Reynolds County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29179 · population 6,069 · 808 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 297 records for Reynolds County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 237 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (75 records). The deadliest single record is the January 13, 2013 cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Reynolds, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1973, 25 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
- 297on 237 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 74 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Reynolds County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 75 since 1970. 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 | 75 | 62 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 0 | $224K | 114 of 114 |
| Hail | 65 | 49 | 1955-2024 | 0 | 0 | $102K | 114 of 114 |
| Heat | 48 | 48 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 1 | – | 41 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 40 | 40 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 2 | $176K | 113 of 114 |
| Floods | 27 | 27 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 0 | $2.2M | 104 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 19 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 1 | $3.6M | 92 of 114 |
| Drought | 6 | 6 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 114 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2000-2014 | 3 | 0 | – | 112 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2001-2009 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 81 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2003-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 71 of 114 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2005-2007 | 0 | 0 | $78K | 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 Reynolds County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Reynolds County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 24 tornadoes whose track touched Reynolds County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: 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 Reynolds County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-14 21:20, as SPC files it | Des Arc | EF3 | 29.85 mi | 3 |
| 2025-03-14 20:11, as SPC files it | Brandsville | EF3 | 57.24 mi | 0 |
| 1964-03-25 13:00, as SPC files it | Piedmont | F3 | 46 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Reynolds County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-19 | Greeley, Reynolds County | EF0 1.61 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | Hadley, Reynolds County | EF2 9.99 mi x 1,525 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2025-03-14 | Ruble, Reynolds County | EF1 9.22 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2024-05-26 | Exchange, Reynolds County | EF0 4.47 mi x 279 yd | 0 | 0 | $470 |
| 2024-05-26 | Redford, Reynolds County | EF0 1.17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | Redford, Reynolds County | EF0 3.27 mi x 276 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-08 | Redford, Reynolds County | EF0 0.49 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-10 | Redford, Reynolds County | EF2 6.86 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-24 | Monterey, Reynolds County | EF1 1.17 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-02-28 | Centerville, Reynolds County | EF1 4.36 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | Redford, Reynolds County | EF1 1.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-22 | Oates, Reynolds County | F2 12.8 mi x 550 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-11 | Centerville, Reynolds County | F1 12.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-01-02 | Reynolds County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Redford, Reynolds County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2004-05-30 | Reynolds County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-20 | Ellington, Reynolds County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-18 | Ellington, Reynolds County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-03-06 | Reynolds County | F0 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1992-03-06 | Reynolds County | F1 1.6 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-12-02 | Reynolds County | F1 1 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-04-12 | Reynolds County | F2 5.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1957-05-21 | Reynolds County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Reynolds County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 4, 2025 flash flood ($500,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Several road closures were reported mainly in the Ellington area has rainwater flooded roadways and areal creeks overflowed. Examples of road closures include: MO 106 1 mile west of Route F, Route B between CR 785 and CR 784, and CR 838 at its intersection with CR 837. Logan Creek overflowed, making its bridge on Route B impassable and causing extensive damage to the bridge.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1243952)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindEllington, Reynolds County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-19 | Thunderstorm WindGarwood, Reynolds County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-19 | Thunderstorm WindLesterville, Reynolds County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | TornadoGreeley, Reynolds County | EF0 1.61 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-04 | Flash FloodEllington, Reynolds County | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 2025-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindLesterville, Reynolds County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | TornadoHadley, Reynolds County | EF2 9.99 mi x 1,525 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2025-03-14 | TornadoRuble, Reynolds County | EF1 9.22 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-02-18 | Winter StormReynolds County · forecast zone Reynolds | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Ice StormReynolds County · forecast zone