NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sarcoxie, 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 Sarcoxie, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 143 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 143
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
205 deaths in all
What the records show for Sarcoxie
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sarcoxie; 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 Sarcoxie begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 53 miles away. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site, 43% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Sarcoxie. The strongest of the 143 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on May 22, 2011; its path came within 9 miles, and it killed 158 people. Of the 143, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 80 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 37. The most recent tornado was on June 6, 2025. Sarcoxie has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 79 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sarcoxie.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sarcoxie
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 53 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 Sarcoxie: 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 Sarcoxie
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s31(3 EF3+)
- 2000s34(4 EF3+)
- 1990s14
- 1980s4
- 1970s21(4 EF3+)
- 1960s12
- 1950s12(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2011 | EF5 | 9 mi | 21.62 mi | 158 / 1150 |
| May 10, 2008 | EF4 | 15 mi | 75.51 mi | 21 / 350 |
| Apr 24, 1975 | F4 | 20 mi | 11.9 mi | 3 / 22 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F4 | 17 mi | 41.8 mi | 0 / 59 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 10 mi | 49 mi | 7 / 48 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 23 mi | 25 mi | 5 / 34 |
| May 22, 2019 | EF3 | 16 mi | 11.29 mi | 3 / 1 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 19 mi | 42 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 2 mi | 29.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 5, 1971 | F3 | 12 mi | 13.1 mi | 1 / 60 |
| May 22, 2019 | EF3 | 22 mi | 9.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 143, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sarcoxie
The Storm Prediction Center has 79 hail reports within 10 miles of Sarcoxie since 1965, made on 64 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on March 9, 2017. The most recent report is from September 18, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sarcoxie
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mt Vernon Univ Mo - SW Ctr, MO, 14 miles east of Sarcoxie at 1,190 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 22°F. May is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 45.6 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. That 45.6 inches is more than at 88 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (66%). Pierce City, 11 miles southeast, has its own station (Monett 4SW, MO): 46.5 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 22 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.6 | 7 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 5.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 65 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Year | 68 | 45 | 45.6 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mt Vernon Univ Mo - SW Ctr, MO (1,190 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 Sarcoxie
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 112 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sarcoxie: 66 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 18 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 8, 2009. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 22. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 185 have had fewer than Sarcoxie.
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Sarcoxie — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Sixty to 85 mph winds caused widespread wind damage across much of Lawrence County. Damage consisted of trees, power poles, structures, and business signs.”
April 25, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Sarcoxie — $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
Jasper County, which includes Sarcoxie, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 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 August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jasper County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $58.5 million a year, the 12th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.4 million (45%), 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).
Sarcoxie 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 Sarcoxie
- Pierce City, MO11 mi
- Carthage, MO12 mi
- Diamond, MO12 mi
- Granby, MO14 mi
- Monett, MO16 mi
- Mount Vernon, MO18 mi
- Miller, MO18 mi
- Jasper, MO19 mi
- Webb City, MO20 mi
- Joplin, MO21 mi
- Neosho, MO21 mi
- Verona, MO22 mi
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