54
Recorded events
17
Direct deaths
239
Direct injuries
$73.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Newton County, Missouri: 54 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #323 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Newton County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Newton County is the 2000s, when 14 of the county's 54 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 Newton County archive, tornado makes up 5.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #323 for this hazard and #3 within Missouri, putting it in the 89.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Newton County with 12 recorded events, while Nov 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-22 | EF5 | 21.6 mi | 1,600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-10 | EF4 | 75.5 mi | 1,760 yd | Crossed in |
| 1975-04-24 | EF4 | 11.9 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-03 | EF4 | 41.8 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-04 | EF3 | 49.0 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-26 | EF3 | 29.1 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-04-04 | EF2 | 16.5 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-22 | EF2 | 14.1 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1993-10-08 | EF2 | 7.0 mi | 220 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-13 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2008 | HORNET | EF4 | 14 | 200 | $35.0M |
| Apr 25, 1975 | F4 | 3 | 22 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 9, 1974 | F1 | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 13, 1961 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| Mar 31, 2008 | BELFAST | EF0 | 0 | 3 | $100K |
| Mar 13, 2006 | NEOSHO | F1 | 0 | 1 | $200K |
| Apr 15, 2001 | REDINGS MILL | F1 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2025 | BOULDER CITY | EF0 | $80K |
| Feb 27, 2023 | MC ELHANY | EF1 | $550K |
| Oct 11, 2021 | MC ELHANY | EF1 | $75K |
| Aug 19, 2018 | RITCHEY | EF0 | $20K |
| May 19, 2017 | NEOSHO | EF0 | $50K |
| May 11, 2017 | FREDVILLE | EF0 | $100K |
| Apr 4, 2017 | MC ELHANY | EF0 | $100K |
| Apr 27, 2016 | SENECA | EF1 | $50K |
| May 17, 2015 | SENECA | EF0 | $200K |
| Sep 2, 2014 | WENTWORTH | EF0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Newton County
- Hail 343
- Thunderstorm Wind 267
- Flash Flood 189
- Flood 42
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 Ottawa County, Oklahoma tornado. A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-4 tornado crossed into Missouri just north of Iris Road, and tracked east southeast all the way across Newton County to just north of Fairview. Several people were killed in automobiles, including a firefighter who was storm spotting, as the tornado briefly reached EF4 intensity near the intersection of Highway 43 and Iris Road. One vehicle at this location was thrown 5/8s of a mile. The tornado then extended to a mile wide and EF3 intensity as it tracked across the intersection of Highway 86 and BB. Many of the 14 fatalities and 200 injuries occurred from just west of Highway 43 to Highway 86. The communities of Granby and Newtonia were also directly impacted from this tornado.
The National Weather Service storm survey team determined that an EF-2 tornado touched down 5 miles east northeast of Diamond, Missouri. It remained on the ground for approximately 17 miles, seven of which was in Newton County before it crossed into Lawrence County. The maximum wind speeds were estimated at 120 miles per hour. The tornado damage path had a maximum width of one half mile. There were numerous trees uprooted, three mobile homes suffered considerable damage or were destroyed west of Wentworth. Numerous power poles were blown down along Highway J along a nearly four mile stretch. In Wentworth, numerous tress were uprooted and one outbuilding had its roof removed. The tornado crossed into Lawrence County as an EF-1 just north of Douglas Fir Road along Lawrence County Avenue.
A National Weather Service storm survey concluded that an EF-1 tornado, with maximum wind speeds of 105 mph, damaged or destroyed more than 10 outbuildings and overturned two RVs. Minor roof damage occurred to a few homes. A few trees were uprooted with large branches broken off of numerous trees. The tornado path was 0.7 miles long with a maximum width of 200 yards. The tornado crossed I-49 with visible debris in the median.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Newton County, Missouri?
54 tornado events are recorded in Newton County between 1954 and 2025, causing 17 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Newton County?
The strongest tornado on record in Newton County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Newton 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 Newton County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/newton-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.