McDonald County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29119 · population 23,248 · 539 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 779 records for McDonald County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 434 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (227 records). The deadliest single record is the January 4, 2005 flash flood: 2 deaths. 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, 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
- 779on 434 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 631 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $81Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 24strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 McDonald County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 227 since 1996. 44% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 227 | 122 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 0 | $20M | 11 of 114 |
| Hail | 207 | 126 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $24M | 21 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 188 | 129 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 19 | $1.6M | 27 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 47 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $531K | 66 of 114 |
| Drought | 36 | 36 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 11 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 15 | 2013-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 21 | 1954-2019 | 0 | 9 | $9.2M | 40 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 1 | 0 | – | 86 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $6.8M | 63 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 96 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 57 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 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 McDonald County had?
NOAA records 24 tornadoes in McDonald County from 1954 to 2019, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 9 injuries recorded in the county. That is 40th 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 23 tornadoes whose track touched McDonald County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 24: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in McDonald County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-11-15 15:45, as SPC files it | Exeter | F2 | 28 mi | 1 |
| 2011-05-22 17:52, as SPC files it | Zena to ButlerCrossed MO, OK | EF3 | 17.93 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for McDonald County (24)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-22 | Ginger Blue, McDonald County | EF1 0.09 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-30 | Sincoe, McDonald County | EF1 6.28 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2017-05-19 | May, McDonald County | EF1 2.03 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2017-05-18 | Caverna, McDonald County | EF1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2017-04-04 | Goodman, McDonald County | EF2 4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2015-04-02 | Mountain, McDonald County | EF1 5.56 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2011-05-22 | South West City, McDonald County | EF3 1.43 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
| 2011-05-11 | Anderson, McDonald County | EF0 0.79 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2008-12-27 | Powell, McDonald County | EF0 0.27 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-28 | Plainview, McDonald County | EF0 1.38 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 2 | $34K |
| 2008-01-07 | Mountain, McDonald County | EF1 5.49 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $411K |
| 2008-01-07 | Pineville Edwards Ar, McDonald County | EF0 0.25 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-26 | Powell, McDonald County | F0 4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1993-10-08 | Longview To, McDonald County | F2 7 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1993-10-08 | Noel, McDonald County | F1 4 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1989-05-18 | McDonald County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1988-11-15 | McDonald County | F2 10 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-04-07 | McDonald County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-12-14 | McDonald County | F1 14.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1967-06-10 | McDonald County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-05-09 | McDonald County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1956-04-03 | McDonald County | F1 8.8 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1954-03-24 | McDonald County | F2 6.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-03-24 | McDonald County | F2 19.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 McDonald County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | FloodPowell, McDonald County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindCaverna, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindCyclone, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindAnderson, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindPineville, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindElk Spgs, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | FloodErie, McDonald County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindNoel, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindLongview, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindGoodman, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindGoodman, McDonald County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindNoel, McDonald 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-01-04 | Flash FloodNoel, McDonald County Several periods of heavy rain in conjunction with little vegetation over the winter months set the stage for widespread flooding across much of extreme southeast Kansas and southern and central Missouri. In McDonald County, numerous roads and low lying areas were inundated and impassable by motorists. The flooding ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-06-23 | Flash FloodAnderson, McDonald County Excessive heavy rainfall caused rapid rises to occur on the Beaver Branch and Indian Creek. A home along Beaver Branch was swept off its foundation and washed downstream. An elderly woman in the home was unable to escape and perished in the flood waters. A bridge on Main Street received significant damage from rapidly ... | 1 | 0 | $923K | |
| 2013-08-08 | Flash FloodJane, McDonald County This storm report will contain the total estimated damages and cost for the flooding event including one fatality for the county. A vehicle was washed off the road on Highway 90 at Brush Creek just west of Jane. She was driving eastbound at 4:50 am when her car was swept into the stream, according to the Missouri ... | 1 | 0 | $633K | |
| 2007-06-12 | Flash FloodPineville, McDonald County A 66 year old male died after driving into a flooded low water crossing. Witnesses report he drove a truck into 5 feet of swiftly flowing water at the intersection of Klondike Road and the Beamon Hollow Branch of the Buffalo Creek. Numerous other locations across McDonald County experienced flash flooding. | 1 | 0 | $14K | |
| 1999-07-23 | HeatMcDonald County · forecast zone McDonald A prolonged period of excessive heat occurred in central, southwest, and south central Missouri. Afternoon high temperatures during this period averaged 95 degrees or higher with heat index values of 105 to 115 degrees. Six deaths were attributed to the heat: Three in Jasper County and one each in Greene, McDonald, ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindRocky Comfort, McDonald County Four to five trailers were destroyed near the Rocky Comfort area. | 0 | 9 | $208K | |
| 2001-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindLongview, McDonald County Straight line winds caused considerable damage to a local cafe, store and feed mill. Four injuries were reported in the Longview area due to flying debris. | 0 | 4 | $42K | |
| 2014-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindMt Shira, McDonald County Several trees and large limbs were blown down at Elk Springs Road along the Elk River. Three injuries were reported from flying debris due to wind near the Shady Beach Campground. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $6K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-28 | HailPineville, McDonald County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $23M |
| 2011-08-01 | DroughtMcDonald County · forecast zone McDonald | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 2015-12-27 | FloodAnderson, McDonald County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeMcDonald County · forecast zone McDonald | 0 | 0 | $6.8M | |
| 2011-05-22 | TornadoSouth West City, McDonald County | EF3 1.43 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
| 2017-04-04 | TornadoGoodman, McDonald County | EF2 4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2001-06-03 | Flash FloodCountywide, McDonald County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2019-06-23 | Flash FloodAnderson, McDonald County | 1 | 0 | $923K |
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: December 14, 1971 (tornado, McDonald County); May 9, 1959 (tornado, McDonald 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 McDonald 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 | 46 | 108 | 64 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 38 | 63 | 48 | 48 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 22 | 59 | 48 | 44 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 14 | 9 | 20 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 13 | 15 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 22 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 40 · Feb 38 · Mar 95 · Apr 141 · May 155 · Jun 97 · Jul 64 · Aug 43 · Sep 22 · Oct 30 · Nov 16 · Dec 38 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for McDonald County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include McDonald County: 20 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-09 | DR-4876 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-05-09 | 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 |
| 2009-01-30 | 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 |
| 2007-12-27 | DR-1736 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 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 |
| 1986-10-14 | DR-779 | 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 McDonald County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 227 flood or flash flood records for McDonald County from 1996 to 2026, on 122 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), McDonald County ranks 619th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $12.8 million on 386 claims filed in McDonald County; the most in one year was 63 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1995: 4 · 2001: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 55 · 2009: 16 · 2011: 60 · 2013: 24 · 2015: 53 · 2017: 55 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 63 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 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 McDonald County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McDonald County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.2 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 High | $701K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $16M | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $532K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $9K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $230K | once in about 304 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with McDonald 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 McDonald CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download McDonald County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis