278
Recorded events
75
Counties affected
25
Direct deaths
$10.1M
Property damage
Missouri lightning history: 278 recorded events across 75 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Missouri lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 127 reported lightning events across Missouri. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most lightning events in Missouri
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jasper County | 18 | 2 | $1.3M | 1996–2023 |
| #2 | St. Louis County | 16 | 4 | $395K | 1996–2021 |
| #3 | Boone County | 15 | 1 | $635K | 1998–2018 |
| #4 | Greene County | 12 | 4 | $502K | 2000–2017 |
| #5 | Cape Girardeau County | 9 | 0 | $62K | 2002–2014 |
| #6 | Christian County | 9 | 0 | $750K | 2001–2024 |
| #7 | Douglas County | 8 | 0 | $125K | 2001–2022 |
| #8 | Jackson County | 8 | 1 | $326K | 2005–2018 |
| #9 | Cole County | 8 | 0 | $35K | 1997–2018 |
| #10 | Wright County | 8 | 0 | $134K | 2004–2023 |
| #11 | Jefferson County | 8 | 1 | $52K | 1999–2016 |
| #12 | Callaway County | 7 | 1 | $70K | 2003–2016 |
| #13 | Stone County | 7 | 0 | $1.0M | 1996–2019 |
| #14 | St. Charles County | 6 | 0 | $502K | 1996–2014 |
| #15 | Laclede County | 6 | 1 | $550K | 2008–2019 |
| #16 | Ste. Genevieve County | 5 | 0 | $7K | 2001–2010 |
| #17 | St. Louis city | 5 | 1 | $5K | 2002–2020 |
| #18 | Shelby County | 5 | 2 | $157K | 1996–2008 |
| #19 | Phelps County | 5 | 0 | $232K | 2001–2016 |
| #20 | Scott County | 4 | 0 | $140K | 2006–2019 |
| #21 | Taney County | 4 | 0 | $780K | 2001–2017 |
| #22 | Texas County | 4 | 0 | $85K | 2007–2019 |
| #23 | Marion County | 4 | 0 | $25K | 2003–2010 |
| #24 | Howell County | 4 | 0 | $10K | 1998–2020 |
| #25 | Scotland County | 4 | 0 | $275K | 2003–2011 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Missouri
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2002 | Greene County | — | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 17, 2005 | Shelby County | — | 2 | 1 |
| May 15, 2015 | Pemiscot County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 5, 2018 | Jackson County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2011 | Pulaski County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 16, 1996 | Jasper County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 24, 2002 | St. Louis County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 23, 2011 | Jasper County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Apr 25, 2007 | St. Louis County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Barry County | — | 1 | 0 |