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Missouri · County tornado history

Adair County, Missouri tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 10 tornadoes in Adair County, Missouri from 1950 through 2024, about one every 7.5 years. That ranks it 110 of 115 counties in Missouri with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on September 10, 2014.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
10
Since 2000
4
Strongest
EF2, May 13, 2009
Most recent
EF1, September 10, 2014
Peak month
May (4)
Per 1,000 sq mi
17
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Adair County

May has brought the most, 4 of 10. About 60% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Adair County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 13, 2009 EF2 5.8 mi 150 yd 2 6
May 16, 1960 F2 8.7 mi 17 yd
May 26, 1973 F1 5 mi 50 yd
September 16, 1987 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 13, 2009 EF1 7.7 mi 100 yd
September 10, 2014 EF1 18.3 mi 20 yd
September 21, 1965 F0 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 30, 1993 F0 0.4 mi 30 yd
June 14, 1998 F0 5 mi 30 yd
June 4, 2010 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Adair County was an EF2 on May 13, 2009. It killed 2 people and injured 6 along its 5.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
September 10, 2014 EF1 18.3 mi 20 yd
June 4, 2010 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
May 13, 2009 EF2 5.8 mi 150 yd 2 6
May 13, 2009 EF1 7.7 mi 100 yd
June 14, 1998 F0 5 mi 30 yd
June 30, 1993 F0 0.4 mi 30 yd
September 16, 1987 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 26, 1973 F1 5 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Adair County as relatively moderate, with a score of 75 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.27 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,793,379 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Adair County had?

10 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 4 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Adair County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on September 10, 2014. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Adair County?

An EF2 on May 13, 2009, with a 5.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Adair County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.