58
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.3M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Butler County, Missouri: 58 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #490 nationally and #33 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Butler County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Butler County is the 2000s, when 23 of the county's 58 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Butler County archive, flash flood makes up 11.2% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #490 for this hazard and #33 within Missouri, putting it in the 84.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for flash flood in Butler County with 12 recorded events, while Oct is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2015 | QULIN | 0 | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Dec 21, 2013 | HENDRICKSON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $90K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2024 | HILLARD | 0 | $100K |
| May 26, 2024 | MENGO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 2022 | POPLAR BLUFF | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 17, 2022 | POPLAR BLUFF | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 13, 2021 | STRINGTOWN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2021 | POPLAR BLUFF | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 28, 2021 | POPLAR BLUFF | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 11, 2020 | HENDRICKSON | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 27, 2019 | BROSELEY | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | ROMBAUER | 0 | $25K |
Other hazards here
More from Butler County
- Thunderstorm Wind 181
- Hail 141
- Flood 52
- Tornado 47
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding of drainage ditch number 1 for the Black River apparently caused a drowning fatality. A vehicle travelling along a small farm road parallel to the ditch got stuck in mud. The male victim was located several days later about 400 yards south of his pickup truck and six feet from the bank of the ditch. The search was suspended for about two days to allow the water to recede.
Southern portions of the county were flooded extensively. The community of Neelyville was particularly hard hit. A total of 46 occupied structures were damaged, and another ten were affected. Of the 46 damaged structures, four suffered major damage. Sixteen of the structures were businesses. Numerous roads were covered with water. U.S. Highway 67 was flooded south of Poplar Bluff, and state highway workers posted warning signs. A couple of county roads were washed out. A couple of county roads near Neelyville were closed. The three-day rainfall for the period ending the morning of the 24th was about a foot in far southern parts of the county. A co-operative observer in Qulin measured 13.35 inches.
Widespread flooding occurred throughout the county. Water was flowing over numerous roads. Water rescues were being performed. A person was trapped in a car on W Highway, just northwest of Poplar Bluff. The storm total rainfall was 5.48 inches at a location seven miles northwest of Poplar Bluff. A report of 4.8 inches was received from the city of Poplar Bluff. Some erosion damage occurred to rural bridges and roads. Schools were closed the following day in some districts.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Butler County, Missouri?
58 flash flood events are recorded in Butler County between 1996 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Butler County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Butler County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Butler County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Butler County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/butler-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.