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Missouri · County tornado history

Mississippi County, Missouri tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 27 tornadoes in Mississippi County, Missouri from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.8 years. That ranks it 41 of 115 counties in Missouri with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on July 26, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
27
Since 2000
9
Strongest
F4, April 22, 1981
Most recent
EF-U, July 26, 2024
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
63
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 Mississippi County

April has brought the most, 7 of 27. About 41% 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

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 Mississippi County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 22, 1981 F4 63 mi 400 yd 1 32
March 20, 1955 F3 3.6 mi 250 yd 17
November 24, 1973 F2 57.3 mi 10 yd 2 6
July 15, 1971 F2 1 mi 33 yd 6
April 1, 1970 F2 5.1 mi 50 yd 4
May 6, 2003 F2 25 mi 400 yd 1
May 22, 1957 F2 0.4 mi 33 yd
February 8, 1962 F2 0.1 mi 30 yd
July 15, 1971 F2 0.2 mi 17 yd
January 18, 1996 F1 2 mi 50 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Mississippi County was an F2 on November 24, 1973. It killed 2 people and injured 6 along its 57.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 26, 2024 EF-U 0.4 mi 25 yd
July 8, 2024 EF-U 0.7 mi 25 yd
May 4, 2021 EF1 3.7 mi 400 yd
March 1, 2017 EF1 15.2 mi 200 yd
October 31, 2013 EF1 7.6 mi 200 yd
April 30, 2006 F0 0.2 mi 50 yd
November 15, 2005 F0 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 6, 2003 F2 25 mi 400 yd 1

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 Mississippi County as relatively moderate, with a score of 68 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.38 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,907,412 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 Mississippi County had?

27 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 9 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Mississippi County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on July 26, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Mississippi County?

An F4 on April 22, 1981, with a 63-mile path.

When is tornado season in Mississippi County?

April 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.