Lawrence County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29109 · population 37,920 · 612 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 897 records for Lawrence County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 539 days; the most frequent are hail reports (279 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 2003 tornado: 5 deaths, 33 injuries and $44.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1973, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on June 9, 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
- 897on 539 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1477 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $251Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Lawrence County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 279 since 1956. 55% of its hail reports since 1956 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 | 279 | 173 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $131M | 10 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 265 | 171 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.5M | 18 of 114 |
| Floods | 172 | 114 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 3 | $8.4M | 18 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 59 | 58 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 20 | $8.1M | 50 of 114 |
| Drought | 36 | 36 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 19 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 26 | 1960-2025 | 9 | 54 | $71M | 33 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 15 | 2004-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | 51 of 114 |
| Heat | 10 | 10 | 1999-2012 | 1 | 0 | $39K | 89 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 6 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 42 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2012-2017 | 0 | 0 | $181K | 6 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2004-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 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 Lawrence County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Lawrence County from 1960 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 9 deaths and 54 injuries recorded in the county. That is 33rd 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Lawrence County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 12 people, 9 of them in Lawrence County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 17:50, as SPC files it | Springfield | F3 | 49 mi | 7 |
| 2002-12-17 23:05, as SPC files it | Chesapeake | F2 | 4 mi | 2 |
| 2006-03-12 22:15, as SPC files it | Aurora | F3 | 42 mi | 1 |
| 1976-03-26 16:00, as SPC files it | Sarcoxie | F3 | 29.1 mi | 1 |
| 2018-12-01 00:30, as SPC files it | Aurora | EF1 | 0.49 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Lawrence County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-29 | Marionville, Lawrence County | EF0 5.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-04-29 | Friestatt, Lawrence County | EF1 4.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $200K |
| 2025-04-29 | Verona, Lawrence County | EF1 5.16 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2024-05-08 | Verona, Lawrence County | EF1 7.51 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2019-04-30 | Round Grove, Lawrence County | EF1 0.35 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-30 | Albatross, Lawrence County | EF1 3.75 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $173K |
| 2018-12-01 | Aurora, Lawrence County | EF1 0.49 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 0 | $294K |
| 2018-08-19 | Bonham, Lawrence County | EF1 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $88K |
| 2018-01-21 | Opal, Lawrence County | EF1 1.25 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2017-05-19 | Miller, Lawrence County | EF0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2017-05-19 | Stotts City, Lawrence County | EF1 4.23 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2015-05-17 | Friestatt, Lawrence County | EF1 4.53 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2014-10-13 | Spencer, Lawrence County | EF0 0.07 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2011-05-22 | Pierce City, Lawrence County | EF2 7.07 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $394K |
| 2008-03-31 | Albatross, Lawrence County | EF0 0.45 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2008-01-07 | Aurora, Lawrence County | EF0 6.39 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $103K |
| 2007-10-17 | Verona, Lawrence County | EF0 10.11 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $712K |
| 2006-03-12 | Verona, Lawrence County | F3 10 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $7.3M |
| 2005-11-12 | Mt Vernon, Lawrence County | F1 5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.1M |
| 2003-05-04 | Pierce City, Lawrence County | F3 25 mi x 880 yd | 5 | 33 | $44M |
| 2002-12-17 | Mt Vernon, Lawrence County | F2 4 mi x 100 yd | 2 | 17 | $820K |
| 2001-11-23 | Aurora, Lawrence County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 1979-10-30 | Lawrence County | F2 10.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1976-03-26 | Lawrence County | F3 21 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1974-05-23 | Lawrence County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-09-24 | Lawrence County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-06-08 | Lawrence County | F1 0.8 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-05-05 | Lawrence County | F1 11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-04-30 | Lawrence County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1960-05-19 | Lawrence County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 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 Lawrence County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 13, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodLawrenceburg, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodStotts City, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindAurora Meml Airport, Lawrence County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindAurora, Lawrence County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindMarionville, Lawrence County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindLogan, Lawrence County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindOpal, Lawrence County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-08 | FloodMt Vernon Airport, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-08 | FloodHoberg, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-08 | Flash FloodFriestatt, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-30 | FloodAurora, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindChesapeake, Lawrence County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 | TornadoPierce City, Lawrence County This tornado is a continuation of the Newton County tornado. A large tornado laid out a half mile wide path of destruction across southwest, central, and east central Lawrence County. Several communities was affected, however, the community of Pierce City was hardest hit as the historic downtown of 100 plus year old ... | F3 25 mi x 880 yd | 5 | 33 | $44M |
