Missouri lightning risk
115 counties scored 1 rated Very High
St. Louis County has the highest lightning risk in Missouri, scoring 99.3 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Missouri have decreased 69% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | 99.3 | Very High | 3 |
| 2 | Greene County | 95.3 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 3 | Boone County | 92.5 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | 91.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 5 | St. Charles County | 89.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | St. Louis | 88.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 7 | Jasper County | 88.5 | Relatively High | 8 |
| 8 | Jackson County | 87.5 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 9 | Shelby County | 86 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Taney County | 85.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 11 | Dallas County | 83.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Pemiscot County | 81.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 13 | Benton County | 81.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Buchanan County | 78 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 15 | Howell County | 77.1 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 16 | Clay County | 75.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 17 | Macon County | 75.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | Barry County | 74.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 19 | Laclede County | 73.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 20 | Cole County | 73.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 21 | Polk County | 73.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Camden County | 73.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 23 | Christian County | 72.1 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 24 | Callaway County | 71.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 25 | St. Francois County | 70.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Stone County | 68.6 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 27 | Franklin County | 68.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Pulaski County | 67.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 29 | Webster County | 66.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 30 | Nodaway County | 66.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 31 | Monroe County | 64.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Cass County | 64.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Butler County | 64.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Morgan County | 63.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Dunklin County | 63.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Platte County | 62.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Scott County | 62.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 38 | Lincoln County | 61.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 39 | Cape Girardeau County | 61.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Newton County | 60.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 41 | Carter County | 59.8 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 42 | Phelps County | 59.6 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 43 | Audrain County | 59.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Texas County | 58.3 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 45 | Henry County | 57.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Lawrence County | 56.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Wright County | 56.8 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 48 | Stoddard County | 56.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 49 | Marion County | 55.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Pike County | 55.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Miller County | 51.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Iron County | 51.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Linn County | 50.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Scotland County | 50.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Johnson County | 48.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 56 | Randolph County | 48 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Pettis County | 46.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Adair County | 45.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Clark County | 44.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Washington County | 43.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Ray County | 43.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Ripley County | 43.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | New Madrid County | 42.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Lewis County | 41.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Montgomery County | 41.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Knox County | 40.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Wayne County | 40.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Ozark County | 39.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 69 | Crawford County | 39 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 70 | Moniteau County | 38.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Mississippi County | 38.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 72 | Chariton County | 37.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | McDonald County | 36.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 74 | Oregon County | 35.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Cedar County | 35.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 76 | Dent County | 35.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 77 | Livingston County | 35.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Hickory County | 34.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 79 | Shannon County | 34.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Madison County | 33.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Grundy County | 33.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 82 | St. Clair County | 33.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 83 | Douglas County | 32.9 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 84 | Lafayette County | 32.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 85 | Warren County | 30.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 86 | Perry County | 30.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 87 | Vernon County | 30.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 88 | Ste. Genevieve County | 29.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 89 | Saline County | 29.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 90 | Daviess County | 29.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 91 | Carroll County | 27.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 92 | Clinton County | 26.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 93 | Sullivan County | 26.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 94 | Osage County | 25.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 95 | Howard County | 23.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 96 | Putnam County | 23.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 97 | Caldwell County | 23.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 98 | Gasconade County | 22.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 99 | Reynolds County | 22.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 100 | Dade County | 22.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 101 | Andrew County | 21.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 102 | Ralls County | 20.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 103 | Harrison County | 20.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 104 | Cooper County | 20.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 105 | Maries County | 20 | Very Low | 0 |
| 106 | Barton County | 18.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 107 | Gentry County | 18 | Very Low | 0 |
| 108 | Bollinger County | 17.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 109 | Bates County | 16.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 110 | Schuyler County | 14.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 111 | Atchison County | 13.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 112 | DeKalb County | 13.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 113 | Holt County | 11.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 114 | Mercer County | 9.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 115 | Worth County | 4.8 | Very Low | 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.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Missouri:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Missouri?
St. Louis County, MO has the highest lightning risk in Missouri, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.3 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Missouri are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 115 scored Missouri counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Missouri?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.