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Missouri · County tornado history

Newton County, Missouri tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 53 tornadoes in Newton County, Missouri from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 2 of 115 counties in Missouri with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on February 27, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
53
Since 2000
28
Strongest
EF5, May 22, 2011
Most recent
EF1, February 27, 2023
Peak month
May (12)
Per 1,000 sq mi
85
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 Newton County

May has brought the most, 12 of 53. About 51% touched down between 5 pm and 11 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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 25
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1

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 Newton County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 22, 2011 EF5 (the Joplin tornado) 21.6 mi 1,600 yd 158 1150
May 10, 2008 EF4 75.5 mi 1,760 yd 21 350
April 24, 1975 F4 11.9 mi 500 yd 3 22
May 4, 2003 F3 49 mi 880 yd 7 48
March 26, 1976 F3 29.1 mi 40 yd 1 3
March 12, 1961 F2 1.9 mi 50 yd 6
May 31, 1958 F2 0.5 mi 20 yd
January 27, 1967 F2 4.9 mi 200 yd
April 13, 1974 F2 0.5 mi 100 yd
May 22, 2011 EF2 14.1 mi 800 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Newton County was the Joplin tornado, an EF5 on May 22, 2011. It killed 158 people and injured 1,150 along its 21.6-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 27, 2023 EF1 0.8 mi 200 yd
October 11, 2021 EF1 3.3 mi 90 yd
August 19, 2018 EF0 1.1 mi 40 yd
May 19, 2017 EF0 4.1 mi 300 yd
May 10, 2017 EF0 1 mi 100 yd
April 4, 2017 EF2 16.5 mi 300 yd
April 26, 2016 EF1 0.8 mi 150 yd
May 16, 2015 EF1 12.2 mi 200 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 Newton County as relatively moderate, with a score of 88 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.57 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $5,879,919 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 Newton County had?

53 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 28 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Newton County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on February 27, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Newton County?

An EF5 on May 22, 2011, the Joplin tornado, with a 21.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Newton 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.