NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wappapello, 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 Wappapello, Missouri since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 106
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Wappapello
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wappapello; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Wappapello begins with an unnamed storm in 1906; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 66 miles away. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Wappapello has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 334 Missouri cities on this site. The highest rating among the 106 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on April 5, 2023, killed 5 people. Of the 106, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 63 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 34. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Wappapello has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 59% of the 334 Missouri cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1971, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 334 Missouri cities, 93% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wappapello.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wappapello
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wappapello: 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 Wappapello
By decade
- 2020s19(4 EF3+)
- 2010s32(2 EF3+)
- 2000s12(2 EF3+)
- 1990s16
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s11(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 1981 | F4 | 20 mi | 63 mi | 1 / 32 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 22 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 24, 2002 | F4 | 10 mi | 40.5 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 21 mi | 30.6 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 6 mi | 17.92 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 16 mi | 28.64 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF3 | 6 mi | 19.96 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2002 | F3 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 1 / 16 |
| Feb 21, 1976 | F3 | 4 mi | 23.7 mi | 1 / 16 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 47.41 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1973 | F3 | 13 mi | 36 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 30, 1970 | F3 | 23 mi | 8.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wappapello
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Wappapello since 1971, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently May 25, 2006. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wappapello
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wappapello Dam, MO, 2 miles south of Wappapello at 410 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 24°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 51.6 inches. Highs reach 90°F on about 53 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 92 nights a year. That 51.6 inches is more than at 129 of the 134 Missouri stations used on this site (96%). Poplar Bluff, 15 miles southwest, has its own station (Poplar Bluff, MO): 52.4 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 24 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.5 |
| Mar | 56 | 37 | 5.0 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.4 |
| May | 76 | 57 | 5.6 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.4 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 3.6 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 3.6 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 45 | 28 | 4.2 |
| Year | 67 | 47 | 51.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wappapello Dam, MO (410 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 Wappapello
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 66 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wappapello: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 floods, 9 flash floods and 3 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $27.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on January 11, 2020. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 334 Missouri cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 60 have had fewer than Wappapello.
May 1, 2011: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Wappapello — $20.0 million damage.
NWS: “The record high level of Lake Wappapello exceeded the height of the emergency spillway at Wappapello Dam. The uncontrolled flow of water over the spillway berm washed out a 400-foot section of Highway T, taking out millions of dollars of communications infrastructure.”
May 1, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Wappapello — $3.5 million damage.
March 18, 2008: flood 6 miles from the centre of Wappapello — $1.8 million 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
Wayne County, which includes Wappapello, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding, on September 1, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.5 million a year, the 59th highest of 115 Missouri counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.3 million (47%), 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 Wappapello
- Puxico, MO9 mi
- Poplar Bluff, MO15 mi
- Bloomfield, MO19 mi
- Dexter, MO21 mi
- Advance, MO23 mi
- Bernie, MO25 mi
- Ellsinore, MO26 mi
- Piedmont, MO27 mi
- Marble Hill, MO30 mi
- Malden, MO31 mi
- Campbell, MO32 mi
- Oran, MO35 mi
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