43
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
89
Direct injuries
$94.3M
Property damage
Tornado in St. Charles County, Missouri: 43 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #537 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in St. Charles County, Missouri: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in St. Charles County is the 2010s, when 12 of the county's 43 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 St. Charles County archive, tornado makes up 5.3% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #537 for this hazard and #14 within Missouri, putting it in the 81.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in St. Charles County with 9 recorded events, while Jul 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-01-24 | EF4 | 25.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-10 | EF3 | 27.3 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-31 | EF3 | 31.7 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-31 | EF3 | 10.6 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1988-11-15 | EF3 | 1.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-07 | EF3 | 7.3 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1967-10-24 | EF3 | 21.8 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1966-10-14 | EF3 | 2.7 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-03-25 | EF3 | 21.6 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-14 | EF2 | 11.0 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2021 | FEMME OSAGE | EF3 | 1 | 2 | $3.4M |
| Nov 27, 1990 | F2 | 0 | 30 | $25.0M | |
| Oct 15, 1966 | F3 | 0 | 26 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 16, 1988 | F3 | 0 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 1, 2013 | DEFIANCE | EF3 | 0 | 8 | $50.0M |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| Mar 7, 2017 | FORISTELL | EF1 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| May 1, 1983 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2025 | WEST ALTON | EF2 | $222K |
| Nov 5, 2024 | FORISTELL | EF0 | $5K |
| May 7, 2024 | DEFIANCE | EF0 | $0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | WELDON | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | FEMME OSAGE | EF3 | $3.4M |
| May 21, 2019 | AUGUSTA | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | KAMPVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 2017 | FORISTELL | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 26, 2016 | CAPPELN | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2015 | PERUQUE | EF2 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from St. Charles County
- Thunderstorm Wind 367
- Hail 344
- Flash Flood 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado developed about a third of a mile northeast of the intersection of Highway 94 and Osage Ridge Road in southwestern St. Charles County around 7:32 PM CDT. As it moved to the northeast, two houses sustained minor damage and one outbuilding was destroyed on Highway T, just north of intersection with Hemsath Road. The tornado continued northeast and strengthened as it approached Highway F, northwest of Defiance. Multiple homesteads and farms suffered varying degrees of property damage along Highway F to Highway 94. Two homes were completely destroyed. The first home was 110 years old and did not appear to have any anchoring to the concrete foundation. The second home just 100 yards east of the first was swept clean to the subfloor, which was still anchored to the concrete foundation. One fatality and two injuries occurred at this location. The damage was rated EF3 with winds to 165 mph. The tornado continued northeast, crossing the Missouri River and Howell Island before entering St. Louis County in Chesterfield Valley. Dollar amount damage is estimated around $3.4 million.
The 5th tornado spawned by the Heavy Precipitation Supercell that moved across the NWS St. Louis County Warning Area formed in Lake St. Louis. Most of the damage was at the Mystic Village apartment complex where the tornado was briefly F1 in intensity. Altogether, 2 buildings were considered destroyed, 14 homes/apartment/businesses had major damage, and 8 other homes/apartments/.businesses had minor damage.
The tornado continued into St. Charles County after exiting St. Louis County at approximately 9:43 PM. The tornado was nearly �� mile wide as it entered St. Charles County. Some of the most significant damage of the track occurred as the tornado passed through West Alton. Multiple homes sustained damage in the city. The tornado then passed into Madison County, IL. In St. Charles County the tornado had a path length of 4.22 miles with a maximum path width of 1125 yards. It was rated an EF2.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in St. Charles County, Missouri?
43 tornado events are recorded in St. Charles County between 1954 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in St. Charles County?
The strongest tornado on record in St. Charles County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for St. Charles 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 St. Charles County, Missouri.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/missouri/st-charles-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.