St. Louis (city), Missouri
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 29510 · population 301,414 · 62 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 472 records for St. Louis (city), Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 371 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (129 records). The deadliest single record is the July 18, 1999 heat, filed for the forecast zone St. Louis (C), which covers the county: 35 deaths and 142 injuries. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1973, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on June 9, 2025.
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
- 472on 371 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1253,001 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.0Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 2025
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. Louis (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 129 since 1964. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for St. Louis (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 129 | 105 | 1964-2026 | 2 | 140 | $2.1M | – |
| Heat | 106 | 106 | 1996-2025 | 104 | 2,575 | – | – |
| Hail | 102 | 66 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | – |
| Winter storms | 57 | 57 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 64 | $76M | – |
| Floods | 41 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $87M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8K | – |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 8 | 1958-2025 | 15 | 215 | $1.9B | – |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2001-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 5 | 4 | 2002-2020 | 1 | 7 | $8K | – |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
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. Louis (city) had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in St. Louis (city) from 1958 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 15 deaths and 215 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched St. Louis (city) since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 25 people, 15 of them in St. Louis (city).
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-02-10 01:40, as SPC files it | Wildwood to St. LouisCrossed IL, MO | F4 | 23.9 mi | 21 |
| 2025-05-16 13:39, as SPC files it | Granite to EdwardsvilleCrossed IL, MO | EF2 | 23.22 mi | 4 |
| 2011-04-22 18:59, as SPC files it | Maryland HeightsCrossed IL, MO | EF4 | 21.3 mi | 0 |
| 1983-05-01 19:20, as SPC files it | Granite to EdwardsvilleCrossed IL, MO | F3 | 16 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for St. Louis (city) (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | Tower Grove, St. Louis (city) | EF0 6.61 mi x 1,750 yd | 4 | 38 | $1.6B |
| 2013-04-10 | Tower Grove, St. Louis (city) | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-22 | Baden, St. Louis (city) | EF1 0.81 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-12-31 | St Louis, St. Louis (city) | EF1 2.71 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-31 | St Louis, St. Louis (city) | EF0 1.71 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1983-05-01 | St. Louis (city) | F3 1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-02-10 | St. Louis (city) | F4 7.7 mi x 200 yd | 11 | 175 | $25M step |
| 1958-09-16 | St. Louis (city) | F1 0.3 mi x 20 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 St. Louis (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 16, 2025 excessive heat (9 injuries).
High temperatures in the upper 90s combined with high humidity to produce heat index values over 105 degrees for several days. The heat index peaked near 109 degrees. A total of 39 people were admitted to hospital emergency departments with heat related illness in St Louis County and city from August 16 through 19.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1281009)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailSt Louis, St. Louis (city) | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-01 | Winter WeatherSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-16 | Excessive HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) | 0 | 9 | – | |
| 2025-08-12 | Flash FloodBaden, St. Louis (city) | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-08-10 | Flash FloodSt Louis, St. Louis (city) | 0 | 0 | $300K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-18 | HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) 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 ... | 35 | 142 | – | |
| 2012-07-01 | Excessive HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) The City of St. Louis reported 14 heat related deaths. In all cases, air conditioners were not working or not turned on. The City 84 heat related cases treated at City hospital emergency rooms. | 14 | 84 | – | |
| 1959-02-10 | TornadoSt. Louis (city) | F4 7.7 mi x 200 yd | 11 | 175 | $25M step |
| 2007-08-04 | Excessive HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) The first and only Heat Wave of the summer started in August 4th and lasted through August 16th. Eight deaths were reported in the St. Louis Metro area. The city of St. Louis reported 422 heat related injuries. St. Louis County reported 519 heat related injuries. At least 450 people were injured at an outdoor concert ... | 6 | 422 | – | |
| 2011-07-17 | Excessive HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) A major Heat Wave started on July 17th and continued into August. High temperatures ranged from the lower 90s to around 100. Columbia hit 100 on July 28 while St. Louis topped the century mark on six days, including four in a row from July 20 - 23. Low temperatures at night were generally around 80. The Heat Index ... | 5 | 222 | – | |
| 2006-07-13 | HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) A major heat wave hit the St. Louis area in mid-July. Temperatures ranged from the middle 90s to the around 100 with the Heat Index ranging from around 100 to 115. On July 17, 101 people were treated at Busch Stadium during the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. To make matters worse, severe thunderstorms roared ... | 4 | 437 | – | |
| 2025-05-16 | TornadoTower Grove, St. Louis (city) The tornado was its widest and strongest in St. Louis City. After it crossed into the City, the tornado caused major tree and structural damage in and around Forest Park and its northern neighborhoods. The then EF-3 tornado continued northeast into North St. Louis City where 4 individuals lost their lives. Continuing ... | EF0 6.61 mi x 1,750 yd | 4 | 38 | $1.6B |
| 2005-07-20 | HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) The first significant heat wave in several years struck all of central, eastern, northeast, and southeast Missouri. Columbia recorded 6 straight days of 100 plus temperatures with the highest being 105 degrees on the 23rd and 24th. St. Louis had 3 straight days of 100 degree temperatures with the highest being 103 ... | 3 | 62 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | TornadoTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | EF0 6.61 mi x 1,750 yd | 4 | 38 | $1.6B |
| 2022-07-26 | Flash FloodCarondelet, St. Louis (city) | 1 | 0 | $86M | |
| 2006-11-30 | Winter StormSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) | 0 | 64 | $73M | |
| 2006-12-01 | Winter StormSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2014-01-05 | Winter StormSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1999-02-27 | HailSt Louis, St. Louis (city) | 2.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $886K |
| 2004-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindSt Louis, St. Louis (city) | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $547K |
| 2023-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindTower Grove, St. Louis (city) | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $484K |
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: February 10, 1959 (tornado, St. Louis (city), 11 killed).
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. Louis (city)'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 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 10 | 41 | 30 | 13 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 15 | 39 | 47 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 13 | 21 | 28 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 24 | 13 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 16 | 9 | 11 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 18 · Mar 31 · Apr 48 · May 56 · Jun 69 · Jul 103 · Aug 57 · Sep 19 · Oct 6 · Nov 17 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for St. Louis (city)
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include St. Louis (city): 17 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-09 | DR-4877 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-08-08 | DR-4665 | Flood | Severe Storms 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 |
| 2011-06-30 | EM-3325 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-02-03 | EM-3317 | 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 |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1773 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-01-15 | DR-1676 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-12-29 | DR-1673 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-11-02 | DR-1667 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2006-07-21 | EM-3267 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1998-10-19 | DR-1256 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1995-06-02 | DR-1054 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Hail, Flooding |
| 1994-04-21 | DR-1023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-04-21 | DR-579 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Torrential Rain & 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 St. Louis (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 41 flood or flash flood records for St. Louis (city) from 1996 to 2025, on 41 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), St. Louis (city) ranks 404th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $10.1 million on 739 claims filed in St. Louis (city); the most in one year was 280 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 13 · 1979: 116 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 11 · 1982: 57 · 1983: 27 · 1984: 12 · 1985: 20 · 1986: 22 · 1987: 3 · 1990: 4 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 280 · 1994: 12 · 1995: 21 · 1996: 4 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 6 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 4 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 3 · 2008: 21 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 8 · 2011: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 24 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 9 · 2022: 22 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 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 St. Louis (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates St. Louis (city) Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $359 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Very High | $172M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Very High | $28M | once in about 18 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $58M | once in about 190 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $91M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.3M | 6.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $874K | 53 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $434K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.5M | 1.7 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 St. Louis (city)
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 St. Louis (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download St. Louis (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis