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Missouri · County tornado history

St. Francois County, Missouri tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 23 tornadoes in St. Francois County, Missouri from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.3 years. That ranks it 59 of 115 counties in Missouri with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on October 24, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
23
Since 2000
10
Strongest
F4, June 22, 1969
Most recent
EF3, October 24, 2021
Peak month
May (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
51
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 St. Francois County

May has brought the most, 6 of 23. About 65% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 17% 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) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 8
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 St. Francois County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 22, 1969 F4 15.1 mi 440 yd 4 14
May 21, 1957 F3 22.2 mi 400 yd 8 50
October 24, 2021 EF3 16.7 mi 450 yd 1
December 18, 1957 F2 2.7 mi 33 yd 1 1
June 10, 1963 F2 2 mi 50 yd 2
March 18, 1952 F2 18.4 mi 100 yd 1
September 22, 2006 F2 25 mi 880 yd 1
February 9, 1960 F2 9.3 mi 100 yd
May 16, 1963 F2 4.9 mi 50 yd
May 24, 1971 F2 25.4 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch St. Francois County was an F3 on May 21, 1957. It killed 8 people and injured 50 along its 22.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 24, 2021 EF3 16.7 mi 450 yd 1
July 31, 2021 EF0 0.9 mi 120 yd
June 27, 2020 EF1 0.7 mi 125 yd
May 14, 2009 EF1 0.6 mi 200 yd
September 22, 2006 F2 25 mi 880 yd 1
April 2, 2006 F0 0.1 mi 50 yd
March 11, 2006 F1 11 mi 300 yd
June 12, 2004 F0 1.5 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 St. Francois County as relatively moderate, with a score of 85 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.32 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,813,490 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 St. Francois County had?

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

When was the last tornado in St. Francois County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on October 24, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in St. Francois County?

An F4 on June 22, 1969, with a 15.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in St. Francois 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.