266
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$8.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Polk County, Missouri: 266 recorded events between 1970 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #601 nationally and #16 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Polk County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Polk County is the 2010s, when 97 of the county's 266 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 Polk County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 31.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #601 for this hazard and #16 within Missouri, putting it in the 80.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Polk County with 52 recorded events, while Jan 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 27, 1994 | Humansville | 0 | 0 | 4 | $50K |
| Aug 13, 1999 | HUMANSVILLE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| May 8, 2009 | KNOX | 78 | 0 | 1 | $7.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 6, 2026 | HUMANSVILLE | 52 | $8K |
| Sep 17, 2025 | MORRISVILLE | 50 | $9K |
| Apr 29, 2025 | BOLIVAR | 52 | $0 |
| Oct 31, 2024 | BOLIVAR | 52 | $30K |
| Jun 26, 2024 | MORRISVILLE | 52 | $500 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | BOLIVAR | 65 | $30K |
| Jun 14, 2024 | BOLIVAR | 52 | $500 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | TIN TOWN | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | BURNS | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | BRIGHTON | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Polk County
- Hail 304
- Flash Flood 156
- Flood 54
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Seventy to 90 mph winds caused massive damage across much of Polk County. The central and southern sections of the county was impacted the greatest. Hundreds of outbuildings were either heavily damaged or destroyed. The communities of Bolivar and Pleasant Hope experienced damage to several hundred structures. At Southwest Baptist University, a large tree fell on a car that was occupied by a student. The student was injured and transported to the hospital. The Marion C. Early High School gymnasium experienced significant damage. In Tin Town, a farm experienced signficant damage to the home and all outbuildings.
A roof was lifted off a house and debris was deposited on the north side of Highway 13 approximately one half mile south of Brighton. A barn was heavily damaged. A gooseneck cattle trailer was damaged. No injuries were reported.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined that 85 mph straight line winds destroyed three barns/outbuildings. Two other barns were damaged. Metal pieces from the buildings were blown across a pasture. Minor roof damage occurred to two homes. A few trees limbs and trees were blown down.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Polk County, Missouri?
266 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Polk County between 1970 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Polk County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Polk County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Polk 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Polk County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/polk-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.