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Missouri drought risk

115 counties scored 0 rated Very High

Vernon County has the highest drought risk in Missouri, scoring 94.7 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Vernon County 94.7 Relatively High 0
2 Dunklin County 94.2 Relatively High 0
3 Pemiscot County 94 Relatively High 0
4 Barton County 92.8 Relatively High 0
5 Jasper County 92.6 Relatively High 0
6 Harrison County 90.6 Relatively High 0
7 Atchison County 90.3 Relatively Moderate 0
8 Gentry County 88.6 Relatively Moderate 0
9 Holt County 86.5 Relatively Moderate 0
10 Grundy County 85 Relatively Moderate 0
11 Daviess County 84.8 Relatively Moderate 0
12 Nodaway County 84.5 Relatively Moderate 0
13 Saline County 82.5 Relatively Moderate 0
14 Mississippi County 82 Relatively Moderate 0
15 Carroll County 81.6 Relatively Moderate 0
16 St. Clair County 80.8 Relatively Moderate 0
17 New Madrid County 79.7 Relatively Moderate 0
18 Henry County 78.7 Relatively Moderate 0
19 Newton County 78.1 Relatively Moderate 0
20 Mercer County 77.4 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Livingston County 76.9 Relatively Moderate 0
22 Audrain County 76.3 Relatively Moderate 0
23 Benton County 76.2 Relatively Moderate 0
24 Pettis County 75.8 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Dade County 75.3 Relatively Moderate 0
26 Lawrence County 74.9 Relatively Moderate 1
27 Scott County 74.3 Relatively Moderate 0
28 Chariton County 73 Relatively Moderate 0
29 Buchanan County 72.3 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Linn County 72.1 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Barry County 71.9 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Andrew County 71.8 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Putnam County 71 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Sullivan County 70.7 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Worth County 69.4 Relatively Moderate 0
36 McDonald County 69.2 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Stoddard County 69.2 Relatively Moderate 0
38 DeKalb County 68.8 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Scotland County 68.4 Relatively Moderate 0
40 Clinton County 68 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Lafayette County 68 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Caldwell County 67.2 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Polk County 65.6 Relatively Moderate 0
44 Ray County 65.3 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Cooper County 64.5 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Morgan County 64.3 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Clark County 62.6 Relatively Low 0
48 Johnson County 62.2 Relatively Low 0
49 Lewis County 62.2 Relatively Low 0
50 Knox County 61.8 Relatively Low 0
51 Marion County 61.6 Relatively Low 0
52 Cape Girardeau County 61 Relatively Low 0
53 Shelby County 60.9 Relatively Low 0
54 Dallas County 60.4 Relatively Low 0
55 Macon County 60.3 Relatively Low 0
56 Bates County 60.1 Relatively Low 0
57 Monroe County 60.1 Relatively Low 0
58 Cedar County 59.5 Relatively Low 0
59 Moniteau County 58.9 Relatively Low 0
60 Montgomery County 58 Relatively Low 0
61 Callaway County 57.4 Relatively Low 0
62 Platte County 57.1 Relatively Low 0
63 Howard County 55.8 Relatively Low 0
64 Pike County 55.6 Relatively Low 0
65 Schuyler County 55.3 Relatively Low 0
66 Butler County 53.8 Relatively Low 0
67 Ralls County 52.9 Relatively Low 0
68 Hickory County 52.7 Relatively Low 0
69 Cass County 49.9 Relatively Low 0
70 Stone County 49.8 Relatively Low 0
71 Boone County 49.7 Relatively Low 0
72 Adair County 48.7 Relatively Low 0
73 Jackson County 46.1 Relatively Low 0
74 Taney County 45.8 Relatively Low 0
75 Randolph County 44.7 Relatively Low 0
76 Greene County 44.4 Relatively Low 0
77 Clay County 43.5 Relatively Low 0
78 Lincoln County 43.3 Relatively Low 0
79 Laclede County 41.3 Relatively Low 0
80 Bollinger County 39.6 Relatively Low 0
81 Cole County 39.3 Relatively Low 0
82 Webster County 39.3 Relatively Low 0
83 Osage County 39 Relatively Low 0
84 Christian County 38.2 Relatively Low 0
85 Maries County 37.8 Relatively Low 0
86 Miller County 37.2 Relatively Low 0
87 Texas County 36.9 Relatively Low 0
88 Perry County 36.7 Relatively Low 0
89 Wright County 36.3 Relatively Low 0
90 Ripley County 35.7 Relatively Low 0
91 Gasconade County 35.5 Relatively Low 0
92 Howell County 32.7 Relatively Low 0
93 St. Charles County 32.3 Relatively Low 0
94 Wayne County 32.2 Relatively Low 0
95 Camden County 31.6 Relatively Low 0
96 Warren County 30.9 Relatively Low 0
97 Ozark County 30.2 Very Low 0
98 Franklin County 30.1 Very Low 0
99 Phelps County 29.7 Very Low 0
100 Dent County 29.1 Very Low 0
101 Ste. Genevieve County 28.9 Very Low 0
102 St. Louis County 27.8 Very Low 0
103 Pulaski County 26.7 Very Low 0
104 Douglas County 26.4 Very Low 0
105 Crawford County 25.9 Very Low 0
106 St. Francois County 25 Very Low 0
107 Jefferson County 22.3 Very Low 0
108 Washington County 21 Very Low 0
109 Carter County 16.8 Very Low 0
110 Madison County 16.4 Very Low 0
111 Iron County 15.7 Very Low 0
112 Reynolds County 15 Very Low 0
113 Oregon County 0 No Rating 0
114 Shannon County 0 No Rating 0
115 St. Louis 0 No Rating 0

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.

Drought risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Missouri:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest drought risk county in Missouri?

Vernon County, MO has the highest drought risk in Missouri, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 94.7 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").

What causes drought risk in Missouri?

Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.