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Dunklin County, Missouri severe weather history spans 442 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,091 nationally and #44 in Missouri.
442
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
39
Direct injuries
$36.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Dunklin County, Missouri severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dunklin County, Missouri severe weather history averages 6.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 130 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 77 events fall before 1990 and 365 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dunklin County, Missouri record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $33.8M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Dunklin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 213 | 0 | $1.7M | 87 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 149 | 0 | $127K | 2.75 | 1961–2026 |
| Tornado | 39 | 2 | $33.8M | F4 | 1954–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 33 | 0 | $275K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 4 | 1 | $502K | 0 | 1998–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $10 | 0 | 2006–2019 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Dunklin County, Missouri severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 30 touched down inside it and 8 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-10 | EF4 | 8 | 14 | 81.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-04-02 | EF3 | 2 | 177 | 77.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-24 | EF2 | 2 | 6 | 57.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-02-24 | EF2 | 1 | 5 | 41.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 19.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-03-04 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-03-20 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 89.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-04-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 13.4 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dunklin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 25, 1973 | Tornado | 2 | 0 | $250K | |
| Dec 31, 2015 | Flood | WILHELMINA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 26 | $25.0M | |
| Feb 24, 2018 | Tornado | WILHELMINA | 0 | 5 | $2.0M |
| Nov 1, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 26, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Mar 4, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Apr 30, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado tracked from Clay County, AR to Dunklin County. Most of the damage was in Malden where a number of homes were damaged. A few homes, trees and power poles were damaged from the St. Francis River to Malden. The path was intermittent. The tornado crossed into New Madrid County and then lifted. Estimated peak wind along the entire track was 115 mph.
The tornado crossed from Mississippi County, Arkansas into Dunklin County, Missouri near the Little River area south of Hornersville, near the Arkansas/Missouri state line. Several homes and mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed along State Line Road. Several vehicles and a boat were tossed or overturned. Additional debarking of trees was noted. After exiting the Little River area, the tornado damaged six metal electric transmission line towers. Five of the towers had their top sections collapse, and one tower completely collapsed. Several center pivot irrigation systems were overturned. The tornado then crossed into Pemiscot County, Missouri. Peak winds in Dunklin County were estimated at 140 mph.
The tornado developed near the intersection of County Roads 627 and 638 and moved east. The tornado damaged storage buildings, trees, power poles, and center pivot irrigation systems. A few residences also experienced shingle and roof damage. The tornado turned northeast after crossing State Highway K. The most significant damage was noted along County Road 657 south-southwest of Hornersville. The tornado dissipated in the Hornersville Swamp Conversation Area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
27,493
Population (ACS)
$98K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jan 10, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jul 9, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dunklin County, Missouri?
442 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $36.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dunklin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 213 recorded events — 48.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dunklin County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 30 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dunklin County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dunklin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dunklin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dunklin County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 80 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dunklin 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
- Douglas County 941
- Franklin County 733
- Dent County 398
- Gasconade County 309
- DeKalb County 263
- Gentry County 232
Cite this page
“Dunklin County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/dunklin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.