NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Neosho, 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 Neosho, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 144 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 144
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
198 deaths in all
What the records show for Neosho
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Neosho; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1902, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The record near Neosho begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 49 miles away. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site, 43% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Neosho. The strongest of the 144 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on May 22, 2011; its path came within 10 miles, and it killed 158 people. Of the 144, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 43. The most recent tornado was on June 6, 2025. Neosho has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 89% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 214 times since 1957, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Neosho has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 334 Missouri cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Neosho
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 47 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 Neosho: 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 Neosho
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s27(3 EF3+)
- 2000s26(3 EF3+)
- 1990s18
- 1980s12
- 1970s16(3 EF3+)
- 1960s14(1 EF3+)
- 1950s19(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2011 | EF5 | 10 mi | 21.62 mi | 158 / 1150 |
| May 10, 2008 | EF4 | 2 mi | 75.51 mi | 21 / 350 |
| Apr 24, 1975 | F4 | in town | 11.9 mi | 3 / 22 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F4 | 16 mi | 41.8 mi | 0 / 59 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 11 mi | 49 mi | 7 / 48 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 24 mi | 25 mi | 5 / 34 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 16 mi | 29.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 5, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 13.1 mi | 1 / 60 |
| May 22, 2019 | EF3 | 21 mi | 9.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF3 | 25 mi | 17.93 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Aug 7, 1960 | F3 | 21 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2014 | EF2 | 22 mi | 11.37 mi | 1 / 37 |
The strongest 12 of 144, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Neosho
The Storm Prediction Center has 214 hail reports within 10 miles of Neosho since 1957, made on 129 separate days. Of these, 127 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 21, 1996. The most recent report is from May 26, 2024. May has the most reports, 69.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Neosho
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Neosho, MO, 2 miles east of Neosho at 1,033 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 50.0 inches over 67 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 98 nights a year. Snowfall averages 8.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.0 inches is more than at 126 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (94%). Goodman, 9 miles south, has its own station (Anderson, MO): 44.3 inches a year, 5.7 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 2.6 | 4 | 2.8 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 2.4 | 4 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 3.7 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 6.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 66 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 2.9 | 4 | 2.3 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 50.0 | 67 | 8.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Neosho, MO (1,033 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 Neosho
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 274 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Neosho: 135 thunderstorm wind reports, 98 flash floods, 23 floods, 16 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $6.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 18, 1998. June has had the most flash floods, 23 of 98. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 318 have had fewer than Neosho.
September 1, 2014: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Neosho — 2 injured, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Several camper trailers were blown over just east of Reddings Mill. Two minor injuries were reported near the Riverbend Campground with overturned camper trailers.”
June 28, 2014: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Neosho — 2 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Damaging winds blew down several firework tents. Two minor injuries were reported.”
December 27, 2015: flood 3 miles from the centre of Neosho — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Multiple rail cars floated off of the tracks due to flooding of Shoal Creek. At least three families were stranded by high water.”
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 Neosho's ZIP code 64850 have filed 86 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $1.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late spring severe storms in 2017: 25 claims (29% of all) and $882,000. 43% 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, 102 have fewer than Neosho.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late spring severe storms2017 | 25 | $882,000 |
Newton County, which includes Neosho, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 6 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 Newton County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $35.5 million a year, the 21st highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.4 million (52%), 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).
Neosho 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 Neosho
- Granby, MO9 mi
- Goodman, MO9 mi
- Diamond, MO10 mi
- Seneca, MO11 mi
- Anderson, MO15 mi
- Joplin, MO16 mi
- Wyandotte, OK18 mi
- Quapaw, OK20 mi
- Webb City, MO21 mi
- Pineville, MO21 mi
- Sarcoxie, MO21 mi
- Pierce City, MO21 mi
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