3,099
Recorded events
115
Counties affected
423
Direct deaths
$7.1B
Property damage
Missouri tornado history: 3,099 recorded events across 115 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Missouri tornado history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 675 reported tornado 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 tornado events in Missouri
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Greene County | 59 | 6 | $115.5M | 1950–2025 |
| #2 | St. Louis County | 57 | 15 | $331.7M | 1950–2026 |
| #3 | Newton County | 54 | 17 | $73.4M | 1954–2025 |
| #4 | Jasper County | 53 | 163 | $2.9B | 1951–2026 |
| #5 | Jackson County | 50 | 37 | $11.6M | 1952–2025 |
| #6 | Howell County | 50 | 4 | $46.1M | 1951–2026 |
| #7 | Barry County | 49 | 4 | $21.9M | 1954–2025 |
| #8 | Scott County | 49 | 10 | $52.9M | 1955–2025 |
| #9 | Stoddard County | 48 | 1 | $9.9M | 1960–2025 |
| #10 | Butler County | 47 | 2 | $59.7M | 1968–2025 |
| #11 | Cape Girardeau County | 47 | 1 | $18.3M | 1952–2025 |
| #12 | Christian County | 45 | 1 | $99.0M | 1954–2025 |
| #13 | Jefferson County | 44 | 1 | $9.6M | 1961–2025 |
| #14 | St. Charles County | 43 | 1 | $94.3M | 1954–2025 |
| #15 | Callaway County | 42 | 1 | $1.0M | 1959–2026 |
| #16 | Cass County | 41 | 3 | $31.4M | 1955–2025 |
| #17 | Pettis County | 41 | 3 | $85.5M | 1952–2024 |
| #18 | Texas County | 41 | 2 | $10.0M | 1953–2026 |
| #19 | Webster County | 40 | 2 | $19.7M | 1954–2025 |
| #20 | Douglas County | 40 | 0 | $7.3M | 1957–2025 |
| #21 | Barton County | 40 | 5 | $48.9M | 1954–2026 |
| #22 | Pemiscot County | 40 | 24 | $64.7M | 1952–2025 |
| #23 | New Madrid County | 39 | 0 | $29.1M | 1951–2025 |
| #24 | Dunklin County | 39 | 2 | $33.8M | 1954–2026 |
| #25 | Polk County | 38 | 0 | $12.8M | 1955–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in Missouri
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2011 | Jasper County | EF5 | 158 | 1,150 |
| May 21, 1957 | Jackson County | F5 | 37 | 176 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | Pemiscot County | F4 | 17 | 100 |
| May 10, 2008 | Newton County | EF4 | 14 | 200 |
| Feb 10, 1959 | St. Louis city | F4 | 11 | 175 |
| Feb 10, 1959 | St. Louis County | F4 | 10 | 170 |
| May 21, 1957 | St. Francois County | F3 | 8 | 49 |
| May 21, 1957 | Carter County | F4 | 7 | 75 |
| Apr 5, 2023 | Bollinger County | EF2 | 5 | 4 |
| May 4, 2003 | Lawrence County | F3 | 5 | 33 |