Missouri cold wave risk
115 counties scored 1 rated Very High
St. Louis County has the highest cold wave risk in Missouri, scoring 99.1 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | 99.1 | Very High |
| 2 | Clay County | 97.7 | Relatively High |
| 3 | Jackson County | 96 | Relatively High |
| 4 | Reynolds County | 95.3 | Relatively High |
| 5 | St. Charles County | 92.7 | Relatively High |
| 6 | Shannon County | 92.6 | Relatively High |
| 7 | Dent County | 92.5 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Texas County | 91.3 | Relatively High |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 88.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 10 | Lafayette County | 88.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 11 | Washington County | 88.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 12 | Laclede County | 87.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | St. Louis | 87.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Iron County | 86.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Buchanan County | 86.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Crawford County | 85.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 17 | Wayne County | 85 | Relatively Moderate |
| 18 | Cass County | 84.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 19 | Platte County | 82.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 20 | Johnson County | 81.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 21 | Boone County | 80.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 22 | Pulaski County | 80.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 23 | Oregon County | 79.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 24 | Carter County | 79.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 25 | Taney County | 79.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 26 | Greene County | 78.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 27 | Camden County | 78.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 28 | Cape Girardeau County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 29 | Ray County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 30 | Pettis County | 78.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 31 | Howell County | 77.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 32 | Phelps County | 77.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 33 | Madison County | 76 | Relatively Moderate |
| 34 | Franklin County | 75.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 35 | St. Francois County | 75.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 36 | Wright County | 74.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 37 | Stoddard County | 74 | Relatively Moderate |
| 38 | Morgan County | 73.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 39 | Saline County | 72.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 40 | Barry County | 72 | Relatively Moderate |
| 41 | Ripley County | 71.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 42 | Jasper County | 70.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 43 | Lincoln County | 70.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 44 | Clinton County | 69.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 45 | Callaway County | 68.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 46 | Scott County | 67.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 47 | Randolph County | 66.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 48 | Newton County | 66.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 49 | Audrain County | 64.3 | Relatively Low |
| 50 | Miller County | 64.3 | Relatively Low |
| 51 | Benton County | 61.4 | Relatively Low |
| 52 | Henry County | 59.8 | Relatively Low |
| 53 | Stone County | 59.4 | Relatively Low |
| 54 | Marion County | 59.1 | Relatively Low |
| 55 | Ste. Genevieve County | 58.1 | Relatively Low |
| 56 | Butler County | 57.3 | Relatively Low |
| 57 | Maries County | 57.1 | Relatively Low |
| 58 | Pemiscot County | 57 | Relatively Low |
| 59 | Vernon County | 56.4 | Relatively Low |
| 60 | Cole County | 56.3 | Relatively Low |
| 61 | Perry County | 56 | Relatively Low |
| 62 | Pike County | 54.6 | Relatively Low |
| 63 | McDonald County | 54.5 | Relatively Low |
| 64 | Nodaway County | 54.4 | Relatively Low |
| 65 | Moniteau County | 54.1 | Relatively Low |
| 66 | Carroll County | 53.5 | Relatively Low |
| 67 | Caldwell County | 53.2 | Relatively Low |
| 68 | Bates County | 53.1 | Relatively Low |
| 69 | Harrison County | 52.9 | Relatively Low |
| 70 | Lawrence County | 51.8 | Relatively Low |
| 71 | Daviess County | 51.5 | Relatively Low |
| 72 | Polk County | 49.8 | Relatively Low |
| 73 | Webster County | 49.7 | Relatively Low |
| 74 | Dunklin County | 49.6 | Relatively Low |
| 75 | Gasconade County | 49.4 | Relatively Low |
| 76 | Grundy County | 49.3 | Relatively Low |
| 77 | New Madrid County | 49.2 | Relatively Low |
| 78 | Andrew County | 48.7 | Relatively Low |
| 79 | Cedar County | 48.6 | Relatively Low |
| 80 | Barton County | 48.5 | Relatively Low |
| 81 | Livingston County | 48.3 | Relatively Low |
| 82 | St. Clair County | 48.1 | Relatively Low |
| 83 | Warren County | 46.9 | Relatively Low |
| 84 | Linn County | 46.8 | Relatively Low |
| 85 | Gentry County | 46.4 | Relatively Low |
| 86 | Douglas County | 46.3 | Relatively Low |
| 87 | Dade County | 46.2 | Relatively Low |
| 88 | Mississippi County | 45.1 | Relatively Low |
| 89 | Christian County | 44.6 | Relatively Low |
| 90 | Cooper County | 42.1 | Relatively Low |
| 91 | DeKalb County | 42 | Relatively Low |
| 92 | Ozark County | 41.5 | Relatively Low |
| 93 | Sullivan County | 40.9 | Relatively Low |
| 94 | Montgomery County | 40.8 | Relatively Low |
| 95 | Bollinger County | 39.7 | Relatively Low |
| 96 | Chariton County | 38.7 | Relatively Low |
| 97 | Hickory County | 38.3 | Relatively Low |
| 98 | Atchison County | 38.2 | Relatively Low |
| 99 | Lewis County | 36.6 | Relatively Low |
| 100 | Scotland County | 35.9 | Relatively Low |
| 101 | Monroe County | 35.7 | Relatively Low |
| 102 | Howard County | 35.6 | Relatively Low |
| 103 | Dallas County | 35.5 | Relatively Low |
| 104 | Mercer County | 34.8 | Relatively Low |
| 105 | Macon County | 31.8 | Relatively Low |
| 106 | Osage County | 31.2 | Relatively Low |
| 107 | Putnam County | 30.4 | Relatively Low |
| 108 | Holt County | 27.5 | Relatively Low |
| 109 | Adair County | 27.3 | Relatively Low |
| 110 | Ralls County | 26.9 | Relatively Low |
| 111 | Shelby County | 25.7 | Relatively Low |
| 112 | Knox County | 24.3 | Relatively Low |
| 113 | Worth County | 23.4 | Very Low |
| 114 | Clark County | 22.8 | Very Low |
| 115 | Schuyler County | 13.3 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Cold Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Missouri:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cold wave risk county in Missouri?
St. Louis County, MO has the highest cold wave risk in Missouri, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.1 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Missouri are rated Very High for cold wave risk?
1 of 115 scored Missouri counties are rated "Very High" for cold wave risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes cold wave risk in Missouri?
Cold wave risk captures expected losses from extended periods of extreme cold, including wind chill. The northern Plains, Great Lakes, and interior New England see the most severe and frequent cold events. Cold extremes cause significant excess mortality, especially among unhoused populations, the elderly, and those with inadequate heating or insulation. Cold and wind chill events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.