Warren County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29219 · population 35,446 · 429 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 413 records for Warren County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 315 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (123 records). The deadliest single record is the June 21, 1981 tornado: 1 death and 6 injuries. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1973, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on January 2, 2016.
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
- 413on 315 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 258 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $10Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2020
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 Warren County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 123 since 1955. 42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 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 | 123 | 92 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $88K | 42 of 114 |
| Hail | 111 | 69 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 114 |
| Heat | 54 | 54 | 1998-2025 | 1 | 48 | – | 15 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 52 | 51 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $137K | 24 of 114 |
| Floods | 33 | 31 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $32K | 71 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1971-2026 | 1 | 9 | $9.8M | 68 of 114 |
| Drought | 7 | 7 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 90 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 6 | 1997-2019 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 27 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 87 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 114 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1996-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 114 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 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 Warren County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Warren County from 1971 to 2026, the strongest rated F2, with 1 death and 9 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 14 tornadoes whose track touched Warren County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-06-21 01:10, as SPC files it | Warrenton to Wright | F2 | 6.5 mi | 1 |
| 2006-03-13 00:00, as SPC files it | Jonesburg | F3 | 6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Warren County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | Peers, Warren County | EF0 0.68 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | Bernheimer, Warren County | EF1 2.52 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-06 | Case, Warren County | EF1 15.46 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-26 | Bernheimer, Warren County | EF1 5.46 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-01-29 | Concord Hill, Warren County | EF1 1.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-23 | New Truxton, Warren County | EF0 0.12 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-23 | Pendleton, Warren County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-13 | Warrenton, Warren County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-04-10 | Wright City, Warren County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1998-04-13 | Warrenton, Warren County | F0 8.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $905 |
| 1990-08-03 | Warren County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Warren County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-06-15 | Warren County | F1 3.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1981-06-21 | Warren County | F2 6.5 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1971-07-10 | Warren County | F1 0.3 mi x 77 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 Warren County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 29, 2023 thunderstorm wind (1 injury).
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down onto a bridge that crosses Bear Creek, about 4 miles south southwest of High Hill. About 4 miles northeast of Jonesburg, a tree fell onto an occupied car causing moderate injuries to the occupant.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1139347)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | FloodHopewell, Warren County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindWarrenton O Sllvn Ar, Warren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-03 | HailNew Truxton, Warren County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailWarrenton, Warren County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailWarrenton, Warren County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailPendleton, Warren County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | TornadoPeers, Warren County | EF0 0.68 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | TornadoBernheimer, Warren County | EF1 2.52 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-15 | Excessive HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-22 | Excessive HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-16 | HailDutzow, Warren County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | HailDutzow, Warren County | 1.75 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-06-21 | TornadoWarren County | F2 6.5 mi x 300 yd | 1 | 6 | $250K step |
| 2012-07-16 | Excessive HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren Excessive heat returned to the area as high temperatures ranged from 100 to 106. The Heat Index was a couple of degrees higher. St. Louis County reported one heat related death and 34 injuries. The City of St. Louis reported 19 heat related cases treated at local hospital emergency rooms. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-27 | Excessive HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren Some of the hottest temperatures in many years occurred the last 4 days of June and continued into July. St. Louis, MO recorded its highest ever June temperature hitting 108 degrees on June 28. Nearly all reporting stations were over 100 degrees the last 3 to 4 days of June with most sites around 105. The 28th was the ... | 0 | 43 | – | |
| 1983-05-01 | TornadoWarren County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1999-07-18 | HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren 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 | 2 | – | |
| 1998-07-18 | HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren High temperatures in the middle to upper 90s along with Heat Index readings around 110 resulted in numerous heat related injuries across the region. Fortunately, there were no deaths attributed to the heat. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindCase, Warren County Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down onto a bridge that crosses Bear Creek, about 4 miles south southwest of High Hill. About 4 miles northeast of Jonesburg, a tree fell onto an occupied car causing moderate injuries to the occupant. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2002-07-26 | HeatWarren County · forecast zone Warren High temperatures across Central, Eastern and Southeast Missouri rose to the middle to upper 90's with Heat Indices from 105 to near 115 degrees. There was a one day break in the heat as a weak cold front dropped high temperatures into the upper 80's on July29. However temperatures quickly rebounded and remained high ... | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-04-10 | TornadoWright City, Warren County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1998-04-13 | TornadoWarrenton, Warren County | F0 8.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $905 |
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: May 1, 1983 (tornado, Warren 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 Warren 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 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 22 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 43 | 16 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 30 | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 21 | 13 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 6 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 20 · Mar 34 · Apr 66 · May 46 · Jun 47 · Jul 72 · Aug 42 · Sep 19 · Oct 8 · Nov 9 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Warren County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Warren County: 9 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4490 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3482 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 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 |
| 2008-03-19 | 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 |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-05-12 | DR-1328 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms and Flash Flooding |
| 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.
How many floods has Warren County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 33 flood or flash flood records for Warren County from 1996 to 2026, on 31 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Warren County ranks 1293rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.3 million on 102 claims filed in Warren County; the most in one year was 55 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 6 · 1990: 2 · 1993: 55 · 1994: 5 · 1995: 26 · 2008: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 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 Warren County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Warren County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $27.3 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 | Relatively Moderate | $5.9M | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $977K | 5.4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $216K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $938K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $13K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 302 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $14M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Warren 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 Warren CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Warren County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis