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Missouri · County tornado history

Pettis County, Missouri tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 43 tornadoes in Pettis County, Missouri from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.7 years. That ranks it 13 of 115 counties in Missouri with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 7, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
43
Since 2000
23
Strongest
F3, May 12, 1980
Most recent
EF1, May 7, 2024
Peak month
May (11)
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 Pettis County

May has brought the most, 11 of 43. About 70% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 16
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 16
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
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 Pettis County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 4, 1977 F3 11.2 mi 700 yd 24
May 12, 1980 F3 15.8 mi 300 yd 23
April 20, 1973 F3 19.4 mi 100 yd 4
April 20, 1973 F3 5 mi 50 yd
April 20, 1973 F3 10.1 mi 100 yd
August 21, 1952 F2 1.3 mi 300 yd 1 13
March 12, 2006 F2 11.2 mi 500 yd 1 6
May 25, 2011 EF2 2.1 mi 500 yd 20
April 20, 1973 F2 2 mi 50 yd 8
March 12, 2006 F2 20 mi 150 yd 6

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Pettis County was an F2 on August 21, 1952. It killed 1 person and injured 13 along its 1.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 7, 2024 EF1 9.7 mi 75 yd
October 24, 2021 EF0 1.2 mi 10 yd
October 24, 2021 EF0 0.5 mi 10 yd
March 6, 2017 EF0 3.9 mi 25 yd
May 20, 2013 EF1 14.5 mi 200 yd
May 25, 2011 EF0 0.1 mi 40 yd
May 25, 2011 EF2 2.1 mi 500 yd 20
May 20, 2010 EF0 0.5 mi 25 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 Pettis County as relatively moderate, with a score of 80 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.35 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,107,773 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 Pettis County had?

43 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 23 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Pettis County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 7, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pettis County?

An F3 on May 12, 1980, with a 15.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pettis 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.