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Johnson County, Missouri severe weather history spans 644 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 45.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #483 nationally and #26 in Missouri.
644
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$6.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Johnson County, Missouri severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Johnson County, Missouri severe weather history averages 9.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 247 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 82 events fall before 1990 and 562 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Johnson County, Missouri record is lightning, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $6.5M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Johnson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 292 | 0 | $66K | 3 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 241 | 0 | $336K | 90 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 47 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Tornado | 34 | 1 | $6.5M | F2 | 1960–2017 |
| Flood | 26 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2020 |
| Lightning | 3 | 2 | $16K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Johnson County, Missouri severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
35 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-04-12 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 10.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 12.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-04-04 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-05-15 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 5.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-05-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-07-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-02-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-02-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-06-04 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Johnson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 1964 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jun 29, 2024 | Lightning | HOLDEN | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2024 | Lightning | HOLDEN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 13, 2006 | Tornado | LEETON | 0 | 4 | $2.0M |
| Jun 4, 2005 | Tornado | HOLDEN | 0 | 2 | $1.1M |
| Nov 10, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | ELM | 0 | 2 | $60K |
| May 15, 1968 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 4, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado touched down at 2040 CST 2 miles northeast of Leeton…producing F0 damage along PP Highway. As it moved northeast…additional F0 to F1 damage was noted to a farmstead along SE 650th Road. The most intense F2 damage was noted along Y Highway just east of Highway 23…where several homes suffered F2 damage. The tornado crossed into Pettis county at 2057 CST…1.5 miles southeast of Whiteman Air Force Base.
A tornado moved across the north side of Warrensburg, damaging approximately 100 homes andbusinesses. No injuries or deaths were reported. The tornado was on the ground for 10 minutes, movingto the east. The path width ranged between 50 and 75 yards, and rear flank downdraft winds to the southof the tornado, caused minor damage to structures in downtown Warrensburg.
F1 tornado touched down 5 miles southwest of Holden and then moved northeast across Route 131 before skipping to and then lifting 3 miles west southwest of Centerview. The biggest impact was at the Miller Training Stables on Route 131. Two women received minor injuries when their house was lifted off the foundation. Six horses were killed and 42 were injured. Three barns, the residence, and 3 cars were heavily damaged or destroyed. There were also several other homes and barns damaged by the tornado before it lifted.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
54,732
Population (ACS)
$236K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Feb 3, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Jan 30, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Warrensburg 160
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Johnson County, Missouri?
644 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $6.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Johnson County?
Hail, with 292 recorded events — 45.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Johnson County?
35 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 31 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Johnson County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Johnson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Johnson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Johnson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 55 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Johnson 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
- Knox County 166
- Jefferson County 654
- Laclede County 687
- Jasper County 1,115
- Lafayette County 392
- Jackson County 1,605
Cite this page
“Johnson County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/johnson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.