NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gainesville, 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 Gainesville, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 83 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 83
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
20 deaths in all
What the records show for Gainesville
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gainesville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 45 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Gainesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 6 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Gainesville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 87% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The strongest of the 83 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 2, 1982; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 14, 2025, killed 3 people. Of the 83, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gainesville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 73 times since 1960, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gainesville.
Compare Gainesville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gainesville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 43 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 Gainesville: 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 Gainesville
By decade
- 2020s7(2 EF3+)
- 2010s14
- 2000s22(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s9(3 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s13(3 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1982 | F4 | 12 mi | 20 mi | 2 / 28 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 15 mi | 35.52 mi | 3 / 4 |
| Nov 18, 1985 | F3 | 15 mi | 34 mi | 3 / 16 |
| May 15, 1968 | F3 | 16 mi | 7.3 mi | 3 / 25 |
| May 7, 1961 | F3 | 25 mi | 14.2 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 2 / 2 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 22 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF3 | 16 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 1971 | F3 | 20 mi | 23.6 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 7, 1961 | F3 | 17 mi | 43.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 20 mi | 12.5 mi | 1 / 36 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F2 | 17 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 11 |
The strongest 12 of 83, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gainesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 73 hail reports within 10 miles of Gainesville since 1960, made on 58 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 19, 2011. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gainesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dora 3SE, MO, 16 miles northeast of Gainesville at 966 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 25°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 47.2 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 35 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 97 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 47.2 inches is more than at 106 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (79%). Mountain Home, AR, 20 miles south, has its own station (Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR): 51.0 inches a year, 3.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 25 | 2.7 | 4 | 1.2 |
| Feb | 51 | 28 | 2.8 | 4 | 3.5 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 4.4 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 48 | 28 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Year | 68 | 46 | 47.2 | 69 | 5.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dora 3SE, MO (966 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 Gainesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 170 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gainesville: 67 thunderstorm wind reports, 51 flash floods, 51 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $9.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 5, 2003. April has had the most flash floods, 11 of 51. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 271 have had fewer than Gainesville.
April 23, 2011: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Gainesville — 1 killed.
NWS: “A vehicle driven by a 54 year old male was swept off County Road 528 along Lick Creek.”
April 25, 2011: flash flood in Gainesville — $4.0 million damage.
NWS: “ The total cost estimate for flooding damages for Ozark County for this entire episode has been included. This includes roads, bridges, and structures which were affected.”
April 30, 2017: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Gainesville — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous homes and business sustained severe flood damage across Ozark County. Numerous roads and bridges were severely damaged or washed away across the county.”
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
Ozark County, which includes Gainesville, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on July 22, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ozark County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.7 million a year, the 100th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.1 million (46%), 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 Gainesville
- Mountain Home, AR20 mi
- Gassville, AR22 mi
- Flippin, AR25 mi
- Ava, MO25 mi
- Yellville, AR29 mi
- Lead Hill, AR30 mi
- West Plains, MO32 mi
- Norwood, MO34 mi
- Calico Rock, AR36 mi
- Mansfield, MO37 mi
- Salem, AR37 mi
- Kirbyville, MO38 mi
All Missouri cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Gainesville with another place →