Madison County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29123 · population 12,581 · 494 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 285 records for Madison County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 235 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (82 records). The deadliest single record is the January 12, 2013 flood: 1 death. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1973, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on September 1, 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
- 285on 235 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 210 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 36strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Madison County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 82 since 1958. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 82 | 67 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $474K | 85 of 114 |
| Heat | 49 | 49 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 4 | – | 23 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 42 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 114 |
| Hail | 36 | 32 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 113 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 23 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 6 | $7.3M | 28 of 114 |
| Floods | 25 | 25 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $11M | 89 of 114 |
| Drought | 6 | 6 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 101 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2000-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 98 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2001-2009 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 53 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 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 Madison County had?
NOAA records 36 tornadoes in Madison County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 6 injuries recorded in the county. That is 28th 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 37 tornadoes whose track touched Madison County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 36: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in Madison County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-14 21:20, as SPC files it | Des Arc | EF3 | 29.85 mi | 3 |
| 2021-10-24 19:47, as SPC files it | Fredericktown | EF3 | 18.84 mi | 0 |
| 2011-05-25 14:49, as SPC files it | Ellsinore | EF3 | 47.41 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Madison County (36)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-26 | Marquand, Madison County | EF0 1.08 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | Faro, Madison County | EF0 5.81 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-08 | Millcreek, Madison County | EF0 4.27 mi x 334 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2024-05-08 | Roselle, Madison County | EF0 6.64 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-08 | Jewett, Madison County | EF0 1.53 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-24 | Silver Mine, Madison County | EFU 5.93 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-24 | Oak Grove, Madison County | EF3 14.83 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2019-03-24 | Marquand, Madison County | EF1 4.24 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-02-28 | Silver Mine, Madison County | EF0 4.44 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-02-29 | Jewett, Madison County | EF2 21.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Marquand, Madison County | EF1 2.27 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Zion, Madison County | EF1 4.35 mi x 580 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Chobb Store, Madison County | EF1 5.25 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Buckhorn, Madison County | EF1 3.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Millcreek, Madison County | EF1 5.49 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | Cornwall, Madison County | EF1 0.47 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | Mine La Motte, Madison County | EF0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-22 | Roselle, Madison County | F2 18 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2006-03-11 | Mine La Motte, Madison County | F1 5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-11 | Oak Grove, Madison County | F1 0.7 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-11 | Silver Mine, Madison County | F1 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Fredericktown, Madison County | F1 5.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Fredericktown, Madison County | F0 1.5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-24 | Fredericktown, Madison County | F2 9 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
| 1998-04-15 | Saco, Madison County | F1 12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-19 | Fredricktown Municipal Ar, Madison County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-12-02 | Madison County | F2 8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-12-02 | Madison County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-05-26 | Madison County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-05-07 | Madison County | F2 14.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-04-21 | Madison County | F2 15.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-04-12 | Madison County | F1 9.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1968-04-03 | Madison County | F2 12.8 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1963-08-12 | Madison County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-04-29 | Madison County | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1957-04-25 | Madison County | F1 0.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Madison County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 7, 2025 flash flood ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindMine La Motte, Madison County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-16 | HailFaro, Madison County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindBuckhorn, Madison County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-07 | Flash FloodJewett, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindFredericktown, Madison County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-04 | Flash FloodCornwall, Madison County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-18 | Winter StormMadison County · forecast zone Madison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Ice StormMadison County · forecast zone Madison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-05-26 | TornadoMarquand, Madison County | EF0 1.08 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | TornadoFaro, Madison County | EF0 5.81 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindSaco, Madison County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-21 | HailJewett, Madison County | 2.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-12 | FloodHigdon, Madison County Between one and three inches of rain fell over an extended amount of time onto partially frozen ground causing runoff. Numerous creeks and rivers rose due to the runoff. Several low water crossings were flooded. On Highway V about a mile southeast of where it intersects with Highway F, there is a low water crossing ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-04-03 | Flash FloodCountywide, Madison County The worst flooding in Madison County history struck the morning of April 3, 1999. Rainfall of 6 to 10 inches fell primarily during a 2 hour period resulting in flash flooding throughout the county. The county was declared a Federal Disaster Area. At least 200 homes were either destroyed or suffered major damage as did ... | 1 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2002-04-24 | TornadoFredericktown, Madison County A tornado hit Madison County, first causing damage about 9 miles south of Fredericktown along Highway 67. A mobile home was destroyed and a frame house lost its roof. The tornado moved east through a heavily wooded area uprooting and damaging trees. The tornado reached Marquand, a small town of about 400 people, about ... | F2 9 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2000-08-28 | HeatMadison County · forecast zone Madison A late summer Heat Wave hit the region as temperatures rose into the middle to upper 90s with the heat Index ranging from 105 to around 110 degrees. Many area schools either closed or reduced class time to a half day because of the heat. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1998-08-23 | HeatMadison County · forecast zone Madison A late summer heat wave primarily caused problems for area schools that had just opened for the 1998-1999 school year. Most school districts opened only for the morning hours, sending the children home around noon. The Missouri Department of Health reported 10 heat related injuries. High temperatures were in the ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-10-24 | TornadoOak Grove, Madison County The tornado touched down near the St. Francis River approximately 5.5 miles to the WSW of Fredericktown, MO, where it topped or snapped the trunks of several trees. The tornado continued to the northeast along the river and began impacting homes as it approached Fredericktown. Here the tornado ripped half of the roof ... | EF3 14.83 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2012-02-29 | TornadoJewett, Madison County A tornado touched down on Madison County Road 437 (about half a mile north of intersection with Co. Road 424) at 255 am. At this location part of the roof of an abandoned house was blown off and several windows were blown out. Also, there was lots of tree damage in the area. The damage was rated EF1 in this location. ... | EF2 21.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2006-09-22 | TornadoRoselle, Madison County The tornado touched down just west of Route K approximately one mile north of Highway 72. As it traveled east, numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down. The tornado moved across U.S. Highway 67 about 4 miles northwest of Fredericktown, knocking down additional trees and tree limbs. The damage path was about 50 ... | F2 18 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-04-03 | Flash FloodCountywide, Madison County | 1 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2001-10-23 | Thunderstorm WindFredericktown, Madison County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $333K |
| 2024-05-08 | TornadoMillcreek, Madison County | EF0 4.27 mi x 334 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2025-07-07 | Flash FloodJewett, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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: April 3, 1968 (tornado, Madison County); April 12, 1970 (tornado, Madison County); May 7, 1973 (tornado, Madison 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 Madison 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 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 21 | 14 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 21 | 25 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 18 | 9 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 7 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 19 · Feb 21 · Mar 18 · Apr 40 · May 43 · Jun 14 · Jul 43 · Aug 44 · Sep 10 · Oct 13 · Nov 3 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Madison County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Madison County: 19 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (17) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4939 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4867 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Wildfires |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2024-07-23 | DR-4803 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-09-21 | DR-4741 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-01-10 | DR-4636 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2016-01-02 | EM-3374 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-09 | DR-1980 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-03-23 | 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 |
| 2009-02-17 | DR-1822 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2002-05-06 | DR-1412 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1999-04-20 | DR-1270 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-12-01 | DR-1006 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and 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 Madison County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Madison County from 1996 to 2025, on 25 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Madison County ranks 1069th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.6 million on 155 claims filed in Madison County; the most in one year was 59 in 1999. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1982: 5 · 1986: 15 · 1993: 12 · 1997: 1 · 1999: 59 · 2002: 47 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 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 Madison County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $584K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.7M | once in about 144 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $80K | 8.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.8M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Madison 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 Madison CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Madison County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis