NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kennett, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kennett, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 125 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 125
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
73 deaths in all
What the records show for Kennett
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kennett; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Kennett begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 42 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Kennett has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 125 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 125, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 36. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2025. Kennett has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 73% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Kennett.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kennett
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kennett: 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 Kennett
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s20
- 2000s19(1 EF3+)
- 1990s24(3 EF3+)
- 1980s14(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s15(3 EF3+)
- 1950s15(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 23 mi | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 18 mi | 6.5 mi | 17 / 100 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 12 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F4 | 24 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F4 | 20 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 3 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 17 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 22 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 22 mi | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Apr 3, 1984 | F3 | 19 mi | 49 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 26, 1965 | F3 | 25 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 2004 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 3 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 125, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kennett
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Kennett since 1957, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 8, 2024. The most recent report is from April 10, 2025. May has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kennett
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Caruthersville, MO, 22 miles east of Kennett at 270 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 30°F. April is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 55.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 54 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 71 nights a year. That 55.3 inches is more than at 133 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (99%). Senath, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Paragould 1S, AR): 51.6 inches a year, 3.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 30 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 51 | 33 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 50 | 6.1 | 8 |
| May | 79 | 60 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 51 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 59 | 40 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Dec | 49 | 33 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Year | 70 | 51 | 55.3 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Caruthersville, MO (270 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 Kennett
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 79 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kennett: 68 thunderstorm wind reports and 11 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $755,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 28, 1996. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 88 have had fewer than Kennett.
April 30, 2017: thunderstorm wind in Kennett — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous power lines down between Kennett and Hayti along Highway 412. In addition, several back roads have power lines, power poles and debris from houses covering them.”
April 30, 2017: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Kennett — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Several mobile homes damaged in the town of Gobler.”
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 Kennett's ZIP code 63857 have filed 20 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $113,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 20% 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, 35 have fewer than Kennett.
Dunklin County, which includes Kennett, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 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 Dunklin 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 inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $30.8 million a year, the 24th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.9 million (13%), 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 Kennett
- Senath, MO10 mi
- Rector, AR13 mi
- Piggott, AR14 mi
- Steele, MO16 mi
- Hayti, MO17 mi
- Campbell, MO19 mi
- Marmaduke, AR19 mi
- Caruthersville, MO21 mi
- Blytheville, AR23 mi
- Leachville, AR23 mi
- Malden, MO23 mi
- Portageville, MO24 mi
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