Ripley County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29181 · population 10,679 · 630 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 793 records for Ripley County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 678 days; the most frequent are hail reports (113 records). 471 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the July 19, 2011 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone Ripley, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1973, 22 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
- 793on 678 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 310 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $64Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 24strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Ripley County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 113 since 1976. 55% of its hail reports since 1976 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 | 113 | 86 | 1976-2026 | 0 | 0 | $28K | 74 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 99 | 98 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $21M | 11 of 114 |
| Heat | 98 | 98 | 1997-2025 | 2 | 4 | – | 8 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 98 | 86 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 1 | $4.0M | 84 of 114 |
| Floods | 84 | 77 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 1 | $9.1M | 47 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 82 | 81 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 73 | 73 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 9 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 66 | 66 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $40K | 7 of 114 |
| Drought | 45 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 23 | 1967-2025 | 1 | 3 | $18M | 46 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2006-2011 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 8 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 Ripley County had?
NOAA records 24 tornadoes in Ripley County from 1967 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 46th 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Ripley 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 2 people, 1 of them in Ripley County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-11-27 22:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F2 | 12 mi | 1 |
| 1982-12-24 18:05, as SPC files it | Van Buren | F2 | 33 mi | 1 |
| 2025-03-14 20:11, as SPC files it | CherokeeCrossed AR, MO | EF4 | 115.95 mi | 0 |
| 1970-04-30 21:00, as SPC files it | Naylor | F3 | 8.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Ripley County (24)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-30 | Oxly, Ripley County | EF1 3.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2025-03-14 | Poynor, Ripley County | EF2 19.63 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
| 2024-05-26 | Tucker, Ripley County | EF2 31.24 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $541K |
| 2017-03-09 | Hill Top, Ripley County | EF2 9.64 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 2014-04-03 | Hill Top, Ripley County | EF2 3.48 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2013-10-31 | Oxly, Ripley County | EF1 4.16 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2013-01-29 | Flatwoods, Ripley County | EF1 0.27 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2012-12-09 | Flatwoods, Ripley County | EF1 0.4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2011-05-25 | Torch, Ripley County | EF0 0.74 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-03-10 | Owenmont, Ripley County | EF1 1.47 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 1 | $271K |
| 2008-02-05 | Burr, Ripley County | EF1 19.96 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2005-11-27 | Gatewood, Ripley County | F2 12 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 0 | $378K |
| 2005-11-05 | Gatewood, Ripley County | F2 7.4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $113K |
| 1999-04-05 | Naylor, Ripley County | F1 1 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
| 1996-04-19 | Doniphan, Ripley County | F2 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $188K |
| 1995-06-07 | Fairdealing, Ripley County | F0 0.5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-09 | Ripley County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-11-09 | Ripley County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-11-09 | Ripley County | F0 0.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-12-24 | Ripley County | F2 7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-12-02 | Ripley County | F2 4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-01-18 | Ripley County | F2 4.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1970-04-30 | Ripley County | F3 1.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-12-21 | Ripley County | F2 1.9 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 Ripley County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 thunderstorm wind (1 injury and $400,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Destructive straight line winds impacted much of southeastern Ripley County, Missouri on the afternoon of Tuesday April 28, 2026 as a surging portion of a storm line created a macroburst, tracking approximately 10mi and expanding to its widest width near Naylor-Hemenway at 3.5mi. The damage swath began just southeast of Doniphan where a home suffered roof, siding, and fascia damage. Moving east-southeast, damaging wind impacted the Oxly community and locations near and south of the Naylor community. In Oxly, dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted, causing damage to outbuildings and downing power lines. To the south and west from Naylor to Hemenway, a grain bin rolled hundreds of yards and a large farm outbuilding was shifted off its foundation. A child sustained minor injuries when they were struck by debris. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1350119)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindOwenmont, Ripley County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $400K |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindDoniphan, Ripley County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-28 | HailDoniphan, Ripley County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailHill Top, Ripley County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailDoniphan, Ripley County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailHandy, Ripley County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailDoniphan, Ripley County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailBennett, Ripley County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindBennett, Ripley County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-16 | HailNaylor, Ripley County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-16 | HailPaynor, Ripley County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtRipley County · forecast zone Ripley | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-19 | Excessive HeatRipley County · forecast zone Ripley A large and strong