NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carthage, 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 Carthage, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 135 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 135
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
202 deaths in all
What the records show for Carthage
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Carthage; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1902, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Carthage begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 63 miles away. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site, 43% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Carthage. The strongest of the 135 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on May 22, 2011; its path came within 11 miles, and it killed 158 people. Of the 135, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 66 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 38. The most recent tornado was on April 29, 2025. Carthage has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 82% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 135 times since 1961, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Carthage has more hail reports within 10 miles than 61% of the 334 Missouri cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carthage
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 59 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 Carthage: 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 Carthage
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s25(3 EF3+)
- 2000s30(3 EF3+)
- 1990s16
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s18(4 EF3+)
- 1960s15
- 1950s13(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2011 | EF5 | 11 mi | 21.62 mi | 158 / 1150 |
| May 10, 2008 | EF4 | 19 mi | 75.51 mi | 21 / 350 |
| Apr 24, 1975 | F4 | 21 mi | 11.9 mi | 3 / 22 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F4 | 6 mi | 41.8 mi | 0 / 59 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 18 mi | 49 mi | 7 / 48 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 12 mi | 25 mi | 5 / 34 |
| May 22, 2019 | EF3 | 11 mi | 11.29 mi | 3 / 1 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 12 mi | 29.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 5, 1971 | F3 | 4 mi | 13.1 mi | 1 / 60 |
| May 22, 2019 | EF3 | 10 mi | 9.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 1982 | F3 | 16 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F3 | 24 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 135, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Carthage
The Storm Prediction Center has 135 hail reports within 10 miles of Carthage since 1961, made on 85 separate days. Of these, 85 were 1 inch across or larger, and 13 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 9, 2017. The most recent report is from April 29, 2025. March has the most reports, 39.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Carthage
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Joplin Regional Airport, MO, 11 miles west of Carthage at 980 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 6.6 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.7 inches over 67 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 53 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. That 45.7 inches is more than at 89 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (66%). Diamond, 12 miles south, has its own station (Diamond 2W, MO): 46.8 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 25 | 1.9 | 4 |
| Feb | 50 | 29 | 2.0 | 4 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 5.0 | 7 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 6.6 | 9 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 48 | 29 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 45.7 | 67 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Joplin Regional Airport, MO (980 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 Carthage
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 278 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Carthage: 167 thunderstorm wind reports, 49 floods, 47 flash floods, 9 heavy rain events and 6 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 12, 2011. April has had the most flash floods, 12 of 47. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 263 have had fewer than Carthage.
December 27, 2015: flood 2 miles from the centre of Carthage — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “There was flood water over the Interstate 49 bridge at the Spring River and I-49 was partially closed down. Numerous low water crossings throughout the county were flooded.”
April 30, 2017: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Carthage — $500,000 damage.
April 25, 2011: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Carthage — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “ The total cost estimate for flooding damages for Jasper 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Carthage's ZIP code 64836 have filed 49 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late spring severe storms in 2017: 12 claims (24% of all) and $578,000. 41% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 172 Missouri cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 76 have fewer than Carthage.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late spring severe storms2017 | 12 | $578,000 |
Jasper County, which includes Carthage, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 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 Jasper County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $58.5 million a year, the 12th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.4 million (45%), 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).
Carthage in the notable storm records: The May 22, 2011 EF5 Tornado in Missouri, near Joplin
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Carthage
- Webb City, MO9 mi
- Jasper, MO11 mi
- Oronogo, MO11 mi
- Diamond, MO12 mi
- Sarcoxie, MO12 mi
- Joplin, MO13 mi
- Carl Junction, MO13 mi
- Granby, MO18 mi
- Galena, KS20 mi
- Neosho, MO21 mi
- Pierce City, MO22 mi
- Lamar, MO23 mi
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