Missouri high wind and dust storms
Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 115 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 1,466 high wind and dust records in Missouri from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 53 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the May 17, 2017 strong wind in Scott County: 1 death, 3 injuries and $1,204 in damage in 2025 dollars. Missouri ranks 32nd of 52 states and territories by count and 39th of 51 per square mile.
High wind and dust storms in Missouri, 1996 to 2026
Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- 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
- Records
- 1,4661996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 53average
- Deaths
- 38 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $96Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2008111 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are high wind and dust records common in Missouri?
Missouri averages about 53 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 32nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2008 (111). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Missouri records 213 high wind and dust records since 1996, 39th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Missouri have the most high wind and dust records?
Per square mile, Scott County leads Missouri: 108 days with a high wind record since 1996, 257.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Cape Girardeau County has the most wind records (116 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the windy season in Missouri?
41% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in March and April. The busiest month is March (332 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 126 · Feb 227 · Mar 332 · Apr 266 · May 114 · Jun 19 · Jul 1 · Aug 2 · Sep 45 · Oct 26 · Nov 151 · Dec 157 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Missouri?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-05-17 | Strong WindScott County · forecast zone Scott Strong south to southwest winds occurred between a surface low pressure center over the central Plains and high pressure along the Southeast U.S. coast. Peak wind gusts were measured around 40 mph. The peak wind gust in southeast Missouri was 41 mph at the Cape Girardeau airport. A few large tree limbs and rotted ... | 35 kt wind | 1 | 3 | $1K |
| 2023-07-01 | Strong WindMarion County · forecast zone Marion A non-severe thunderstorm moved through Hannibal. Winds gusted up to 50 mph and blew down a large tree that was rotten inside. The tree fell onto an occupied camper located on the 1600 block of Montana Street. A person inside the camper was crushed by the fallen tree and was pronounced dead on the scene. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2003-04-15 | Strong WindJackson County · forecast zone Jackson A tree trimmer was fatally electrocuted in South Kansas City around 3 pm. He was in a tree when a wind gust caused a power line to swing into the tree. | 30 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest high wind and dust records in Missouri
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | High WindButler County · forecast zone Butler One storm episode: 11 records in 11 places; the totals are the episode's. | 57 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $82M |
| 2008-12-13 | High WindBarton County · forecast zone Barton One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8.2M |
| 2008-01-29 | High WindStoddard County · forecast zone Stoddard | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2000-03-08 | High WindPettis County · forecast zone Pettis | 0 | 0 | $343K | |
| 2001-04-11 | High WindPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski | 0 | 0 | $250K | |
| 2023-03-31 | High WindNodaway County · forecast zone Nodaway | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $97K |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindSt. Louis County · forecast zone St. Louis One storm episode: 6 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski One storm episode: 13 records in 11 places; the totals are the episode's. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $53K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Missouri?
Missouri's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Missouri | United States | Missouri's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 74 | 14,026 | 0.5% |
| 2000s | 435 | 37,254 | 1.2% |
| 2010s | 500 | 41,748 | 1.2% |
| 2020-26 | 457 | 36,300 | 1.3% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent high wind and dust records in Missouri
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindBollinger County · forecast zone Bollinger | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindCape Girardeau County · forecast zone Cape Girardeau | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindScott County · forecast zone Scott | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindMississippi County · forecast zone Mississippi | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindNew Madrid County · forecast zone New Madrid | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindStoddard County · forecast zone Stoddard | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindButler County · forecast zone Butler | 38 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-17 | Strong WindNew Madrid County · forecast zone New Madrid | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-17 | Strong WindStoddard County · forecast zone Stoddard | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-17 | Strong WindMississippi County · forecast zone Mississippi | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-14 | Strong WindScott County · forecast zone Scott | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-14 | Strong WindStoddard County · forecast zone Stoddard | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
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