St. Clair County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29185 · population 9,207 · 675 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 531 records for St. Clair County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 359 days; the most frequent are hail reports (163 records). The deadliest single record is the July 25, 2001 flash flood: 2 deaths. 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, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on September 21, 2023.
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
- 531on 359 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 24 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $119Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2023
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 St. Clair County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 163 since 1955. 53% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. 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 | 163 | 109 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $363K | 54 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 151 | 110 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 72 of 114 |
| Floods | 72 | 58 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $565K | 62 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 50 | 49 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.3M | 89 of 114 |
| Drought | 31 | 31 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $22M | 40 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 21 | 1962-2025 | 0 | 3 | $81M | 64 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 10 | 2018-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 64 of 114 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 100 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 1997-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 114 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1999-2001 | 0 | 0 | $31K | 44 of 114 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 1999-2000 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 23 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 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 St. Clair County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in St. Clair County from 1962 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 3 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched St. Clair County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in St. Clair County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-03-15 19:35, as SPC files it | El Dorado Springs to OsceolaCrossed KS, MO | F3 | 70 mi | 2 |
| 2006-03-12 20:47, as SPC files it | Sheldon to Vista | F2 | 38 mi | 1 |
| 1999-05-04 12:49, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for St. Clair County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-19 | Lowry City, St. Clair County | EF1 4.57 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $150K |
| 2024-05-06 | Lowry City, St. Clair County | EF0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2024-04-26 | Appleton City, St. Clair County | EF0 0.17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2018-06-26 | Chalk Level, St. Clair County | EF1 2.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-24 | Damascus, St. Clair County | EF1 5.03 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $498K |
| 2013-05-20 | Gerster, St. Clair County | EF0 0.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-01-29 | Gerster, St. Clair County | EF1 7.69 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2011-05-11 | Appleton City, St. Clair County | EF0 2.69 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2008-06-02 | Taberville, St. Clair County | EF0 6.63 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2008-01-07 | Lowry City, St. Clair County | EF0 0.07 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-12 | Roscoe, St. Clair County | F0 11 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $220K |
| 2004-05-26 | Roscoe, St. Clair County | F2 12 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $781K |
| 2003-05-06 | Harper, St. Clair County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Gerster, St. Clair County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-04 | Tiffin, St. Clair County | F3 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $89K |
| 1997-05-25 | Appleton City, St. Clair County | F0 0.1 mi x 2 yd | 0 | 0 | $919 |
| 1982-04-02 | St. Clair County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-03-15 | St. Clair County | F3 15 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1973-04-20 | St. Clair County | F1 9.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-04-20 | St. Clair County | F2 5.7 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-04-20 | St. Clair County | F1 13 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-04-20 | St. Clair County | F0 5.7 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-07-27 | St. Clair County | F1 3.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1972-04-13 | St. Clair County | F1 2.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-26 | St. Clair County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $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.
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 St. Clair County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 28, 2026 flood ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-13 | FloodAppleton City, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | FloodBirdsong, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Flash FloodIconium, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Flash FloodOhio, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-11 | HailAppleton City, St. Clair County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-28 | FloodJohnson City, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2026-05-19 | FloodBirdsong, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-19 | FloodBirdsong, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2026-05-19 | FloodRaney, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Flash FloodCollins, St. Clair County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-26 | HailCollins, St. Clair County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2026-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindCollins, St. Clair County | 52 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-07-25 | Flash FloodOsceola, St. Clair County Excessive rainfall of three to five inches fell over northern and eastern portions of St. Clair County between 6 and 9 am. Occupants of a minivan went across a low water crossing that was already flooded. The van was partially washed into the creek, but the car remained upright and did not turn over. Two females, one ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-01-29 | Winter WeatherSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair A prolonged period of precipitation fell across the county, beginning during the early morning hours of January 29th as freezing drizzle and lingering until around midnight early on January 30th. No sleet accumulation reports were available in the county. There was also an estimated light glaze of ice across the ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2004-05-26 | TornadoRoscoe, St. Clair County An F-2 tornado touched down seven miles west of Roscoe...eventually tracking through the middle of this small community. Numerous homes and building were heavily damaged or destroyed. Minutes later the tornado dissipated south of Osceola. One injury occurred from flying debris. | F2 12 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $781K |
| 1999-05-04 | TornadoTiffin, St. Clair County A tornado downed trees just north of Highway 82 near the intersection of OO Highway. The tornado skipped across an open field and increased in intensity just before striking and completely destroying a modular home, spreading debris nearly a mile away. One person in the home was injured. | F3 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $89K |
| 1972-07-27 | TornadoSt. Clair County | F1 3.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-01 | DroughtSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2007-04-07 | Frost/FreezeSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2012-08-01 | DroughtSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2024-11-01 | DroughtSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2006-11-30 | Winter StormSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2022-11-01 | DroughtSt. Clair County · forecast zone St. Clair | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2004-05-26 | TornadoRoscoe, St. Clair County | F2 12 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $781K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 15, 1982 (tornado, St. Clair 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 St. Clair 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 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 71 | 38 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 46 | 36 | 36 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 31 | 13 | 18 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 8 | 21 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 6 | 18 z |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 18 records against 6 in the decade before, 18 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 St. Clair 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?
53% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 32 · Feb 27 · Mar 44 · Apr 57 · May 121 · Jun 86 · Jul 63 · Aug 29 · Sep 30 · Oct 14 · Nov 11 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for St. Clair County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include St. Clair County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and severe ice storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2008-03-19 | 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 |
| 2007-01-15 | DR-1676 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-03-16 | DR-1631 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes 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 |
| 1995-06-02 | DR-1054 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Hail, 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for St. Clair County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates St. Clair County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $699K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $147K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $80K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $362K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $621K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $146K | 6.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $298K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $510K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with St. Clair 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 St. Clair CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download St. Clair County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis