49
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
76
Direct injuries
$52.9M
Property damage
Tornado in Scott County, Missouri: 49 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #400 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Scott County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Scott County is the 2000s, when 9 of the county's 49 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 Scott County archive, tornado makes up 12.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #400 for this hazard and #7 within Missouri, putting it in the 86.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Scott County with 16 recorded events, while Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | EF3 | 16.1 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-26 | EF3 | 19.6 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2013-11-17 | EF3 | 14.3 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-06-04 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-12-18 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
| 1986-05-15 | EF2 | 4.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-12-15 | EF2 | 27.0 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-14 | EF2 | 6.4 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-26 | EF2 | 25.6 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2023-07-24 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 25 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1957 | F2 | 3 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 5, 2012 | DIEHLSTADT | EF2 | 3 | 0 | $100K |
| May 16, 2025 | CROWDER | EF3 | 2 | 10 | $15.0M |
| Dec 15, 1971 | F2 | 1 | 24 | $25K | |
| May 16, 1986 | F2 | 1 | 15 | $2.5M | |
| May 15, 1986 | F2 | 0 | 19 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 24, 2023 | PORTER | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $400K |
| May 29, 1962 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | BENTON | EF1 | $175K |
| May 16, 2025 | CROWDER | EF3 | $15.0M |
| Mar 15, 2025 | VANDUSER | EF2 | $1.0M |
| May 26, 2024 | SIKESTON | EF2 | $1.4M |
| May 26, 2024 | SIKESTON | EF1 | $1K |
| May 26, 2024 | TANNER | EF2 | $90K |
| Jul 24, 2023 | PORTER | EF2 | $400K |
| May 29, 2019 | MINER | EF1 | $50K |
| Jul 9, 2015 | KELSO | EF1 | $60K |
| Nov 17, 2013 | VANDUSER | EF3 | $1.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Scott County
- Thunderstorm Wind 159
- Hail 99
- Flood 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A single wide mobile home was demolished. The undercarriage was blown 100 yards. A father and his two adult sons, who were inside the home, were killed. Highway 77 was shut down in Diehlstadt. Numerous power lines were down. Several large warehouse buildings sustained partial roof loss and moderate structural damage. Several trees were snapped or uprooted. Propane leaks were reported. Fencing and signs were blown down. The tornado damage was on the eastern edge of a larger area of downburst wind damage. Peak winds were estimated near 115 mph.
A 16 mile long EF3 tornado started in eastern Stoddard County along County Highway Y, tracking eastward into Scott County. As it crossed Highway 61, it damaged approximately 10 power poles. The worst damage was found in the Sloanville Drive area where numerous homes were heavily damaged or completely destroyed, this included a brick home and several mobile homes. Two fatalities occurred along this|road. Numerous more homes were either significantly damaged or completely destroyed west of I-55 in Sandywoods, with the tornado continuing east to Woodhaven Estates. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. Many outbuildings suffered some degree of damage or were a complete loss. Max width was 200 yards. The tornado lifted just east of Highway O about 3 miles west of Diehlstadt. There were 10 injuries with this tornado as well.
An EF-3 tornado (max EF-2 for this second Scott County portion) formed in Stoddard County, then tracked northeastward through New Madrid County into Scott County at Butler St in southwest Sikeston, then crossing back briefly into New Madrid County, re-entering Scott County near the intersection of Montgomery St and W Murray Ln. The tornado did extensive and severe tree damage through the south side of Sikeston. Approaching and crossing Malone Ave, the tornado removed part of the roof of a school building and a nearby former farm supply store, where cinder block walls also collapsed. North of Malone Ave, the tornado collapsed a tall wooden light pole at a ball field, and removed most of the roof of a house. The tornado turned more northeast as it exited Sikeston, doing damage to trees, power lines, and outbuildings before ending in the community of Diehlstadt. Peak winds for this second Scott County portion were 120 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Scott County, Missouri?
49 tornado events are recorded in Scott County between 1955 and 2025, causing 10 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Scott County?
The strongest tornado on record in Scott County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Scott 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 Scott County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/scott-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.