NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rolla, 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 Rolla, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Rolla
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rolla; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Rolla begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Rolla has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on December 31, 2010, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on December 31, 2010, killed 2 people. Of the 78, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 19, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rolla. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 144 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Rolla has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 334 Missouri cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rolla
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 4 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 Rolla: 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 Rolla
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s15(2 EF3+)
- 2000s13(2 EF3+)
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s4
- 1960s12
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | in town | 11 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | 21 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 7, 2008 | EF3 | 10 mi | 4.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 7, 2008 | EF3 | 14 mi | 1.77 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F3 | 6 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | in town | 10.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 2023 | EF2 | 13 mi | 6.87 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 19, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 2.77 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F2 | 23 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 1984 | F2 | 21 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 16, 1982 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rolla
The Storm Prediction Center has 144 hail reports within 10 miles of Rolla since 1955, made on 84 separate days. Of these, 82 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently September 22, 2006. The most recent report is from March 14, 2025. May has the most reports, 43.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rolla
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rolla Missouri S&T, MO, in Rolla at 1,173 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 22°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 47.3 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 96 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.3 inches is more than at 109 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (81%). Dixon, 18 miles west, has its own station (Waynesville 2 W, MO): 47.6 inches a year, 0.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 2.7 | 5 | 5.6 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 2.5 | 5 | 4.1 |
| Mar | 56 | 35 | 4.1 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Apr | 67 | 45 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 76 | 56 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 59 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.4 |
| Year | 66 | 46 | 47.3 | 75 | 17.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rolla Missouri S&T, MO (1,173 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 Rolla
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 207 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rolla: 112 thunderstorm wind reports, 41 flash floods, 27 heavy rain events, 25 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 18, 2003. August has had the most flash floods, 10 of 41. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Rolla.
April 30, 2017: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Rolla — $1.0 million damage.
August 7, 2013: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Rolla — $750,000 damage.
August 7, 2013: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Rolla — $250,000 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 Rolla's ZIP code 65401 have filed 172 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $4.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Early winter storms in 2015: 22 claims (13% of all) and $1.0 million, then March storm in 2008 with 11 and Late spring severe storms in 2017 with 10. The year with the most claims was 1998, with 31. 30% 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, 128 have fewer than Rolla.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Early winter storms2015 | 22 | $1.0 million |
| March storm2008 | 11 | $331,000 |
| Late spring severe storms2017 | 10 | $1.2 million |
Phelps County, which includes Rolla, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Wildfires, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Phelps 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, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.7 million a year, the 46th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.4 million (40%), 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 Rolla
- Saint James, MO10 mi
- Newburg, MO11 mi
- Dixon, MO18 mi
- Vienna, MO19 mi
- Saint Robert, MO21 mi
- Cuba, MO22 mi
- Belle, MO23 mi
- Fort Leonard Wood, MO24 mi
- Waynesville, MO24 mi
- Salem, MO26 mi
- Crocker, MO27 mi
- Bland, MO27 mi
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