45
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$99.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Christian County, Missouri: 45 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #479 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Christian County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Christian County is the 2010s, when 13 of the county's 45 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 Christian County archive, tornado makes up 4.7% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #479 for this hazard and #12 within Missouri, putting it in the 83.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Christian County with 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | EF3 | 49.0 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2006-03-12 | EF3 | 42.0 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-12-14 | EF2 | 48.3 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-30 | EF2 | 10.3 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-22 | EF2 | 15.7 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1982-12-24 | EF2 | 16.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-05 | EF1 | 3.4 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2019-10-21 | EF1 | 11.9 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-30 | EF1 | 23.3 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2019-10-21 | EF1 | 6.3 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2003 | BILLINGS | F3 | 1 | 3 | $5.1M |
| Mar 13, 2006 | CLEVER | F3 | 0 | 3 | $50.0M |
| May 1, 2019 | OZARK AIRPARK ARPT | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $6.8M |
| Dec 31, 2010 | BRUNER | EF1 | 0 | 2 | $200K |
| Oct 16, 1984 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Jan 8, 2008 | RIVERDALE | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $200K |
| Jun 19, 2007 | OZARK | EF0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 1975 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2025 | NIXA | EF0 | $250K |
| Apr 20, 2025 | GARRISON | EF0 | $15K |
| Mar 14, 2024 | MC CRACKEN | EF0 | $15K |
| Dec 6, 2021 | SELMORE | EF1 | $150K |
| Apr 28, 2021 | CHADWICK | EF0 | $5K |
| Oct 21, 2019 | LINDEN | EF1 | $65K |
| Oct 21, 2019 | HIGHLANDVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Oct 21, 2019 | TERRELL | EF0 | $30K |
| May 1, 2019 | SPOKANE | EF1 | $85K |
| May 1, 2019 | OZARK AIRPARK ARPT | EF2 | $6.8M |
Other hazards here
More from Christian County
- Thunderstorm Wind 393
- Hail 317
- Flash Flood 127
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado is a continuation of the Lawrence County tornado. Significant structural damage occurred across the Christian County panhandle in a rural area between Billings and Clever. This area was also heavily impacted by the 4 May 2003 tornado. A subdivision with solid well built homes northwest of Nixa was directly impacted by the tornadoes destruction. 138 structures were damaged while 127 structures were destroyed. The tornado weakened as it tracked into southern Greene County, impacting southern sections of the city of Springfield.
This tornado is an extension of the Taney County tornado. A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado impacted extreme southeast Christian County. Wind speeds were estimated at 100 mph as the tornado damaged two homes, destroyed a few outbuildings, and downed numerous trees. The tornado eventually tracked into western Douglas County.
The roofs were blown off of three homes at Lone Hickory Road and County Road W. Towards the end of the tornado track, a barn was blown on to a house east of Sparta. Confirmation was given by the civil defense director and also reported by Troop G of the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Christian County, Missouri?
45 tornado events are recorded in Christian County between 1954 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Christian County?
The strongest tornado on record in Christian County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Christian 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 Christian County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/christian-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.