Missouri natural disasters

The state's storm and disaster record · population 6,147,636 · 115 counties and county equivalents

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 73,339 storm events in Missouri since 1950, 63,968 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 2,707 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are hail reports (20,443). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest tornado day in Missouri was May 22, 2011: tornadoes and the storms that came with them killed 162 people in the state; the deadliest of them in Missouri, the Joplin tornado, killed 158 (SPC). FEMA has made 88 declarations for Missouri since 1957, 86 for natural hazards; 77 were major disasters.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm events recorded in Missouri 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 $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded: 73,3391950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded: 1,00812,740 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $21.1Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes (SPC): 2,7071950 to 2025
FEMA declarations: 8877 major disasters

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.

What natural disasters happen in Missouri?

By NOAA's records, Missouri's most frequent hazards are hail reports (20,443), severe thunderstorm wind events (20,293), floods and flash floods (10,821); the deadliest are tornadoes (429 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.

Missouri: records by hazard to June 30, 2026
Hazard	Records	Last 10 years	Killed	Injured	Damage	Counties
Hail	20,443	3,934	0	9	$2.9B	115 of 115
Severe thunderstorm wind	20,293	5,709	46	509	$456M	115 of 115
Floods	10,821	3,390	159	56	$2.7B	115 of 115
Winter storms	6,559	1,899	57	535	$1.2B	115 of 115
Heat	3,763	827	272	6,583	$566K	115 of 115
Tornadoes	3,118	619	429	4,590	$13.1B	115 of 115
Drought	2,482	1,117	0	350	$485M	115 of 115
Extreme cold	1,676	791	8	0	$209M	115 of 115
High wind and dust storms	1,466	733	3	8	$96M	115 of 115
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds	1,288	557	6	19	$24K	68 of 115
Heavy rain	1,045	581	2	0	$12M	95 of 115
Lightning	280	55	26	70	$14M	75 of 115
Wildfires	103	32	0	9	$20M	38 of 115
Hurricanes and tropical storms	2	0	0	2	$411K	2 of 115

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).

What were the deadliest disasters in Missouri?

The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.

Missouri: the 10 storm episodes with the most deaths
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2011-05-22	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Joplin, killed 158 (SPC) · TornadoCentral City, Jasper County One storm episode: 12 records in 8 places, 2011-05-22 to 2011-05-23; the totals are the episode's. A strong upper level trough across the central plains region and a strong upper level disturbance along with a frontal boundary in the area produced numerous severe storms with a few supercells across southeast Kansas. One cyclic supercell associated with the system produced a very large and deadly EF-5 tornado that ...	EF5 8.8 mi x 1,600 yd	162	1,153	$3.7B
1999-07-18	HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) One storm episode: 13 records in 13 places; the totals are the episode's. 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 ...		42	397	–
1957-05-20	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Ruskin Heights, killed 37 in the state (44 on its whole track, SPC) · TornadoJackson County Every tornado record filed in the state that day (3, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's.	F5 12.6 mi x 440 yd	37	176	$2.5M step
1999-07-18	HeatJackson County · forecast zone Jackson One storm episode: 5 records in 5 places; the totals are the episode's. Northwest Missouri suffered through two weeks of oppressive heat and humidity in late July as temperatures topped the 90 degree mark for 14 consecutive days. Dew points in the lower to middle 70s pushed afternoon heat indices above 100 degrees each day. The heat wave was most intense from July 23rd through the 30th, ...		22	0	–
1959-02-10	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Wildwood to St. Louis, killed 21 (SPC) · TornadoSt. Louis (city) Every tornado record filed in the state that day (3, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's.	F4 7.7 mi x 200 yd	21	345	$25M step
2003-05-04	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Springfield, killed 7 (SPC) · TornadoPierce City, Lawrence County One named storm filed by several offices: 9 records in 8 episodes; the totals are the storm's. This tornado is a continuation of the Newton County tornado. A large tornado laid out a half mile wide path of destruction across southwest, central, and east central Lawrence County. Several communities was affected, however, the community of Pierce City was hardest hit as the historic downtown of 100 plus year old ...	F3 25 mi x 880 yd	19	147	$227M
2012-07-01	Excessive HeatSt. Louis (city) · forecast zone St. Louis (C) One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A record setting heat wave continued from late June into July, finally breaking on July 9. Columbia, MO was over 100 degrees from June 27 - July 7. St. Louis, MO was over 100 degrees from June 28 - July 7. St. Louis had a high of at least 105 degrees from July 4 - 7, peaking at 107 on the 7th. The heat wave was not ...		17	172	–
1952-03-21	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Cooter, killed 17 (SPC) · TornadoPemiscot County	F4 6.5 mi x 880 yd	17	100	$2.5M step
2018-07-19	Thunderstorm WindNotch, Stone County A line of severe thunderstorms producing 50 to 70 mph winds caused wind damage across Stone County. On Table Rock Lake, winds of over 60 mph led to high waves. An amphibious tourist vehicle sank with seventeen fatalities and numerous injuries reported.	52 kt wind	17	0	–
2008-05-10	Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Purdy, killed 15 in the state (21 on its whole track, SPC) · TornadoHornet, Newton County One storm episode: 6 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. Three tornadoes were spawned from supercell thunderstorms that developed over southeast Kansas. These storms quickly moved into southwest Missouri causing devestating damage to homes, businesses, and trees in Newton, Barry, and Jasper counties. One tornado, with an intensity that ranged from EF-4 to EF-1, killed 15 ...	EF4 30.89 mi x 1,760 yd	16	210	$63M

