Morgan County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29141 · population 20,975 · 598 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 655 records for Morgan County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 411 days; the most frequent are hail reports (196 records). The deadliest single record is the January 29, 2023 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Morgan, which covers the county: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1973, 26 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
- 655on 411 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 28 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $26Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Morgan County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 196 since 1959. 48% of its hail reports since 1959 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 | 196 | 116 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $854K | 33 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 182 | 128 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | 44 of 114 |
| Floods | 135 | 101 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $6.6M | 27 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 50 | 50 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 1 | $353K | 64 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 19 | 1950-2026 | 0 | 7 | $8.4M | 62 of 114 |
| Drought | 20 | 20 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | 63 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 48 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 94 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 7 | 2013-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 4 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $19K | 64 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 114 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2001-2026 | 0 | 0 | $75K | 42 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2000-2006 | 0 | 0 | $93K | 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 Morgan County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Morgan County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Morgan County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Morgan County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | Barnett, Morgan County | EF0 1.28 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-17 | Zwanzig, Morgan County | EF1 7.26 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-04-17 | Zwanzig, Morgan County | EF0 1.29 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-20 | Aikinsville, Morgan County | EF0 0.69 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2024-04-27 | Florence, Morgan County | EF0 3.51 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-27 | Gravois Mills Airport, Morgan County | EF1 0.13 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2017-05-27 | Gravois Mills Airport, Morgan County | EF1 0.06 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2017-03-06 | Rocky Mt, Morgan County | EF0 0.33 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2013-05-20 | Gravois Mills, Morgan County | EF0 0.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2006-03-12 | Syracuse, Morgan County | F1 1 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2006-03-12 | Florence, Morgan County | F0 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | Gravois Mills, Morgan County | F2 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $1.2M |
| 2003-05-06 | Gravois Mills, Morgan County | F0 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Gravois Mills, Morgan County | F0 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Gravois Mills, Morgan County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-10-23 | Rocky Mt, Morgan County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-04-16 | Gravois Mills, Morgan County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $339K |
| 1982-05-14 | Morgan County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-05-14 | Morgan County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-14 | Morgan County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-05-14 | Morgan County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-05-14 | Morgan County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-03-15 | Morgan County | F2 5 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-04-06 | Morgan County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1961-03-05 | Morgan County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-03-05 | Morgan County | F2 9.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-09-21 | Morgan County | F1 4.7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-05-31 | Morgan County | F2 6.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-05-28 | Morgan County | F2 2.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Morgan County | F2 3.6 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1950-07-19 | Morgan County | F1 1.5 mi x 440 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 Morgan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 27, 2026 hail ($150,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Hail up to 3 inches in diameter was reported in a mainly rural area. A home and several barns had roof damage and a few vehicles were damaged.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1331709)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-19 | FloodFlorence, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | HailGravois Mills, Morgan County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailZwanzig, Morgan County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailGlensted, Morgan County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $150K |
| 2026-04-27 | HailSyracuse, Morgan County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailSyracuse, Morgan County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-18 | FloodFlorence, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindStover, Morgan County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindGravois Mills Airport, Morgan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindRocky Mt, Morgan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindMarvin, Morgan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | TornadoBarnett, Morgan County | EF0 1.28 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-29 | Winter WeatherMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan A prolonged period of precipitation fell across the county, beginning during the early morning hours of January 29th as freezing drizzle and lingering into the very early morning of January 30th. There was an estimated light glaze of ice across the county. Roads became covered and slick with numerous schools also ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1996-07-29 | Flash FloodFlorence, Morgan County A woman was killed while attempting to cross a low water water bridge over Haw Creek in her vehicle. | 1 | 0 | $9K | |
| 2006-03-12 | TornadoGravois Mills, Morgan County A tornado initially touched down southwest of Gravois Mills and tracked through the city. 20 homes were destroyed while another 10 were damaged. This tornado was spawned from the same cyclic supercell that produced tornadoes back in Hickory, Polk, Dade, and Barton counties. | F2 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $1.2M |
| 1954-05-28 | TornadoMorgan County | F2 2.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-07-26 | FloodMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2006-03-12 | TornadoGravois Mills, Morgan County | F2 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $1.2M |
| 1994-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindVersailles, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | $996K | |
| 2015-12-27 | FloodGravois Mills, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | $623K | |
| 2022-10-01 | DroughtMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | $585K | |
| 1995-04-16 | TornadoGravois Mills, Morgan County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $339K |
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: March 5, 1961 (tornado, Morgan County); March 5, 1961 (tornado, Morgan County); March 15, 1982 (tornado, Morgan 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 Morgan 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 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 26 | 86 | 44 | 23 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 50 | 55 | 28 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 44 | 56 | 21 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 8 | 21 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 34 · Feb 32 · Mar 65 · Apr 106 · May 129 · Jun 85 · Jul 71 · Aug 45 · Sep 38 · Oct 19 · Nov 15 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morgan County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Morgan County: 21 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4939 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2026-08-03 | DR-4929 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2015-08-07 | DR-4238 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1773 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-27 | DR-1736 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-06-11 | 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 |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1403 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1998-10-14 | DR-1253 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1995-06-02 | DR-1054 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Hail, Flooding |
| 1994-04-21 | DR-1023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 1973-04-19 | 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 Morgan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 135 flood or flash flood records for Morgan County from 1996 to 2026, on 101 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Morgan County ranks 2212th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $162,000 on 15 claims filed in Morgan County; the most in one year was 6 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2009: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2015: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 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 Morgan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morgan County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $21.7 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 | $763K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $14M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $125K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $235K | 10 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $245K | 52 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 Morgan 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 Morgan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morgan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis