Missouri has a long and well-documented history of severe storms, with 2,961 confirmed tornadoes, 19,574 hailstorm events and 19,067 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950. The state ranks 10th nationally for tornado frequency, and averages 39.5 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Missouri lies within Tornado Alley, the historic core of the country’s most active severe-weather climate. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Missouri from the official NOAA Storm Events Database (1950 through September 2025).

Use the map to find your county, click any marker for the date, magnitude, and casualty details of that event, and switch between tornadoes, hail and wind using the chips. For the national view across all 50 states, see our NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. For tornado tracks specifically, see the US Tornado Tracks map; for hail size and frequency, the US Hailstorms map.

Missouri Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)

• 2,961 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
• 713 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
• 2 confirmed F5/EF5 tornadoes on record — the maximum rating on the Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scales
• 407 direct tornado deaths and 4,527 direct injuries
• 19,574 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
• 19,067 damaging-wind events on record
• 39.5 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
• May is the peak severe-weather month, accounting for roughly 27.4% of Missouri tornadoes
• 910 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS

When Missouri Severe Weather Happens

Missouri tornado activity is heavily concentrated in spring. March, April, May and June account for 68% of all Missouri tornadoes, with May alone responsible for roughly 27.4%.

• May: 812 tornadoes (27.4%) — peak month
• April: 577 tornadoes (19.5%)
• June: 332 tornadoes (11.2%)
• March: 291 tornadoes (9.8%)
• December: 170 tornadoes (5.7%)
• October: 157 tornadoes (5.3%)

Top 10 Missouri Counties by Tornado Frequency

Tornado activity in Missouri is geographically broad, but a handful of counties have logged many times the state average. The combination of population density (more spotters and damage reports), county land area and local climatology drives the rankings below.

The Deadliest Tornadoes in Missouri History

Missouri has lost 407 lives to tornadoes since the National Weather Service began systematic tornado record-keeping in 1950. The single deadliest event killed 158 people in Jasper County in 2011, rated EF5 on the Fujita scale.

Missouri Tornado Strength Distribution

Most Missouri tornadoes are weak: roughly 76% are rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Violent tornadoes (F2+/EF2+) account for around 24.3% of rated tornadoes in the state. Missouri is one of the few states with a confirmed F5 or EF5 tornado on record.

• F0/EF0 (weak): 1,106 tornadoes — 37.7% of rated events
• F1/EF1: 1,118 tornadoes — 38.1% of rated events
• F2/EF2 (strong): 480 tornadoes — 16.3% of rated events
• F3/EF3: 167 tornadoes — 5.7% of rated events
• F4/EF4 (violent): 64 tornadoes — 2.2% of rated events
• F5/EF5 (incredible): 2 tornadoes — 0.1% of rated events

Record-Setting Severe Weather in Missouri

Largest hailstone: 6.00 inches in diameter, observed in Linn County near Meadville on May 24, 2004. The three largest hailstones on record in Missouri measured 6.00″, 5.50″, 5.25″.

Highest measured wind gust: 98 knots (113 mph) recorded in Saline County near Marshall on May 10, 2014. Most damaging-wind events in Missouri are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.

How Missouri Compares Nationally

Missouri ranks 10th nationally for tornado frequency since 1950, placing it in the upper third of states by severe-weather activity.

• Tornadoes (top 5): Texas (9,908), Kansas (4,890), Oklahoma (4,856), Florida (3,779), Iowa (3,417).
• Missouri tornado total: 2,961 — ranked 10th nationally.
• Missouri hail total: 19,574 hail events on record since 1950.
• Missouri wind total: 19,067 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes does Missouri have on average per year?

Missouri averages 39.5 tornadoes per year over the 1950–2025 period. Counts vary widely year to year, but the long-term mean over 75 years of NWS records is a reliable benchmark for typical activity.

What was the deadliest tornado in Missouri history?

The May 22, 2011 tornado, rated EF5 on the Fujita scale, killed 158 people and injured 1,150 in Jasper County. It remains the single deadliest tornado in the Missouri modern record.

Where in Missouri are tornadoes most common?

The single county with the most tornadoes on record is Greene County with 56 events. The three most active counties overall are Greene, Newton, Jasper.

How does Missouri compare to its neighbors?

Missouri shares a severe-weather climate with Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Missouri’s neighbors’ records on the same date.

How recent is the data on this map?

The map and statistics on this page are pulled from NOAA’s official Storm Events Database, which currently runs from January 1950 through September 2025. New records typically appear in the database within 30–90 days of the event date, once damage surveys and ratings are complete.

Compare Missouri to Neighboring States

Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Missouri tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Missouri’s storm history to its land neighbors:

• Iowa severe storm history — ranked 5th nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Illinois severe storm history — ranked 6th nationally, Great Lakes severe-weather and lake-effect winters
• Kentucky severe storm history — ranked 23rd nationally, Dixie Alley state with frequent overnight tornadoes
• Tennessee severe storm history — ranked 21st nationally, Dixie Alley state with frequent overnight tornadoes
• Arkansas severe storm history — ranked 12th nationally, Dixie Alley state with frequent overnight tornadoes
• Oklahoma severe storm history — ranked 3rd nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Kansas severe storm history — ranked 2nd nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Nebraska severe storm history — ranked 7th nationally, core Tornado Alley state

Explore the national NOAA Storm Reports map · US Tornado Tracks map · US Hailstorms map