Shelby County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29205 · population 6,082 · 501 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 313 records for Shelby County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 248 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (82 records). The deadliest single record is the October 17, 2005 lightning: 2 deaths and 1 injury. 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, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on August 3, 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
- 313on 248 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 25 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F4
- 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 Shelby County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 82 since 1958. 41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. 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 | 82 | 63 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $41K | 89 of 114 |
| Hail | 60 | 47 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 108 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 50 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 114 |
| Heat | 41 | 41 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 1 | – | 30 of 114 |
| Floods | 29 | 28 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1K | 82 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 17 | 1950-2025 | 0 | 1 | $15M | 52 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 9 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 18 of 114 |
| Drought | 7 | 7 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 94 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 73 of 114 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 1996-2008 | 2 | 1 | $233K | 12 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 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 Shelby County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Shelby County from 1950 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 52nd 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 Shelby County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21: 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 Shelby County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-04-23 16:40, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F4 | 28.2 mi | 1 |
| 1995-07-04 17:40, as SPC files it | Moberly | F3 | 26 mi | 0 |
| 1974-04-13 17:15, as SPC files it | Leonard | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Shelby County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-09 | Leonard, Shelby County | EF1 3.07 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $105K |
| 2025-08-09 | Leonard, Shelby County | EF1 0.36 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $90K |
| 2021-06-24 | Shelbina, Shelby County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-06 | Maud, Shelby County | EF1 18.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2016-04-27 | Emden, Shelby County | EF0 0.85 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-26 | Shelbina, Shelby County | EF1 1.22 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-26 | Shelbina, Shelby County | EF1 1.15 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-02-27 | Lakenan, Shelby County | EF0 0.75 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-02-27 | Shelbina, Shelby County | EF1 1.03 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-01 | Lakenan, Shelby County | EF0 2.13 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-10 | Bethel, Shelby County | F0 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-10 | Clarence, Shelby County | F0 3.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-08-05 | Shelby County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-04-23 | Shelby County | F4 7.9 mi x 1,700 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1974-04-13 | Shelby County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-06-12 | Shelby County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-04-17 | Shelby County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1963-03-04 | Shelby County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-06-03 | Shelby County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-06-15 | Shelby County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1950-06-15 | Shelby County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Shelby County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 9, 2025 tornado ($105,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A brief EF-1 tornado touched down just east of Leonard and moved northeast. The tornado caused damage to farm structures, homes, and trees along its short track before dissipating just west of Highway BB.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1278544)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Flash FloodBethel, Shelby County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormShelby County · forecast zone Shelby | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindBethel, Shelby County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindLeonard, Shelby County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | TornadoLeonard, Shelby County | EF1 3.07 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $105K |
| 2025-08-09 | TornadoLeonard, Shelby County | EF1 0.36 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $90K |
| 2025-03-05 | High WindShelby County · forecast zone Shelby | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-21 | Cold/Wind ChillShelby County · forecast zone Shelby | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormShelby County · forecast zone Shelby | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-10-31 | Thunderstorm WindClarence, Shelby County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindShelbina, Shelby County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-06-24 | TornadoShelbina, Shelby County | EFU 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-10-17 | LightningHunnewell, Shelby County Two men were killed and one injured by a lightning strike west of Hunnewell. The 3 men were doing road work near the bridge over the North Fork of the Salt River when the storm approached. They took shelter in a nearby shed, and when the storm appeared to let up, they headed for their vehicle. They were struck within ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2002-05-12 | Flash FloodCountywide, Shelby County Rainfall estimated as high as 6 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the area. Numerous roads became impassable as nearly every creek and small stream flooded. Two men suffered minor injuries near Hurdland in Knox County when they drove their truck into a flooded road. Another man had to be rescued after he ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2017-03-06 | TornadoMaud, Shelby County Tornado touched down on County Road 503, just south of the intersection with Highway Y. A barn was destroyed in this location with the damage rated EF1. The tornado tracked to the northeast causing scattered tree and building damage. As the tornado crossed County Road 426, just west of the intersection with Highway A, ... | EF1 18.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1999-07-18 | HeatShelby County · forecast zone Shelby A heat wave gripped the area for the last 2 weeks of July. Temperatures stayed in the middle to upper 90s with a few days topping 100. Columbia set a record high with 104 degrees on 7/29/99. St. Louis tied a record with 103 degrees on 7/30/99. The Heat Index generally ranged from 105 to near 115. Most of the deaths ... | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-09 | TornadoLeonard, Shelby County | EF1 3.07 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $105K |
| 2025-08-09 | TornadoLeonard, Shelby County | EF1 0.36 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $90K |
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: April 23, 1975 (tornado, Shelby 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 Shelby 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 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 24 | 16 | 11 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 18 | 13 | 8 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 17 | 21 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 15 | 9 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 17 · Mar 27 · Apr 27 · May 41 · Jun 49 · Jul 47 · Aug 37 · Sep 11 · Oct 9 · Nov 7 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Shelby County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Shelby County: 21 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2019-07-09 | DR-4451 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2015-08-07 | DR-4238 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-10-31 | DR-4200 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-07-18 | DR-4130 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2010-08-17 | DR-1934 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-06-19 | DR-1847 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-11-13 | DR-1809 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Tornado |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1773 | 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 |
| 2004-06-11 | DR-1524 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2003-05-06 | DR-1463 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-05-06 | DR-1412 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2002-02-06 | DR-1403 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 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 |
| 1975-05-03 | DR-466 | Tornado | Tornadoes, High Winds & Hail |
| 1973-11-01 | DR-407 | 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 Shelby County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 29 flood or flash flood records for Shelby County from 1996 to 2026, on 28 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Shelby County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $81,000 on 2 claims filed in Shelby County; the most in one year was 1 in 2001. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2001: 1 · 2008: 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 Shelby County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Shelby County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 47 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 8.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $319K | 7.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $806K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $164K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $27K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $361K | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $249K | 3.5 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 Shelby 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 Shelby CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Shelby County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis