Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Missouri · County tornado history

Cedar County, Missouri tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 20 tornadoes in Cedar County, Missouri from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.8 years. That ranks it 77 of 115 counties in Missouri with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on January 10, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
20
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F3, May 4, 2003
Most recent
EF1, January 10, 2020
Peak month
March (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
40
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Cedar County

March has brought the most, 6 of 20. About 50% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 20% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
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 Cedar County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 4, 2003 F3 86 mi 880 yd 5 47
March 15, 1982 F3 70 mi 600 yd 2 8
April 20, 1973 F3 1 mi 50 yd
March 12, 2006 F2 38 mi 300 yd 1 7
September 16, 1958 F2 2.3 mi 50 yd
February 9, 1959 F1 14.4 mi 100 yd
March 5, 1961 F1 2.5 mi 50 yd
March 5, 1961 F1 0.2 mi 17 yd
July 4, 1992 F1 1 mi 20 yd
December 18, 2002 F1 1 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Cedar County was an F3 on May 4, 2003. It killed 5 people and injured 47 along its 86-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 10, 2020 EF1 8.7 mi 50 yd
May 20, 2013 EF0 3.2 mi 100 yd
January 29, 2013 EF1 2.7 mi 200 yd
June 16, 2009 EF1 5.8 mi 150 yd
March 31, 2008 EF0 0.6 mi 75 yd
March 12, 2006 F0 57 mi 50 yd
March 12, 2006 F2 38 mi 300 yd 1 7
May 4, 2003 F0 0.2 mi 20 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 Cedar County as relatively low, with a score of 63 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.33 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,698,606 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 Cedar County had?

20 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Cedar County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on January 10, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Cedar County?

An F3 on May 4, 2003, with a 86-mile path.

When is tornado season in Cedar County?

March 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.