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Clay County, Missouri severe weather history spans 958 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #163 nationally and #7 in Missouri.
958
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
34
Direct injuries
$125.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Clay County, Missouri severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clay County, Missouri severe weather history averages 13.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 336 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 155 events fall before 1990 and 803 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $114.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Clay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 463 | 0 | $5.0M | 4 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 373 | 0 | $2.2M | 90 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 63 | 0 | $4.0M | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Tornado | 36 | 0 | $114.2M | F4 | 1955–2024 |
| Flood | 18 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2017–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2011 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Clay County, Missouri severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
40 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 36 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-04 | EF4 | 2 | 30 | 21.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-04 | EF4 | 0 | 13 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-07 | EF4 | 0 | 12 | 26.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-26 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 10.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 19.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-11 | EF2 | 0 | 9 | 20.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clay County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2003 | Tornado | GLADSTONE | 0 | 13 | $31.0M |
| Apr 12, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 9 | $250K | |
| May 4, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 27, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Aug 20, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | SMITHVILLE | 0 | 2 | $800K |
| May 18, 2019 | Lightning | PARADISE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kearney | 0 | 1 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado reported on the ground near Missouri Route 291, south of Missouri Route 152, it produced spotty damage northeast to downtown Liberty. Substantial damage was noted near the square in Libery, and to William Jewel College. The tornado tracked east along Missouri Route H into rural portions of Clay county before dissipating. Maximum intensity damage noted in the area was F2, based on surveys and input from local emergency management.
New tornado touchdown near Shady Lane and Antioch in Gladstone…with F0 to F1 damage to trees and roofs. The tornado intensified quickly, and damage of marginal F4 intensity was noted around one mile northeast of this area, near the intersection of NE 63rd Terrace and North Jackson. Another small area of marginal F4 intensity was noted just northeast of this location, in the Carriage Hills subdivision, just south of Pleasant Valley Road near North Brighton. Areas of F1 to F3 intensity damage was noted around these specific neighborhoods. The tornado continued northeast, based on air surveys, to just shy of Interstate 435 before dissipating.
The tornado formed rapidly in southwest Clay County in Kansas City, MO, causing considerable damage to two auto dealerships at 39th and North Oak Trafficway. A nearby apartment complex suffered roof damage. Many trees and power lines were downed as the tornado moved east, lifting near Parvin Road and Chouteau Trafficway.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
258,122
Population (ACS)
$276K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 30, 2011 | Flood | FLOODING | EM |
| Feb 3, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Liberty 117
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clay County, Missouri?
958 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $125.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clay County?
Hail, with 463 recorded events — 48.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clay County?
40 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 36 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clay County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 90 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clay County, Missouri severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Clark County 340
- Clinton County 345
- Christian County 965
- Cole County 343
- Chariton County 263
- Cooper County 353
Cite this page
“Clay County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/clay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.