Missouri heat wave risk
115 counties scored 2 rated Very High
St. Louis County has the highest heat wave risk in Missouri, scoring 99.9 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded heat wave events across Missouri have increased 50% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | 99.9 | Very High | 21 |
| 2 | St. Louis | 99.8 | Very High | 19 |
| 3 | Jackson County | 99.1 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 4 | Greene County | 98.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Clay County | 96.7 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 6 | Iron County | 96.4 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 7 | Washington County | 96 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 8 | St. Francois County | 95.7 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 9 | St. Charles County | 95.6 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 10 | Jasper County | 94.4 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 11 | Cole County | 94.3 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 12 | Boone County | 93.8 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 13 | Franklin County | 93.7 | Relatively Moderate | 7 |
| 14 | Scotland County | 93.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 15 | Butler County | 93.5 | Relatively Moderate | 51 |
| 16 | Ste. Genevieve County | 93.3 | Relatively Moderate | 7 |
| 17 | Lincoln County | 92.6 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 18 | Warren County | 92.6 | Relatively Moderate | 7 |
| 19 | Cape Girardeau County | 92.3 | Relatively Moderate | 44 |
| 20 | Jefferson County | 92.1 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 21 | Camden County | 91.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Callaway County | 91.6 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 23 | Platte County | 90.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 24 | Newton County | 90.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Phelps County | 89.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Buchanan County | 89.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 27 | Pulaski County | 89.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Dunklin County | 89.6 | Relatively Moderate | 95 |
| 29 | Christian County | 89 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Cass County | 88.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 31 | Pike County | 88.7 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 32 | Taney County | 88.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | New Madrid County | 88.3 | Relatively Moderate | 49 |
| 34 | Pettis County | 87.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 35 | Knox County | 87.8 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 36 | Texas County | 87.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Crawford County | 87.2 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 38 | Montgomery County | 87.1 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 39 | Morgan County | 87.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Howell County | 87 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 41 | Laclede County | 86.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Worth County | 86.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 43 | Audrain County | 85.5 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 44 | Scott County | 85.5 | Relatively Moderate | 49 |
| 45 | Stoddard County | 85.2 | Relatively Moderate | 49 |
| 46 | Miller County | 85.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Pemiscot County | 84.8 | Relatively Moderate | 95 |
| 48 | Reynolds County | 84.7 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 49 | Lawrence County | 84.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 50 | Ozark County | 84.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 51 | Madison County | 84.2 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 52 | Clark County | 83.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 53 | Barry County | 83.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 54 | Lewis County | 83 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 55 | Monroe County | 82.9 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 56 | Wayne County | 82.6 | Relatively Moderate | 46 |
| 57 | Gentry County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 58 | Moniteau County | 82 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 59 | Webster County | 81.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 60 | Polk County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 61 | Stone County | 81.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 62 | Johnson County | 81.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 63 | Saline County | 81 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 64 | Wright County | 80.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 65 | Shelby County | 79.8 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 66 | Marion County | 79.7 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 67 | Gasconade County | 79.4 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 68 | Osage County | 79.2 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 69 | Dent County | 79 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 70 | Randolph County | 78.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 71 | Benton County | 78.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 72 | Ripley County | 77.1 | Relatively Low | 50 |
| 73 | Lafayette County | 75.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 74 | Shannon County | 75 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Vernon County | 74.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 76 | Ralls County | 74.7 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 77 | McDonald County | 74.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Perry County | 72.9 | Relatively Low | 42 |
| 79 | Douglas County | 71.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Dallas County | 71.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Ray County | 70.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 82 | Henry County | 70.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 83 | Oregon County | 69 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 84 | Cooper County | 67.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 85 | Cedar County | 67.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 86 | Daviess County | 67.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 87 | Harrison County | 66.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 88 | Adair County | 66.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 89 | Carter County | 65 | Relatively Low | 47 |
| 90 | Maries County | 64.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 91 | Dade County | 64.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 92 | Linn County | 64.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 93 | Mississippi County | 64.1 | Relatively Low | 48 |
| 94 | Chariton County | 63.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 95 | Bates County | 62.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 96 | Atchison County | 62.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 97 | Clinton County | 62.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 98 | Macon County | 62.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 99 | Barton County | 62 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 100 | Howard County | 61.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 101 | Grundy County | 61.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 102 | Nodaway County | 57.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 103 | Hickory County | 57 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 104 | St. Clair County | 57 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 105 | Livingston County | 56.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 106 | Bollinger County | 55.2 | Relatively Low | 44 |
| 107 | Carroll County | 53.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 108 | Holt County | 51.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 109 | Andrew County | 50.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 110 | Caldwell County | 49.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 111 | Sullivan County | 47.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 112 | Putnam County | 46.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 113 | Mercer County | 46.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 114 | DeKalb County | 43.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 115 | Schuyler County | 36.2 | Very Low | 1 |
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.
Heat Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Missouri:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest heat wave risk county in Missouri?
St. Louis County, MO has the highest heat wave risk in Missouri, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.9 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Missouri are rated Very High for heat wave risk?
2 of 115 scored Missouri counties are rated "Very High" for heat wave risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes heat wave risk in Missouri?
Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.