40
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$7.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Douglas County, Missouri: 40 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #620 nationally and #19 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Douglas County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Douglas County is the 2010s, when 13 of the county's 40 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 Douglas County archive, tornado makes up 4.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #620 for this hazard and #19 within Missouri, putting it in the 78.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Douglas County with 14 recorded events, while Feb 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-04-11 | EF3 | 35.4 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF2 | 2.3 mi | 1,320 yd | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1982-12-02 | EF2 | 23.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1982-12-24 | EF2 | 17.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-13 | EF2 | 9.2 mi | 177 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-13 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-03-13 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1960-05-06 | EF2 | 5.7 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-05-21 | EF2 | 14.5 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 1982 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2025 | GOODHOPE | EF0 | $100K |
| Nov 5, 2024 | GOODVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 5, 2024 | DENLOW | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 5, 2024 | SWEDEN | EF0 | $0 |
| May 26, 2024 | CROSS RDS | EF0 | $20K |
| Apr 28, 2021 | BLANCHE | EF0 | $250K |
| Oct 21, 2019 | RICHVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Oct 21, 2019 | RIPPEE | EF1 | $25K |
| May 1, 2019 | BRUSHYKNOB | EF0 | $0 |
| May 1, 2019 | AVA | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Douglas County
- Thunderstorm Wind 258
- Hail 240
- Flood 190
- Flash Flood 176
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado is an extension of the Christian County tornado. A National Weather Service storm storm survey revealed that an F-1 tornado tracked across rural areas of southwest Douglas County. The tornado entered the county approximately 7 miles southwest of Goodhope, and tracked to 4 miles south southeast of Ava. One home sustained minor damage two miles south of Goodhope.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined that an EF0 tornado with maximum winds estimated at 85 mph moved along a 100 yard wide and 1.9 mile long path. The most significant damage was the destruction of a three car garage and several outbuildings near the start of the path. Minor damage occurred to three homes and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 130 mph touched down approximately one mile north of Merritt. The tornado tracked northeast along a two and a half mile path before lifting northwest of Goodhope. The tornado damaged two homes, several outbuildings, and numerous trees.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Douglas County, Missouri?
40 tornado events are recorded in Douglas County between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Douglas County?
The strongest tornado on record in Douglas County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Douglas 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
“Tornado in Douglas County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/douglas-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.