Tornadoes in Missouri
The Storm Prediction Center records 2,741 tornadoes that touched Missouri between 1950 and 2025, and 2,656 of them began there. A tornado that crossed a state line counts in every state it touched. They killed 466 people and injured 5,190. The busiest month is May, with 728 tornadoes. Missouri ranks number 10 among states for the number of tornadoes recorded.
- 2,741tornadoes
- 466deaths
- 5,190injuries
- 399per 10,000 sq mi of land
- 115counties touched
Tornadoes per 10,000 square miles lets you compare states of different sizes. It counts every tornado that touched the state.
How strong were Missouri's tornadoes?
| Rating | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| F0 / EF0 | 1,068 | 39% |
| F1 / EF1 | 1,089 | 40% |
| F2 / EF2 | 400 | 15% |
| F3 / EF3 | 126 | 5% |
| F4 / EF4 | 44 | 2% |
| F5 / EF5 | 2 | <1% |
| Unknown rating | 12 | <1% |
Missouri tornadoes over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. The record starts in 1950.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 222 |
| 1960s | 323 |
| 1970s | 246 |
| 1980s | 250 |
| 1990s | 293 |
| 2000s | 581 |
| 2010s | 530 |
| 2020s | 296 |
The record has changed over the decades as detection and reporting improved, so more weak tornadoes show up in recent years than in the 1950s. The year with the most in Missouri was 2006, with 102.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 92 |
| Feb | 83 |
| Mar | 256 |
| Apr | 556 |
| May | 728 |
| Jun | 350 |
| Jul | 138 |
| Aug | 60 |
| Sep | 114 |
| Oct | 133 |
| Nov | 94 |
| Dec | 137 |
Deadliest tornadoes that touched Missouri
- Joplin, Missouri tornado22 May 2011, EF5, 158 deaths, 1,150 injuries, 21.6 miles long
- Overland Park, Kansas tornado20 May 1957, F5, 44 deaths, 207 injuries, 69.4 miles long
- Welch, Oklahoma tornado10 May 2008, EF4, 21 deaths, 350 injuries, 75.5 miles long
- St. Louis, Missouri tornado10 February 1959, F4, 21 deaths, 345 injuries, 23.9 miles long
- Cooter, Missouri tornado21 March 1952, F4, 17 deaths, 100 injuries, 6.5 miles long
- Bay, Arkansas tornado10 December 2021, EF4, 8 deaths, 14 injuries, 81.2 miles long
Strongest tornadoes that touched Missouri
- Joplin, Missouri tornado22 May 2011, EF5, 158 deaths, 1,150 injuries, 21.6 miles long
- Overland Park, Kansas tornado20 May 1957, F5, 44 deaths, 207 injuries, 69.4 miles long
- Welch, Oklahoma tornado10 May 2008, EF4, 21 deaths, 350 injuries, 75.5 miles long
- St. Louis, Missouri tornado10 February 1959, F4, 21 deaths, 345 injuries, 23.9 miles long
- Cooter, Missouri tornado21 March 1952, F4, 17 deaths, 100 injuries, 6.5 miles long
- Bay, Arkansas tornado10 December 2021, EF4, 8 deaths, 14 injuries, 81.2 miles long
Most recent tornadoes in Missouri
- Missouri tornado10 August 2025, Unknown rating, 0.1 miles long
- Missouri tornado9 August 2025, EF1, 3.1 miles long
- Missouri tornado9 August 2025, EF1, 0.4 miles long
- Missouri tornado11 July 2025, EF0, 0.9 miles long
- Missouri tornado18 June 2025, EF1, 3.6 miles long
Notable Missouri tornadoes with their own pages
- Joplin, Missouri tornado22 May 2011, EF5, 158 deaths, 1,150 injuries, 21.6 miles long
- Overland Park, Kansas tornado20 May 1957, F5, 44 deaths, 207 injuries, 69.4 miles long
- Welch, Oklahoma tornado10 May 2008, EF4, 21 deaths, 350 injuries, 75.5 miles long
- St. Louis, Missouri tornado10 February 1959, F4, 21 deaths, 345 injuries, 23.9 miles long
- Cooter, Missouri tornado21 March 1952, F4, 17 deaths, 100 injuries, 6.5 miles long
- Bay, Arkansas tornado10 December 2021, EF4, 8 deaths, 14 injuries, 81.2 miles long
- Caledonia, Missouri tornado21 May 1957, F3, 8 deaths, 50 injuries, 22.2 miles long
- Winona, Missouri tornado21 May 1957, F4, 7 deaths, 75 injuries, 9.1 miles long
- Springfield, Missouri tornado4 May 2003, F3, 7 deaths, 48 injuries, 49 miles long
- Belleville, Illinois tornado24 February 1956, F4, 6 deaths, 36 injuries, 77.6 miles long
- Liberal, Missouri tornado4 May 2003, F3, 5 deaths, 47 injuries, 86 miles long
- Chetopa, Kansas tornado4 May 2003, F3, 5 deaths, 34 injuries, 25 miles long
Many of these tornadoes killed or injured people. The numbers are the official record's, and they may be revised.
Missouri counties
Every county that a tornado has touched is listed, most tornadoes first. 115 of them have at least 3 tornadoes and their own page.