 30, 2002 ice storm ($1.6 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1973, 27 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on June 30, 2026.
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
- 374on 282 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 01 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.0Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 29latest 2026
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 Howard County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 103 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 | 103 | 86 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $693K | 19 of 114 |
| Hail | 103 | 71 | 1958-2023 | 0 | 0 | $196K | 59 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 75 | 55 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | $543K | 94 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 32 | 32 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 91 of 114 |
| Drought | 24 | 24 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 114 |
| Heat | 15 | 15 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 7 | 1958-2019 | 0 | 1 | $3.0M | 111 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 1997-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 103 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 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 Howard County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Howard County from 1958 to 2019, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched Howard County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-03-12 20:28, as SPC files it | Glasgow | F3 | 35 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Howard County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-22 | Armstrong, Howard County | EF0 0.56 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | Glasgow, Howard County | F3 20 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $659K |
| 2006-03-12 | Fayette, Howard County | F0 3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-05-18 | Howard County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1981-04-13 | Howard County | F1 15.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1966-05-23 | Howard County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1959-09-27 | Howard County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-27 | Howard County | F2 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-27 | Howard County | F2 4.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-06-10 | Howard County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 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 Howard County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 18, 2006 hail ($73,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowHoward County · forecast zone Howard | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindFranklin, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindNew Franklin, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindBurton, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindFayette Field Airport, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindNew Franklin, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-18 | Thunderstorm WindEstill, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindFayette, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindNew Franklin, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindFayette Field Airport, Howard County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindFayette Field Airport, Howard County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindFayette Field Airport, Howard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-05-18 | TornadoHoward County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-01-30 | Ice StormHoward County · forecast zone Howard | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2002-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindFayette, Howard County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2000-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindGlasgow, Howard County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 1993-04-13 | HailNew Franklin, Howard County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2001-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindBurton, Howard County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $17K |
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: May 18, 1983 (tornado, Howard County); April 13, 1981 (tornado, Howard 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 Howard 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 | – | – | – | – | 36 | 50 | 14 | 3 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 47 | 17 | 5 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 18 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 14 | 6 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 9 | 14 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 12 | 1 | 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 23 · Feb 24 · Mar 30 · Apr 47 · May 54 · Jun 82 · Jul 37 · Aug 25 · Sep 21 · Oct 8 · Nov 11 · Dec 12 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Howard County
FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Howard County: 21 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, 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 |
| 2013-07-18 | DR-4130 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 2010-08-17 | DR-1934 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-11-13 | DR-1809 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Tornado |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1773 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | 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 |
| 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 Howard County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 103 flood or flash flood records for Howard County from 1996 to 2020, on 86 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Howard County ranks 1497th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $859,000 on 69 claims filed in Howard County; the most in one year was 22 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 7 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 4 · 1990: 1 · 1993: 22 · 1994: 7 · 1995: 6 · 1998: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2019: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2026: 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 Howard County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Howard County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $33K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $748K | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $257K | 14 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $641K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $47K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $34K | 9.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $99K | 49 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 Howard 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 Howard CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Howard County's FEMA declarations (CSV)29 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis