Missouri tornado risk
115 counties scored 2 rated Very High
Jackson County has the highest tornado risk in Missouri, scoring 99.5 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across Missouri have increased 27% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson County | 99.5 | Very High | 15 |
| 2 | St. Louis | 98.9 | Very High | 1 |
| 3 | St. Louis County | 98.1 | Relatively High | 17 |
| 4 | St. Charles County | 96.4 | Relatively High | 9 |
| 5 | Clay County | 96.2 | Relatively High | 5 |
| 6 | Jasper County | 95.6 | Relatively High | 9 |
| 7 | Jefferson County | 95.1 | Relatively High | 10 |
| 8 | Greene County | 94.9 | Relatively High | 17 |
| 9 | Boone County | 92.3 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 10 | Butler County | 90.1 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 11 | Cass County | 89.9 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 12 | Scott County | 89.9 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 13 | Buchanan County | 89.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 14 | Platte County | 88 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 15 | Newton County | 87.9 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 16 | Franklin County | 86.5 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 17 | St. Francois County | 85.1 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 18 | Barry County | 85 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 19 | Cole County | 84.3 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 20 | Lawrence County | 84.1 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 21 | Camden County | 83.9 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 22 | Pemiscot County | 83.8 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 23 | Christian County | 80.8 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 24 | Pettis County | 80.5 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 25 | Morgan County | 79.1 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 26 | Taney County | 77.7 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 27 | Cape Girardeau County | 77.6 | Relatively Moderate | 7 |
| 28 | Howell County | 76.6 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 29 | Nodaway County | 75.3 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 30 | Stoddard County | 75.3 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 31 | Adair County | 75.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Benton County | 74.7 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 33 | Dunklin County | 73.7 | Relatively Moderate | 9 |
| 34 | Polk County | 73.5 | Relatively Moderate | 9 |
| 35 | McDonald County | 73.3 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 36 | Lincoln County | 72.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 37 | Clinton County | 72.4 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 38 | Wayne County | 70.1 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 39 | Miller County | 69.5 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 40 | Stone County | 69.1 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 41 | Mississippi County | 68 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 42 | Randolph County | 67.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 43 | Linn County | 66.9 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 44 | Lafayette County | 66.2 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 45 | Macon County | 66 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Webster County | 65.6 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 47 | Andrew County | 65.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | Washington County | 65.2 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 49 | Livingston County | 64.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 50 | Grundy County | 64.7 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 51 | Barton County | 64.5 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 52 | Cedar County | 63.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 53 | Texas County | 63.1 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 54 | Henry County | 62.4 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 55 | Oregon County | 62 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 56 | Callaway County | 61.6 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 57 | Pulaski County | 61.5 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 58 | Saline County | 60.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 59 | Dallas County | 60.4 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 60 | New Madrid County | 59.5 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 61 | Laclede County | 58.9 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 62 | Iron County | 58.4 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 63 | Perry County | 58.3 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 64 | Harrison County | 58.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 65 | Ray County | 57.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 66 | Ste. Genevieve County | 57.9 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 67 | Ripley County | 57.8 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 68 | Johnson County | 57.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 69 | Wright County | 57.1 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 70 | Carroll County | 56.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 71 | Daviess County | 56.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 72 | DeKalb County | 56.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 73 | Moniteau County | 56.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 74 | Audrain County | 55.8 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 75 | Warren County | 55.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 76 | Gentry County | 53.8 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 77 | Osage County | 53.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 78 | Bollinger County | 53.5 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 79 | Crawford County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 80 | Bates County | 52.8 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 81 | Madison County | 51.9 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 82 | Ozark County | 51.8 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 83 | Scotland County | 51.8 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 84 | Vernon County | 51.3 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 85 | Cooper County | 50.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 86 | Chariton County | 50.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 87 | Sullivan County | 47.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 88 | Hickory County | 46.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 89 | Douglas County | 46.1 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 90 | Marion County | 45.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 91 | Dade County | 45.7 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 92 | Dent County | 44.9 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 93 | Shannon County | 44.7 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 94 | Howard County | 44.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 95 | Mercer County | 44 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 96 | Maries County | 43.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 97 | Atchison County | 43.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 98 | Monroe County | 43.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 99 | Putnam County | 43 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 100 | Reynolds County | 42.5 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 101 | Holt County | 40.8 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 102 | Carter County | 40.1 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 103 | Knox County | 39.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 104 | Phelps County | 38.5 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 105 | Schuyler County | 38.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 106 | Pike County | 37.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 107 | Caldwell County | 37.7 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 108 | Shelby County | 37.2 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 109 | St. Clair County | 36.1 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 110 | Gasconade County | 35.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 111 | Lewis County | 32.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 112 | Montgomery County | 32.7 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 113 | Clark County | 25.6 | Very Low | 3 |
| 114 | Worth County | 23.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 115 | Ralls County | 21.2 | 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.
Tornado risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Missouri:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest tornado risk county in Missouri?
Jackson County, MO has the highest tornado risk in Missouri, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.5 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Missouri are rated Very High for tornado risk?
2 of 115 scored Missouri counties are rated "Very High" for tornado risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes tornado risk in Missouri?
Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.