Reynolds | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindCenterville, Reynolds County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | TornadoExchange, Reynolds County | EF0 4.47 mi x 279 yd | 0 | 0 | $470 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-13 | Cold/Wind ChillReynolds County · forecast zone Reynolds A father and his two young sons, as well as their 4 month old Labrador retriever, went on an approximately 16 mile round trip hike on the Ozark Trail in Mark Twain National Forest on January 12th. They were heading south to Sutton’s Bluff. The weather had been unusually warm with a high of 62 degrees recorded at the ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-11-17 | FloodMartinsburg, Reynolds County Up to 6 inches of rain fell over two days in Reynolds County. This caused streams, creeks and low water crossings to flood. Two men drown while trying to cross low water crossings. A 49 year old man was in his truck on County Road 814, just south of Highway J. He crossed Brushy Creek, which was well over the crossing, ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-02-21 | SleetReynolds County · forecast zone Reynolds Another winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet and some light snow across Central, Southeast, and East Central Missouri starting during the early morning hours on the 21st and finally ending shortly after midnight on the 22nd. Enough freezing rain fell across Madison, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve counties to ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-03-18 | Flash FloodGreeley, Reynolds County Very heavy rain fell over Reynolds county beginning late on the 17th of March and throughout the day on the 18th. The co-operative observer in Ellington reported a storm total of 9.7 inches. Four inches of rain fell in Ellington through 8 am on the 18th, then another 2 inches fell between 8 am and 11 am on the 18th, ... | 1 | 0 | $548K | |
| 2022-12-22 | Winter StormReynolds County · forecast zone Reynolds Between 1 and 3 inches of snow fell. The snow combined with gusty northwest winds (35-45 mph gusts) created extremely hazardous travel with sporadic near-blizzard conditions during the heaviest snowfall. Road conditions deteriorated rapidly during this event. Several accidents occurred across the county due to slick ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-06-23 | HeatReynolds County · forecast zone Reynolds The first heat wave of the summer caused 3 deaths and at least 143 heat related injuries. High temperatures wee in the middle 90s with the heat index from 105 to 110. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1970-04-12 | TornadoReynolds County | F2 5.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-07-26 | Flash FloodCountywide, Reynolds County | 0 | 0 | $724K | |
| 2015-12-28 | Flash FloodMunger, Reynolds County | 0 | 0 | $442K | |
| 2025-03-14 | TornadoHadley, Reynolds County | EF2 9.99 mi x 1,525 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2004-10-18 | TornadoRedford, Reynolds County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 1993-10-01 | HailRedford, Reynolds County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2025-03-14 | TornadoRuble, Reynolds County | EF1 9.22 mi x 100 yd | 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 12, 1970 (tornado, Reynolds County); December 2, 1982 (tornado, Reynolds County); March 6, 1992 (tornado, Reynolds 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 Reynolds 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 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 24 | 12 | 13 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 24 | 12 | 12 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 20 | 26 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 18 | 9 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 5 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Reynolds County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 23 · Feb 18 · Mar 25 · Apr 35 · May 46 · Jun 24 · Jul 49 · Aug 27 · Sep 11 · Oct 11 · Nov 8 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Reynolds County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Reynolds County: 20 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (17) and flood (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 |
| 2025-01-01 | DR-4855 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2024-07-23 | DR-4803 | 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 |
| 2016-01-21 | 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 |
| 2009-02-17 | 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 |
| 2006-12-29 | DR-1673 | Severe 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 |
| 1994-04-21 | DR-1023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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 Reynolds County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Reynolds County from 1996 to 2025, on 27 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Reynolds County ranks 1125th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.0 million on 141 claims filed in Reynolds County; the most in one year was 33 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 1 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 7 · 1985: 2 · 1993: 25 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2002: 21 · 2003: 1 · 2008: 33 · 2009: 15 · 2011: 1 · 2017: 22 · 2020: 1 · 2026: 7; 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 Reynolds County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Reynolds County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $20.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $10.0M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $25K | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $804K | once in about 161 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $807K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $31K | 8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $31K | about once 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 Reynolds 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 Reynolds CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Reynolds County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis