Washington County, Missouri
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 29221 · population 23,459 · 760 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 474 records for Washington County, Missouri from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 325 days; the most frequent are hail reports (174 records). The deadliest single record is the December 21, 1967 tornado: 3 deaths and 47 injuries. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1973, 26 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
- 474on 325 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 7165 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $386Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Washington County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 174 since 1957. 53% of its hail reports since 1957 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 | 174 | 100 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $17K | 77 of 114 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 125 | 98 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 88 of 114 |
| Heat | 52 | 52 | 1999-2025 | 1 | 57 | – | 36 of 114 |
| Winter storms | 47 | 46 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 8 | $461K | 99 of 114 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 21 | 1957-2025 | 6 | 96 | $384M | 79 of 114 |
| Floods | 27 | 27 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 4 | – | 102 of 114 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 2005-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 97 of 114 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 110 of 114 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 1997-2009 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 79 of 114 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2003-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 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 Washington County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Washington County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 6 deaths and 96 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Washington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 14 people, 6 of them in Washington County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-05-21 15:45, as SPC files it | Desloge | F3 | 22.2 mi | 8 |
| 1967-12-21 00:45, as SPC files it | Viburnum to Potosi | F4 | 27.9 mi | 3 |
| 1969-06-22 17:40, as SPC files it | Mineral Point | F4 | 20.2 mi | 2 |
| 1984-11-09 18:15, as SPC files it | Potosi | F2 | 3 mi | 1 |
| 2025-04-02 14:13, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 21.95 mi | 0 |
| 1966-12-08 10:20, as SPC files it | Irondale | F3 | 1.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Missouri.
Every tornado record filed for Washington County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-19 | Cruise, Washington County | EF0 2.21 mi x 140 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | Sunlight, Washington County | EF0 1.84 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-29 | Springtown, Washington County | EF1 4.24 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-04-02 | Brazil, Washington County | EF3 19.63 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $685K |
| 2019-03-24 | Cadet, Washington County | EF0 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-08 | Caledonia, Washington County | EF0 0.18 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-08 | Potosi, Washington County | EF1 4.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-30 | Richwoods, Washington County | EF0 0.73 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-22 | Richwoods, Washington County | F1 1.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-22 | Richwoods, Washington County | F1 3.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Mineral Pt, Washington County | F0 0.8 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Mineral Pt, Washington County | F0 0.8 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Potosi, Washington County | F0 0.8 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Potosi, Washington County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | Potosi, Washington County | F1 0.2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 7 | – |
| 2002-05-12 | Hopewell, Washington County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-24 | Caledonia, Washington County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-24 | Potosi, Washington County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1984-11-09 | Washington County | F2 3 mi x 340 yd | 1 | 15 | $25M step |
| 1974-04-14 | Washington County | F2 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-12-15 | Washington County | F1 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1971-05-24 | Washington County | F2 25.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1969-06-22 | Washington County | F4 20.2 mi x 800 yd | 2 | 22 | $2.5M step |
| 1967-12-21 | Washington County | F4 22.8 mi x 200 yd | 3 | 47 | $2.5M step |
| 1966-12-08 | Washington County | F3 | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1966-12-08 | Washington County | F3 1.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-05-22 | Washington County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-05-21 | Washington County | F3 15.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $25M 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 Washington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 29, 2025 tornado ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A brief tornado touched down just west of Bates Creek Camp near Potosi during the afternoon. Here, the tornado caused building and tree damage. Most notably it destroyed the garage of a home in Bates Creek Camp. The tornado then moved northeast into southern Potosi, causing tree damage along the way. It then lifted near Washington County Memorial Hospital where it caused minor tree damage. The tornado was rated EF-1 with a path length of 4.24 miles and a maximum path width of 150 yards.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1242830)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindSunlight, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailPea Ridge, Washington County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailCaledonia, Washington County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailIrondale, Washington County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailIrondale, Washington County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailCaledonia, Washington County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-07 | Flash FloodIrondale, Washington County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-22 | Excessive HeatWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-19 | TornadoCruise, Washington County | EF0 2.21 mi x 140 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | TornadoSunlight, Washington County | EF0 1.84 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-29 | TornadoSpringtown, Washington County | EF1 4.24 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-04-04 | Flash FloodCaledonia, Washington County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-12-21 | TornadoWashington County | F4 22.8 mi x 200 yd | 3 | 47 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-06-22 | TornadoWashington County | F4 20.2 mi x 800 yd | 2 | 22 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-11-09 | TornadoWashington County | F2 3 mi x 340 yd | 1 | 15 | $25M step |
| 2002-07-08 | HeatWashington County · forecast zone Washington High temperatures climbed into the middle to upper 90's with Heat Indices from 105 to 110 degrees. There was one death in St. Louis County in which heat was listed as a contributing cause. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-27 | Excessive HeatWashington County · forecast zone Washington 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 | – | |
| 2003-08-15 | HeatWashington County · forecast zone Washington A late summer heat wave hit in mid August, just as many area schools were starting the new school year. As a result, most schools reduced their schedule to a half day while a few closed completely. There were two deaths reported by the State Health Department that were heat related. One occurred in St. Louis County ... | 0 | 9 | – | |
| 2006-11-30 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington A major winter storm hit Central, Northeast, East Central and parts of Southeast Missouri from November 30 through Dcember 1. Over a foot of snow fell across parts of Central Missouri while a major ice storm hit parts of East Central and Southeast Missouri, including the St. Louis area. Ice accumulations of 1 inch or ... | 0 | 7 | $146K | |
| 2004-10-18 | TornadoPotosi, Washington County The 1st in a series of 5 small tornadoes struck just northeast of Potosi along Highway 21. The Potosi Lumberyard was severely damaged. Seven people were injured with one kept overnight at a local hospital. | F1 0.2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 7 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindCaledonia, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoBrazil, Washington County | EF3 19.63 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $685K |
| 2006-12-01 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | $315K | |
| 2006-11-30 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 7 | $146K | |
| 2025-04-29 | TornadoSpringtown, Washington County | EF1 4.24 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
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: November 9, 1984 (tornado, Washington County, 1 killed); May 21, 1957 (tornado, Washington 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 Washington 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 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 83 | 43 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 40 | 24 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 21 | 28 | 2 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 19 | 10 | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 7 | 13 | 5 |
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 1957 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 24 · Mar 34 · Apr 76 · May 84 · Jun 55 · Jul 58 · Aug 46 · Sep 21 · Oct 19 · Nov 15 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Washington County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Washington County: 20 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (17) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4939 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2025-06-09 | DR-4876 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-01-01 | DR-4855 | 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 |
| 2016-01-21 | 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 |
| 2011-05-09 | 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 |
| 2009-01-30 | EM-3303 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-03-19 | DR-1749 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-12 | EM-3281 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-12-29 | DR-1673 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2006-07-21 | EM-3267 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2006-03-16 | DR-1631 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-05-06 | DR-1463 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-05-06 | DR-1412 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2000-05-12 | DR-1328 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms and Flash Flooding |
| 1994-04-21 | DR-1023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding |
| 1993-12-01 | DR-1006 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-995 | 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 Washington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Washington County from 1996 to 2026, on 27 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Washington County ranks 1800th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $265,000 on 38 claims filed in Washington County; the most in one year was 5 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1982: 3 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 4 · 1985: 4 · 1986: 2 · 1993: 5 · 1994: 3 · 1997: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 4 · 2009: 1 · 2014: 3; 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 Washington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.9 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 | $5.5M | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.5M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $831K | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 199 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $11K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $93K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.3M | about once 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 Washington 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 Washington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Washington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis