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Buchanan County, Missouri severe weather history spans 491 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #907 nationally and #40 in Missouri.
491
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
23
Direct injuries
$6.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Buchanan County, Missouri severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Buchanan County, Missouri severe weather history averages 7.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 128 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 107 events fall before 1990 and 384 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Buchanan County, Missouri record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $4.4M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Buchanan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 244 | 0 | $1.3M | 80 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 178 | 0 | $20K | 2.75 | 1955–2024 |
| Tornado | 26 | 0 | $4.4M | F3 | 1956–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 1 | $505K | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Flood | 20 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 2006–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Buchanan County, Missouri severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
21 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-10 | EF3 | 0 | 11 | 23.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-06-16 | EF2 | 0 | 14 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 55.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-07-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-01-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-06-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-05-26 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-03-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 5 | 15.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-11-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Buchanan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 1998 | Flash Flood | ST JOSEPH | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Jun 16, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 14 | $2.5M | |
| May 30, 1985 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jun 11, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | WINTHROP | 0 | 2 | $1K |
| May 18, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Apr 10, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The highway department reported downed trees up to 4 feet in diameter, and a tree blown down onto a car. A 90-foot flagpole was broken. A building under construction in an industrial park sustained over $1 million in damage.
F0 tornado crossed into Missouri near the Pony Express Bridge. The tornado produced a skipping path through northwest and north portions of St. Joseph. Numerous trees were damaged or uprooted. A few homes also lost their porches. Most damage to homes was caused by falling trees and tree limbs. The tornado exited into Andrew county 2 miles east of I-29 along U.S.Highway 169.
The Buchanan County Sheriff's Office reported damage to the roof of a school in De Kalb as a result of severe thunderstorm winds. Thunderstorm winds also blew a semi tractor trailer off the road along Highway 59 in South St. Joseph. There was also the report of structural damage to a home in South St. Joseph as a result of the strong winds. St. Joseph Power and Light reported that four main transmission line structures were destroyed in the storm resulting in a power loss for many customers for over 24 hours. Two barns were destroyed between De Kalb and Taos, and several other outbuildings were damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
83,568
Population (ACS)
$166K
Median home value
28
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 20, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- St Joseph 159
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Buchanan County, Missouri?
491 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $6.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Buchanan County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 244 recorded events — 49.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Buchanan County?
21 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Buchanan County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Buchanan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Buchanan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Buchanan County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 74 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Buchanan County, Missouri severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Boone County 830
- Butler County 518
- Bollinger County 328
- Caldwell County 219
- Benton County 560
- Callaway County 485
Cite this page
“Buchanan County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/buchanan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.