NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Noel, 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 Noel, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 153 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 153
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Noel
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Noel; the strongest was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The record near Noel begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Carla in 1961. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site, 43% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Noel. The highest rating among the 153 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 10, 2008, came within 25 miles. Of the 153, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 85 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 58. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Noel has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 93% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 148 times since 1980, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Noel has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 334 Missouri cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Noel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 35 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 Noel: 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 Noel
By decade
- 2020s24(1 EF3+)
- 2010s41(1 EF3+)
- 2000s20(3 EF3+)
- 1990s21
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15(3 EF3+)
- 1960s11
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2008 | EF4 | 25 mi | 75.51 mi | 21 / 350 |
| Apr 24, 1975 | F4 | 20 mi | 11.9 mi | 3 / 22 |
| May 25, 2024 | EF3 | 13 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF3 | 7 mi | 17.93 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 18 mi | 25 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 19 mi | 29 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 23 mi | 24.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 8, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 8, 1970 | F3 | 18 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 9, 1959 | F3 | 16 mi | 23.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 24, 1954 | F3 | 17 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F2 | 14 mi | 28 mi | 1 / 12 |
The strongest 12 of 153, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Noel
The Storm Prediction Center has 148 hail reports within 10 miles of Noel since 1980, made on 94 separate days. Of these, 85 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on March 14, 2024. The most recent report is from March 22, 2025. March has the most reports, 40.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Noel
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Anderson, MO, 8 miles north of Noel at 1,050 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 44.3 inches over 63 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 99 nights a year. Snowfall averages 9.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.3 inches is more than at 72 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (54%). Gravette, AR, 9 miles south, has its own station (Gravette, AR): 48.7 inches a year, 4.4 more than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 1.9 | 4 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 51 | 28 | 2.0 | 4 | 2.2 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 3.7 | 6 | 2.2 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 6.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 3.7 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 2.5 | 4 | 1.9 |
| Year | 68 | 46 | 44.3 | 63 | 9.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Anderson, MO (1,050 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 Noel
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 242 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Noel: 136 thunderstorm wind reports, 63 flash floods, 21 heavy rain events, 20 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 4 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $14.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 4, 2012. April has had the most flash floods, 17 of 63. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 286 have had fewer than Noel.
January 4, 2005: flash flood in Noel — 2 killed.
June 23, 2019: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Noel — 1 killed, $800,000 damage.
June 12, 2007: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Noel — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
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 Noel's ZIP code 64854 have filed 288 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1995, and were paid $8.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late spring severe storms in 2017: 35 claims (12% of all) and $1.7 million, then Mid-spring storms in 2011 with 33 and Early winter storms in 2015 with 32. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 50. 42% 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, 144 have fewer than Noel.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late spring severe storms2017 | 35 | $1.7 million |
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 33 | $1.5 million |
| Early winter storms2015 | 32 | $2.0 million |
| March storm2008 | 17 | $707,000 |
McDonald County, which includes Noel, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 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 June 9, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McDonald County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.2 million a year, the 32nd highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.4 million (65%), 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 Noel
- Anderson, MO8 mi
- Gravette, AR9 mi
- Pineville, MO10 mi
- Bella Vista, AR12 mi
- Goodman, MO13 mi
- Decatur, AR14 mi
- Centerton, AR16 mi
- Grove, OK17 mi
- Jay, OK19 mi
- Bentonville, AR19 mi
- Gentry, AR19 mi
- Wyandotte, OK20 mi
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