NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Van Buren, 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 Van Buren, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Van Buren
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Van Buren; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 45 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Van Buren begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Van Buren has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 24, 2002, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an F4 on May 21, 1957, killed 7 people. Of the 61, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Of the 334 Missouri cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Van Buren. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1984, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Van Buren.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Van Buren
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 74 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 Van Buren: 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 Van Buren
By decade
- 2020s15(4 EF3+)
- 2010s12(1 EF3+)
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s4
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 1957 | F4 | 2 mi | 9.1 mi | 7 / 75 |
| Apr 24, 2002 | F4 | in town | 40.5 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F4 | 2 mi | 63 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 12 mi | 29.85 mi | 3 / 2 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 4 mi | 30.6 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1984 | F3 | 16 mi | 26 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 22 mi | 23.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 6 mi | 57.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF3 | 14 mi | 47.41 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 25, 1964 | F3 | 5 mi | 46 mi | 0 / 26 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 3 / 1 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F2 | 21 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Van Buren
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Van Buren since 1984, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 5, 1996. The most recent report is from August 19, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 16 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Van Buren
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clearwater Dam, MO, 16 miles northeast of Van Buren at 660 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 23°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 50 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. That 48.7 inches is more than at 118 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (88%). Winona, 17 miles west, has its own station (Eminence 1 N, MO): 47.4 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Feb | 48 | 27 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 69 | 44 | 5.3 | 7 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Nov | 57 | 35 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 46 | 27 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Year | 68 | 45 | 48.7 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clearwater Dam, MO (660 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 Van Buren
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 78 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Van Buren: 43 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 15 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 26, 2024. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 15. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 133 have had fewer than Van Buren.
June 21, 2019: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Van Buren — 1 killed, 2 injured, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “Within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a tree fell on a boat on the Current River. The boat was traveling downstream in the vicinity of the Waymeyer Shute river access point.”
July 31, 2021: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Van Buren — 2 injured.
NWS: “Two persons were struck by lightning while recreating on the Current River.”
March 18, 2008: flood 2 miles from the centre of Van Buren — $700,000 damage.
NWS: “Moderate flooding of the Current River occurred. M.”
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 Van Buren's ZIP code 63965 have filed 111 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $5.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late spring severe storms in 2017: 31 claims (28% of all) and $4.1 million, then March storm in 2008 with 19. 65% 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, 112 have fewer than Van Buren.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late spring severe storms2017 | 31 | $4.1 million |
| March storm2008 | 19 | $417,000 |
Carter County, which includes Van Buren, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 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 Carter County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.7 million a year, the 77th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.5 million (52%), 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 Van Buren
- Ellsinore, MO14 mi
- Ellington, MO16 mi
- Winona, MO17 mi
- Piedmont, MO20 mi
- Doniphan, MO26 mi
- Birch Tree, MO27 mi
- Alton, MO29 mi
- Poplar Bluff, MO36 mi
- Wappapello, MO39 mi
- Mountain View, MO40 mi
- Thayer, MO42 mi
- Corning, AR46 mi
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