NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bolivar, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bolivar, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 94 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 94
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Bolivar
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bolivar; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1902, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Bolivar begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 62 miles away. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site, 43% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bolivar. The highest rating among the 94 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 12, 2006, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 4, 2003, killed 5 people. Of the 94, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 64 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 37. The most recent tornado was on April 29, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 49% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bolivar. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 153 times since 1965, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Bolivar has more hail reports within 10 miles than 70% of the 334 Missouri cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bolivar
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bolivar: 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 Bolivar
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s28
- 2000s26(2 EF3+)
- 1990s9
- 1980s2
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 8 mi | 86 mi | 5 / 47 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 16 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2012 | EF2 | 12 mi | 9.5 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Dec 14, 1971 | F2 | 14 mi | 48.3 mi | 1 / 22 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.25 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 31, 2008 | EF2 | 13 mi | 4.67 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 13, 1990 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1961 | F2 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 1958 | F2 | 22 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 2024 | EF1 | 17 mi | 2.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 94, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bolivar
The Storm Prediction Center has 153 hail reports within 10 miles of Bolivar since 1965, made on 91 separate days. Of these, 89 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 21, 2022. The most recent report is from June 8, 2024. April has the most reports, 50.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bolivar
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bolivar 1 NE, MO, in Bolivar at 987 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 22°F. May is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 46.5 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 41 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. That 46.5 inches is more than at 98 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (73%). Fair Play, 12 miles west, has its own station (Stockton Dam, MO): 44.9 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 5.0 | 7 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 5.9 | 9 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 46 | 26 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 46.5 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bolivar 1 NE, MO (987 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 Bolivar
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 198 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bolivar: 117 thunderstorm wind reports, 48 flash floods, 21 floods and 12 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 1, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 15 of 48. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 265 have had fewer than Bolivar.
June 9, 2024: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Bolivar — $2.2 million damage.
April 25, 2011: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Bolivar — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Eight low water crossings were flooded along the Pomme De Terre River. The total cost estimate for flooding damages for Polk County for this entire episode has been included.”
May 27, 2021: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Bolivar — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Multiple power lines and trees were reported down. Some of the power lines fell across Highway 13 blocking traffic.”
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
Polk County, which includes Bolivar, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Polk County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.5 million a year, the 57th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.2 million (47%), 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 Bolivar
- Half Way, MO9 mi
- Fair Play, MO12 mi
- Pleasant Hope, MO15 mi
- Walnut Grove, MO16 mi
- Humansville, MO16 mi
- Buffalo, MO16 mi
- Willard, MO19 mi
- Fair Grove, MO20 mi
- Stockton, MO23 mi
- Ash Grove, MO26 mi
- Greenfield, MO27 mi
- Strafford, MO28 mi
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