NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Steele, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Steele, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 115 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
85 deaths in all
What the records show for Steele
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Steele; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Steele begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 29 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Steele has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 6 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 115, 17 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 36. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Steele has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 67% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1959, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Steele.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Steele
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Steele: 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 Steele
By decade
- 2020s7(1 EF3+)
- 2010s13
- 2000s25(2 EF3+)
- 1990s19(3 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s12(1 EF3+)
- 1950s17(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 16 mi | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 3 mi | 6.5 mi | 17 / 100 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 3 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F4 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 13 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 11 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 19 mi | 18 mi | 16 / 70 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 7 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 9 mi | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Apr 3, 1984 | F3 | 12 mi | 49 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 26, 1959 | F3 | 22 mi | 35.2 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Oct 18, 2004 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.5 mi | 3 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Steele
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Steele since 1959, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 3, 2012. The most recent report is from May 21, 2022. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Steele
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Blytheville Municipal Airport, AR, 10 miles south of Steele at 255 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 31°F. April and May are the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 43.1 inches over 66 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 61 nights a year. That 43.1 inches is more than at 56 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (42%). Blytheville, AR, 11 miles south, has its own station (Blytheville, AR): 51.8 inches a year, 8.7 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 31 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 52 | 34 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 41 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 51 | 4.9 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 61 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 2.4 | 3 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 50 | 34 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 43.1 | 66 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Blytheville Municipal Airport, AR (255 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 Steele
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 54 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Steele: 52 thunderstorm wind reports, 1 flash flood and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $901,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 1, 2017.
January 18, 1996: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Steele — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
April 27, 2026: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Steele — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “A survey team found the damage to Central Elementary School in Steele, MO, was associated with straight-line winds. A significant portion of the roof of one of the school buildings was removed and blown to the east.”
April 30, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Steele — $100,000 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 Steele's ZIP code 63877 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $25,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 172 Missouri cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 2 have fewer than Steele.
Pemiscot County, which includes Steele, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pemiscot County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.4 million a year, the 33rd highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.1 million (13%), is from tornadoes.
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 Steele
- Blytheville, AR11 mi
- Caruthersville, MO12 mi
- Hayti, MO12 mi
- Kennett, MO16 mi
- Senath, MO18 mi
- Ridgely, TN23 mi
- Leachville, AR23 mi
- Manila, AR25 mi
- Dyersburg, TN26 mi
- Portageville, MO26 mi
- Rector, AR27 mi
- Halls, TN28 mi
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