NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Plato, 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 Plato, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 66 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 66
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Plato
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Plato; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 45 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Plato begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Plato has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 66 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on September 26, 1959, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on January 7, 2008, killed 3 people. Of the 66, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on April 20, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Plato. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1992, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Plato.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Plato
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 7 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 Plato: 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 Plato
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s17(1 EF3+)
- 2000s11(2 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s7
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10
- 1950s3(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 1954 | F4 | 8 mi | 12.1 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Sep 26, 1959 | F4 | 23 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 7, 2008 | EF3 | 16 mi | 50.39 mi | 3 / 18 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | 10 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 13 mi | 32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F3 | 18 mi | 35.4 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 1995 | F2 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F2 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1988 | F2 | 20 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F2 | 10 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 9 |
The strongest 12 of 66, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Plato
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Plato since 1992, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 21, 1998. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Plato
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Licking 4N, MO, 16 miles east of Plato 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%). Fort Leonard Wood, 14 miles north, has its own station (Waynesville 2 W, MO): 47.6 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 89°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 Plato
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 45 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Plato: 21 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 7 floods and 4 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 8, 2009. March has had the most flash floods, 3 of 13. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 115 have had fewer than Plato.
December 28, 2015: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Plato — $1.6 million damage.
NWS: “Route M north of Route YY near Roubidoux Creek was closed due to flooding. Nearly all low water crossings were flooded across the county.”
March 18, 2008: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Plato — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Six to nine inches of rain fell over Texas County. All areas that experience flooding during periods of excessive rain were flooded.”
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Plato — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Sixty to 85 mph winds impacted most of Texas County. Thousands of trees were damaged along with more than 200 power poles that were destroyed.”
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 Plato, 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 Plato
- Fort Leonard Wood, MO14 mi
- Licking, MO17 mi
- Waynesville, MO19 mi
- Saint Robert, MO20 mi
- Houston, MO20 mi
- Richland, MO23 mi
- Hartville, MO25 mi
- Newburg, MO25 mi
- Mountain Grove, MO26 mi
- Lebanon, MO28 mi
- Crocker, MO29 mi
- Cabool, MO29 mi
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