NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Licking, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Licking, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 60 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 60
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Licking
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Licking; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 45 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Licking begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Licking has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The strongest of the 60 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 25, 1954; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF1 on December 31, 2010, killed 2 people. Of the 60, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on May 19, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Licking. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1968, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Licking.
Compare Licking's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Licking
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 19 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 Licking: 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 Licking
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s6
- 1980s9
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7
- 1950s3(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 1954 | F4 | 12 mi | 12.1 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | 22 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F3 | 2 mi | 35.4 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 21, 1957 | F3 | 21 mi | 10.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1988 | F2 | 8 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F2 | 17 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Sep 11, 1975 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1974 | F2 | 15 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1968 | F2 | 17 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F2 | in town | 11.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF1 | 22 mi | 6.78 mi | 2 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 60, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Licking
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Licking since 1968, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 2, 2018. The most recent report is from April 15, 2023. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Licking
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Licking 4N, MO, 5 miles north of Licking at 1,180 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.4 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.0 inches a year, most of it in December. That 46.4 inches is more than at 96 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (72%). Houston, 13 miles south, has its own station (Houston, MO): 46.8 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 21 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.5 |
| Feb | 47 | 25 | 2.7 | 5 | 1.7 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.1 | 8 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 67 | 43 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 34 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 46.4 | 76 | 11.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Licking 4N, MO (1,180 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 Licking
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 91 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Licking: 37 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 floods, 19 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on June 10, 2003. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 165 have had fewer than Licking.
March 3, 2008: flood 3 miles from the centre of Licking — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread flooding occurred over Texas County. A section of Highway BB one quarter mile east of the bridge over the Big Piney River became flooded and impassable to motorists.”
November 5, 2024: flood 5 miles from the centre of Licking — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Of the $1 million in damages to roads and bridges across the county, the worst damages were located along the Big Piney near Buelah, followed by the Newburg and Duke areas. Additionally, four homes suffered major damages.”
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Licking — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Fifty to 80 mph winds swept across mainly southern sections of Dent County. Thousands of trees were damaged, while power poles were also impacted leaving hundreds of residences without power.”
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
Texas County, which includes Licking, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 4 floods, 4 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Texas County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.5 million a year, the 54th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.7 million (28%), 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 Licking
- Houston, MO13 mi
- Plato, MO17 mi
- Salem, MO22 mi
- Fort Leonard Wood, MO22 mi
- Newburg, MO26 mi
- Saint Robert, MO27 mi
- Cabool, MO28 mi
- Waynesville, MO29 mi
- Mountain Grove, MO31 mi
- Rolla, MO32 mi
- Willow Springs, MO34 mi
- Mountain View, MO35 mi
All Missouri cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Licking with another place →