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: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest records in Missouri

Missouri: the 8 records with the most damage since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2011-05-22	TornadoCentral City, Jasper County	EF5 8.8 mi x 1,600 yd	161	1,150	$3.7B
2025-05-16	TornadoTower Grove, St. Louis (city)	EF0 6.61 mi x 1,750 yd	4	38	$1.6B
2007-07-01	FloodBlairstown, Henry County		0	0	$712M
2001-04-10	HailFlorissant, St. Louis County	2.50 in hail	0	0	$667M
2001-04-10	HailLambert Field St, St. Louis County	1.50 in hail	0	0	$500M
2011-04-22	TornadoVigus, St. Louis County	EF4 15.39 mi x 880 yd	0	5	$328M
2026-04-28	HailRepublic, Greene County	4.75 in hail	0	0	$318M
2015-12-27	FloodAllenton, St. Louis County		0	0	$293M

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); February 10, 1959 (tornado, St. Louis County, 10 killed); May 21, 1957 (tornado, St. Francois County, 8 killed); January 24, 1967 (tornado, St. Louis County, 3 killed); April 24, 1975 (tornado, Newton County, 3 killed).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.

Which counties in Missouri have the most records?

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

Every county in Missouri

Billion-dollar disasters in Missouri

NOAA counted 120 weather or climate disasters from 1980-2024 that cost at least $1 billion (adjusted for inflation) and affected Missouri, led by severe storm (82). The most recent: Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak and Severe Weather (2024); Hurricane Beryl (2024); Central Tornado Outbreak (2024).

Missouri: billion-dollar disasters by type, 1980-2024
Type	Events	Total cost (NOAA's range)
Severe Storm	82	$20.0B-$50.0B
Drought	16	$10.0B-$20.0B
Flooding	9	$10.0B-$20.0B
Winter Storm	9	$500M-$1.0B
Freeze	2	$500M-$1.0B
Tropical Cyclone	2	$500M-$1.0B