high in the upper levels of the atmosphere drifted slowly east from the central Plains across the Lower Ohio Valley. This strong upper-level high brought six consecutive days of dangerously high heat and humidity. The peak heat index at Poplar Bluff was 105 degrees on the 19th, 109 on the 20th, 110 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-07-10 | Excessive HeatRipley County · forecast zone Ripley High pressure in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere expanded east-northeast from the southern Plains. As this high expanded across southern Missouri, it brought a few days of excessive heat and humidity. Peak heat indices on the afternoon of the 10th reached 112 degrees at Cape Girardeau and 119 at Poplar ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-11-27 | TornadoGatewood, Ripley County The tornado destroyed a permanent home and a mobile home. Major damage occurred to two other permanent homes. The sole fatality occurred about midway between Gatewood and Briar, where a two-story house was destroyed. The victim was sleeping on the second floor at the time. His body was found in a field about 75 yards ... | F2 12 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 0 | $378K |
| 2005-07-21 | HeatRipley County · forecast zone Ripley Several days of excessive heat and humidity caused two fatalities and a significant increase in heat-related illnesses. In Cape Girardeau, two residents of a home without air conditioning died. The windows were closed because one of the victims suffered from asthma. They relied mostly on fans to keep cool. In ... | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindOwenmont, Ripley County Destructive straight line winds impacted much of southeastern Ripley County, Missouri on the afternoon of Tuesday April 28, 2026 as a surging portion of a storm line created a macroburst, tracking approximately 10mi and expanding to its widest width near Naylor-Hemenway at 3.5mi. The damage swath began just southeast ... | 87 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $400K |
| 2025-03-14 | TornadoPoynor, Ripley County A long track EF-4 tornado in Arkansas moved northeast into Ripley County to the southeast of Poynor. It produced EF-2 damage as it continued northeast passing to the southeast of Doniphan and then it made a turn toward the east as it approached U.S. 160. It passed near Fairdealing and continued east into Butler county ... | EF2 19.63 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
| 2015-01-11 | Winter WeatherRipley County · forecast zone Ripley From the Dexter/Bloomfield area westward, a few hours of light freezing rain caused roads to become slippery. The freezing rain was mixed with sleet at times. In Stoddard County, a vehicle travelling along Highway 25 near Advance slid off the road and overturned. The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2010-03-10 | TornadoOwenmont, Ripley County The tornado touched down about two miles southeast of Doniphan on the south side of Highway 142, then moved northeast for about a mile and a half. One occupant of a 16-foot camper trailer sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital when the camper overturned. A rental business building was severely damaged. ... | EF1 1.47 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 1 | $271K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-01-26 | Winter StormRipley County · forecast zone Ripley | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindRipley County · forecast zone Ripley | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 2017-05-01 | FloodBennett, Ripley County | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | |
| 2025-03-14 | TornadoPoynor, Ripley County | EF2 19.63 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindPine, Ripley County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2008-03-19 | FloodDoniphan, Ripley County | 0 | 0 | $822K | |
| 2024-05-26 | TornadoTucker, Ripley County | EF2 31.24 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $541K |
| 2013-04-10 | Thunderstorm WindPaynor, Ripley County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $443K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 24, 1982 (tornado, Ripley 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 Ripley 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 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 40 | 27 | 25 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 29 | 43 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 14 | 45 z | 34 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 41 | 24 | 13 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 17 | 38 | 23 |
Heat in the 2010s: 45 records against 14 in the decade before, 45 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Ripley County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its hail reports since 1976 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 82 · Feb 77 · Mar 69 · Apr 126 · May 75 · Jun 41 · Jul 90 · Aug 63 · Sep 25 · Oct 33 · Nov 48 · Dec 64 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ripley County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Ripley County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4939 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4924 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4552 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2016-01-02 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1993-12-01 | DR-1006 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1982-12-10 | DR-672 | Flood | Severe Storms 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 Ripley County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 84 flood or flash flood records for Ripley County from 1997 to 2025, on 77 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ripley County ranks 840th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $12.4 million on 244 claims filed in Ripley County; the most in one year was 66 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 2 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 17 · 1993: 24 · 1997: 2 · 1999: 1 · 2002: 17 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 3 · 2008: 45 · 2009: 2 · 2011: 39 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 7 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 66 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2025: 5; 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 Ripley County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ripley County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.4 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 Moderate | $285K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $452K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.8M | once in about 103 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $965K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.6M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $53K | 7.2 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 Ripley 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 Ripley CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ripley County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis