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Macon County, Missouri severe weather history spans 328 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 45.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,619 nationally and #70 in Missouri.
328
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Macon County, Missouri severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Macon County, Missouri severe weather history averages 4.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 116 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 49 events fall before 1990 and 279 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Macon County, Missouri record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.2M 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 Macon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 148 | 0 | $1K | 4.5 | 1958–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 117 | 0 | $325K | 70 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Tornado | 15 | 2 | $7.2M | F4 | 1954–2011 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
Decade by decade
Macon County, Missouri severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-04-23 | EF4 | 1 | 4 | 28.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-20 | EF4 | 1 | 3 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-06-12 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-04-21 | EF4 | 0 | 2 | 59.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1970-06-12 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 8.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 53.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-06-20 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Macon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 1975 | Tornado | 1 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $25K | |
| Apr 8, 1999 | Tornado | NEW CAMBRIA | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| Jun 20, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jun 12, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado which formed in Carroll County continued northeast through Chariton County and into Macon County, where the most widespread damage occurred. Continuous damage was observed from 2 miles south of New Cambria, where two workers suffered minor injuries at a mining quarry, to 2 miles west of Atlanta. Within this area, thirteen single family homes and 9 mobile homes were destroyed. Six single family homes and 4 mobile homes suffered major damage, and 33 single family homes and one mobile home suffered minor damage. Eighty-five agricultural outbuildings were destroyed, and 37 sustained damage. Widespread tree and power pole damage occurred.
After dissipating just west of Atlanta, a new tornado touched down 1 mile southeast of Atlanta and moved northeast into Knox County. In Macon County, 5 single family residences and 3 mobile homes were destroyed from 2 miles east of Atlanta to 10 miles northeast of Atlanta. Four single family homes were damaged within this area. Several outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed. Some damage south of the tornado track was likely due to the very intense rear flank downdraft, which storm spotters observed to accompany the storm.
An F1 tornado briefly touched down in Atlanta. Power lines and trees were downed on the southwest side of Atlanta and there was minor roof damage to two buildings. A hatchback car was overturned as the approaching strong wind caught the opened hatch thereby overturning the vehicle.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
15,163
Population (ACS)
$149K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 31, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Macon County, Missouri?
328 events are on record between 1954 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Macon County?
Hail, with 148 recorded events — 45.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Macon County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Macon County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Macon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Macon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Macon County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Macon 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
- McDonald County 652
- Madison County 179
- Livingston County 236
- Maries County 287
- Linn County 252
- Marion County 298
Cite this page
“Macon County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/macon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.