Every one of the 120, newest first

Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak and Severe Weather2024
Hurricane Beryl2024
Central Tornado Outbreak2024
Central, Southern, Eastern Severe Weather2024
Central, Southern, Southeastern Tornado Outbreak2024
Central and Southern Tornado Outbreak2024
Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather2024
Central and Southern Severe Weather2024
Central, Southern, Northeastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2024
Southern/Eastern/Northwestern Drought and Heat Wave2024
Southern Hail Storms2023
North Central and Eastern Severe Weather2023
Central Severe Weather2023
Central and Eastern Tornadoes and Hail Storms2023
Central Severe Weather2023
Central Severe Weather2023
Central and Southern Severe Weather2023
Central and Eastern Severe Weather2023
Southern/Midwestern Drought and Heatwave2023
Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather2023
Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2023
Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2022
Kentucky and Missouri Flooding2022
Central Severe Weather2022
Southern Severe Weather2022
Southern Tornado Outbreak2022
Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave2022
Midwest Derecho and Tornado Outbreak2021
Southeast, Central Tornado Outbreak2021
North Central Severe Weather2021
Central Severe Storms2021
Central Severe Storms2021
Ohio Valley Hail Storms2021
Eastern Severe Weather2021
Northwest, Central, Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2021
Central Severe Weather - Derecho2020
Central and Eastern Severe Weather2020
Central, Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2020
Midwest and Ohio Valley Severe Weather2020
Tennessee Tornadoes and Southeast Severe Weather2020
Southeast Tornadoes and Northern Storms and Flooding2020
Texas Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather2019
Rockies, Central and Northeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather2019
Mississippi River, Midwest and Southern Flooding2019
Missouri River and North Central Flooding2019
Central and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2018
Southwest/Southern Plains Drought2018
Central and Eastern Severe Weather2018
Central and Northeast Severe Weather2018
Midwest Severe Weather2017
Colorado Hail Storm and Central Severe Weather2017
Missouri and Arkansas Flooding and Central Severe Weather2017
Southeast Severe Weather and Tornadoes2017
Midwest Tornado Outbreak2017
Central/Southeast Tornado Outbreak2017
Rockies/Central Tornadoes and Severe Weather2016
Plains Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather2016
South/Southeast Tornadoes2016
Texas Tornadoes and Midwest Flooding2015
Midwest/Ohio Valley Severe Weather2015
Center Severe Weather2014
Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Tornadoes and Flooding2014
Plains Severe Weather2014
Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm2014
Ohio Valley Tornadoes2013
Midwest/Plains/Northeast Tornadoes2013
Midwest/Plains/East Tornadoes2013
Illinois Flooding and Severe Weather2013
Midwest/Plains Severe Weather2013
Western/Plains Drought/Heat Wave2013
Midwest/Ohio Valley Severe Weather2012
U.S. Drought/Heat Wave2012
Midwest/Southeast Severe Weather2011
Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather2011
Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes2011
Missouri River flooding2011
Southeast/Ohio Valley/Midwest Tornadoes2011
Ohio Valley Derecho and Southern Tornadoes2011
Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes and Derecho2011
Mississippi River flooding2011
Southern Plains/Southwest Drought and Heat Wave2011
Midwest, South and East Severe Weather2009
Central Derecho and Tornadoes2009
South/Southeast Severe Weather and Tornadoes2009
Hurricane Ike2008
Midwest/Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather2008
Midwest Flooding2008
Western, Central and Northeast Severe Weather2008
Spring Freeze2007
Severe Storms and Tornadoes2006
Midwest/Plains/Southeast Drought2006
Midwest Drought2005
Severe Storms, Hail, Tornadoes2004
Severe Storms/Tornadoes2003
Severe Storms/Hail2003
Western/Central Drought/Heat Wave2003
Severe Storms and Tornadoes2002
U.S. Drought2002
Midwest/Ohio Valley Hail and Tornadoes2001
Oklahoma and Kansas Tornadoes1999
Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
Central and Eastern Severe Storms and Flooding1998
Blizzard/Floods1996
South Plains Severe Weather1995
Midwest/Plains Tornadoes1994
Northern Plains and Ohio Valley Severe Weather1993
Midwest Flooding1993
Severe Storms, Tornadoes1991
U.S. Drought1991
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1989
Northern Plains Drought1989
U.S. Drought/Heat Wave1988
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1985
Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Floods1984
Freeze/Cold Wave1983
Southeast Drought1983
Severe Storms1982
Midwest/Plains/Southeast Tornadoes1982
Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm, Cold Wave1982
Central/Eastern Drought/Heat Wave1980

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, state summary for Missouri, 1980-2024 (NCEI's last update; the product is archived). A disaster that affected several states counts in each. NCEI billion-dollar disasters.

Federal disaster declarations in Missouri

FEMA has made 88 declarations for Missouri since 1957: 77 major disasters, 10 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. The most common incident types are severe storm (48), flood (24), severe ice storm (6).

1950s 1
1960s 5
1970s 10
1980s 5
1990s 9
2000s 26
2010s 15
2020s 17

The 15 most recent declarations in Missouri
Declared	Number	Type	Title	Areas named
2026-09-01	DR-4939	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding	9
2026-08-03	DR-4929	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	34
2026-06-30	DR-4924	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding	10
2025-07-22	DR-4885	Severe Storm	Severe Storms and Flooding	5
2025-06-09	DR-4877	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	3
2025-06-09	DR-4876	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	6
2025-05-21	DR-4872	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	27
2025-05-21	DR-4867	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Wildfires	25
2025-01-01	DR-4855	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding	14
2024-07-23	DR-4803	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	15
2023-09-21	DR-4741	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	33
2022-08-08	DR-4665	Flood	Severe Storms and Flooding	4
2022-01-10	DR-4636	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes	7
2021-09-01	DR-4612	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding	21
2020-07-09	DR-4552	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding	19

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Flood insurance claims in Missouri

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $963 million on 49,098 claims in 107 Missouri counties. Claims count insured losses only.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk across Missouri's counties

How FEMA's National Risk Index rates Missouri's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.

Relatively High 3
Relatively Moderate 11
Relatively Low 56
Very Low 45

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.