Platte County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29165 · population 106,489 · 420 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 847 records for Platte County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 471 days; the most frequent are hail reports (321 records). The deadliest single record is the January 13, 2017 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Platte, which covers the county: 1 death and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1965, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 9, 2019.
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
- 847on 471 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 522 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $89Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 19strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 2020
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 Platte County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 321 since 1959. 63% 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 | 321 | 159 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 5 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 270 | 166 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 1 | $910K | 7 of 114 |
| Floods | 111 | 75 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | 25 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 60 | 59 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 3 | $8.9M | 14 of 114 |
| Heat | 23 | 23 | 1999-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 43 of 114 |
| Drought | 21 | 21 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 13 | 1961-2024 | 0 | 17 | $68M | 65 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 11 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 114 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | $151K | 52 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 1 | 1 | $24K | 37 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 Platte County had?
NOAA records 19 tornadoes in Platte County from 1961 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 17 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Platte County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 19: 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 Platte County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 15:18, as SPC files it | KansasCrossed KS, MO | F4 | 21 mi | 2 |
| 1964-04-12 16:00, as SPC files it | LeavenworthCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 14 mi | 1 |
| 1961-05-07 15:15, as SPC files it | KansasCrossed KS, MO | F4 | 26.2 mi | 0 |
| 2004-05-29 17:30, as SPC files it | New Market | F3 | 7 mi | 0 |
| 1969-06-26 18:30, as SPC files it | Kansas | F3 | 10.1 mi | 0 |
| 1965-04-10 14:15, as SPC files it | AgencyCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 23.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Platte County (19)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-06 | Hoover, Platte County | EF0 5.99 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-29 | Camden Pt, Platte County | F3 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2003-05-04 | Parkville, Platte County | F4 5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $51M |
| 2003-05-04 | Beverly, Platte County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.1M |
| 2003-04-30 | Edgerton, Platte County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-04-30 | Weston, Platte County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-30 | Platte County | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1981-05-23 | Platte County | F0 3.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1975-12-05 | Platte County | F1 4.9 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-05-18 | Platte County | F2 12.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1969-06-26 | Platte County | F2 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1969-06-26 | Platte County | F3 1.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1969-06-22 | Platte County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-10 | Platte County | F3 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1965-04-10 | Platte County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1964-04-12 | Platte County | F3 5.6 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-05-07 | Platte County | F4 6.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-05-07 | Platte County | F4 9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-05-07 | Platte County | F4 2.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $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.
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 Platte County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 20, 2021 winter weather (1 death and $218,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
An accident along I-635 just north of the Missouri River was fatal for one motorist. Icy roads have not been determined officially as the cause, but with 2 to 4 inches of snow on the roads causing slick conditions that morning it's strongly plausible as a contributor to the accident. A vehicle was travelling south along I-635 and crashed head on into a semi. This took place south of Horizons Parkway along I-635, but north of the Missouri River.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 952206)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindMilton, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindPlatte Woods, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindBarry, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindNorthmoor, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindParkville, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindParkville, Platte County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindLake Waukomis, Platte County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-14 | DroughtPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-16 | HailParkville, Platte County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-16 | HailNorthmoor, Platte County | 1.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-13 | Winter WeatherPlatte County · forecast zone Platte There was some minor icing on Friday night in advance of a more significant freezing rain event a couple days later. This event is not considered part of the bigger event due to almost 30 hours between observations of freezing rain late Friday January 13 until early Sunday morning when the more significant icing ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2017-01-18 | Freezing FogPlatte County · forecast zone Platte A 51 year old male was killed around 7:30 am on January 18 when his car slid across a slick roadway and collided with another oncoming vehicle. The driver was eastbound on HWY 92 near Bethel Road, when his 1987 Chevrolet El Camino slid across the roadway and collided with a 2000 Buick Century. The man in the El Camino ... | 1 | 1 | $24K | |
| 2021-04-20 | Winter WeatherPlatte County · forecast zone Platte An accident along I-635 just north of the Missouri River was fatal for one motorist. Icy roads have not been determined officially as the cause, but with 2 to 4 inches of snow on the roads causing slick conditions that morning it's strongly plausible as a contributor to the accident. A vehicle was travelling south ... | 1 | 0 | $218K | |
| 2013-12-09 | Winter WeatherPlatte County · forecast zone Platte Light snow on December 8, 2013 left icy patches on the KC Metro roads. On the morning of December 9 a college student lost control of her car on a icy spot on the road, and collided with the center barricade and an 18-wheeler. She passed away as a result of the incident. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-07-14 | HeatPlatte County · forecast zone Platte Three days of 90-degree temperatures, coupled with very high humidity that pushed heat indices above 105, claimed 3 lives in west-central Missouri. A 63 year old male in Triplett, a 97 year old female in Raytown, and a 37 year old male in Riverside died of heat related causes. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-04-10 | TornadoPlatte County | F3 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-18 | TornadoPlatte County | F2 12.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1985-05-30 | TornadoPlatte County | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoParkville, Platte County | F4 5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $51M |
| 2002-01-30 | Ice StormPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | |
| 1998-10-04 | Flash FloodPlatte City, Platte County | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoBeverly, Platte County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.1M |
| 2007-05-07 | FloodPlatte City, Platte County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2006-03-12 | HailParkville, Platte County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2005-11-27 | Thunderstorm WindWeston, Platte County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 2021-04-20 | Winter WeatherPlatte County · forecast zone Platte | 1 | 0 | $218K |
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 10, 1965 (tornado, Platte County); May 30, 1985 (tornado, Platte County); May 7, 1961 (tornado, Platte 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 Platte 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 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 29 | 103 | 125 | 25 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 10 | 26 | 19 | 28 | 46 | 79 | 61 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 30 | 50 | 30 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 23 | 23 | 8 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 18 | 3 | 1 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
63% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 23 · Mar 55 · Apr 133 · May 210 · Jun 128 · Jul 87 · Aug 72 · Sep 40 · Oct 30 · Nov 18 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Platte County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Platte County: 19 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (10) and severe storm (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2019-05-20 | DR-4435 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2015-08-07 | DR-4238 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1773 | 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 |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-11 | DR-1524 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-05-24 | DR-867 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1984-06-21 | DR-713 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-09-14 | DR-538 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-09-24 | EM-3017 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-06-10 | DR-439 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-11-01 | DR-407 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1965-07-27 | DR-203 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Platte County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 111 flood or flash flood records for Platte County from 1996 to 2021, on 75 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Platte County ranks 649th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $13.0 million on 368 claims filed in Platte County; the most in one year was 113 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 20 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 41 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 15 · 1985: 3 · 1987: 6 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 8 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 113 · 1996: 3 · 1998: 30 · 1999: 3 · 2001: 7 · 2002: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 5 · 2008: 5 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 35 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 8 · 2016: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2019: 31 · 2023: 1 · 2026: 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 Platte County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Platte County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $47.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $525K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $964K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.5M | 6.7 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.9M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | 8.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $10M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.8M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $594K | 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 Platte 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 Platte CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Platte County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis