NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Alton, MO
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Alton, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 47
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Alton
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Alton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Alton begins with an unnamed storm in 1906; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 32 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Alton has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 87% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 21, 1957, killed 7 people. Of the 47, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Alton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Alton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Alton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Alton: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Alton
By decade
- 2020s12(5 EF3+)
- 2010s2
- 2000s12
- 1990s1
- 1980s7(2 EF3+)
- 1970s2(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 1957 | F4 | 22 mi | 9.1 mi | 7 / 75 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 21 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F4 | 5 mi | 63 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 20 mi | 35.52 mi | 3 / 4 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 25 mi | 30.6 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1984 | F3 | 11 mi | 26 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 3 mi | 23.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 10 mi | 57.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1970 | F3 | 3 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F2 | 18 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F2 | 10 mi | 33 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Mar 14, 1959 | F2 | 21 mi | 11 mi | 1 / 15 |
The strongest 12 of 47, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Alton
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Alton since 1963, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 3, 2006. The most recent report is from April 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Alton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Alton, MO, 2 miles northwest of Alton at 813 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 22°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 47.4 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.4 inches is more than at 112 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (84%). Thayer, 13 miles southwest, has its own station (Mammoth Spring, AR): 48.8 inches a year, 1.4 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 22 | 3.0 | 5 | 1.7 |
| Feb | 49 | 25 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 62 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 64 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 55 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 33 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 46 | 26 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.8 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 47.4 | 70 | 4.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Alton, MO (813 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Alton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Alton: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 9 floods and 4 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on July 14, 2015. April has had the most flash floods, 12 of 23. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 192 have had fewer than Alton.
April 29, 2017: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Alton — $4.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous county roads and bridges were damaged by flash floods. Several campgrounds and river access areas were severely damaged across the county.”
April 25, 2011: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Alton — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “ The total cost estimate for flooding damages for Oregon County for this entire episode has been included. This includes roads, bridges, and structures which were affected.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Oregon County, which includes Alton, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Oregon County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.9 million a year, the 76th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (38%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Alton
- Thayer, MO13 mi
- Mammoth Spring, AR19 mi
- Birch Tree, MO20 mi
- Winona, MO22 mi
- Highland, AR27 mi
- Doniphan, MO28 mi
- West Plains, MO28 mi
- Cherokee Village, AR29 mi
- Van Buren, MO29 mi
- Mountain View, MO29 mi
- Pocahontas, AR32 mi
- Ash Flat, AR34 mi
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