| 2002-12-17 | TornadoMt Vernon, Lawrence County Tornado touched down two miles southwest of the Lucky Lady Trailer Park. The tornado then followed a trajectory through the trailer park and points north and east. 34 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Shortly after the initial touch down, a modular home was directly hit and destroyed. One fatality was observed ... | F2 4 mi x 100 yd | 2 | 17 | $820K |
| 2006-03-12 | TornadoVerona, Lawrence County A supercell thunderstorm that produced a tornado in Newton County, spawned a large tornado in Lawrence County approximately one mile north of Verona. The tornado damaged 46 structures and destroyed 21. One fatality occurred from flying debris striking an elderly man in his frame home north of Marionville. This tornado ... | F3 10 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $7.3M |
| 2018-12-01 | TornadoAurora, Lawrence County An EF-1 tornado developed just west of the water tower and tracked northeast to the Aurora Motel, where one fatality occurred. The tornado then tracked northward across Highway 60 and impacted Sutherlands before dissipating. Path length was near one half mile. Peak wind was estimated at 105 mph. | EF1 0.49 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 0 | $294K |
| 2015-12-26 | Flash FloodVerona, Lawrence County A 37 year old male was swept off of Farm Road 1130 due to flash flooding. The flooding occurred along a small tributary of Browning Hollow which is a tributary of the Spring River. Nearly all low water crossings across the county were flooded. There was several rural and county roads which sustained damage from ... | 1 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2013-05-31 | FloodMt Vernon Airport, Lawrence County Two people attempted to cross a low water bridge on County Road 2110 three miles west of Mount Vernon along the Spring River. One male was rescued in the river and the other male drowned. His body was later recovered. Heavy rainfall from the previous night led to elevated water levels on area streams. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-03-18 | Flash FloodRed Oak, Lawrence County Four to six inches of rain fell over Lawrence County. All locations that typically experience flooding during periods of excessive rainfall were flooded. One fatality occurred in Kelly Creek near Monett. A 19 year old male died after walking into the swift current. | 1 | 0 | $137K | |
| 2005-01-12 | FloodLawrence County · forecast zone Lawrence A slow moving storm system caused heavy rain to occur across much of southern and central Missouri. This event followed quickly on the heels of a previous flood event that occurred from the 4th through the 6th of January, therefore soils were nearly saturated at the onset of the event. The lack of January vegetation ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-28 | HailVerona, Lawrence County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $120M |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoPierce City, Lawrence County | F3 25 mi x 880 yd | 5 | 33 | $44M |
| 2003-11-18 | HailAurora, Lawrence County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $9.6M |
| 2006-03-12 | TornadoVerona, Lawrence County | F3 10 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $7.3M |
| 2022-12-01 | DroughtLawrence County · forecast zone Lawrence | 0 | 0 | $5.1M | |
| 2007-08-20 | Flash FloodMiller, Lawrence County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeLawrence County · forecast zone Lawrence | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtLawrence County · forecast zone Lawrence | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
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: October 30, 1979 (tornado, Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 44 | 98 | 61 | 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 28 | 57 | 64 | 79 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 51 | 56 | 55 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 11 | 25 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 10 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 34 · Mar 69 · Apr 151 · May 195 · Jun 98 · Jul 71 · Aug 77 · Sep 46 · Oct 39 · Nov 37 · Dec 35 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lawrence County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Lawrence County: 14 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-09 | DR-4876 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 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 |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | 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 Lawrence County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 172 flood or flash flood records for Lawrence County from 1996 to 2026, on 114 days, with 4 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lawrence County ranks 1851st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $657,000 on 34 claims filed in Lawrence County; the most in one year was 18 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 1 · 2008: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2021: 18 · 2022: 2; 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 Lawrence County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.0M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $810K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 14 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $602K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $138K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $260K | 57 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $742K | once in about 532 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lawrence 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 Lawrence CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lawrence County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis