Marshall
Population 13,766 (2025)
71 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Marshall since 1950, 3 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on April 2, 2025.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 195071
At a glance
Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Saline County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Saline County.
Strongest tornado
F4
May 4, 1977, 48.6 mile path
Snowiest season
40.6in
Winter of 1944-45
Tornadoes
About one every 1.1 years since 1950, 3 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 4, 1977
F4, 48.6 mile path
880 yards wide.
Deadliest
May 4, 1977
1 killed, F3
5 injured along the whole path.
Most recent
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
EF2, 6.1 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 6.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 6, 2024 | EF1 | 9.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 4, 2023 | EF0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 24, 2020 | EF0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF0 | 17.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF1 | 19.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2014 | EF1 | 7.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 26, 2013 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF1 | 14.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF1 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 12, 2008 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 5, 2008 | EF0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 16, 2007 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F0 | 6.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 35.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F2 | 20.0 | 6 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F0 | 8.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F0 | 28.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F0 | 9.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 29, 2004 | F1 | 10.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 9, 2003 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 9, 2003 | F2 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 4, 2003 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 10, 2001 | F1 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 10, 2001 | F1 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2000 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 25, 1994 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 20, 1992 | F1 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 7, 1992 | F2 | 10.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 1991 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 24, 1988 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 18, 1983 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 1983 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 1, 1982 | F1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1982 | F1 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F1 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 1981 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 13, 1981 | F1 | 30.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 12, 1980 | F2 | 27.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 4, 1977 | F4 | 48.6 | 1 | 0 |
| May 4, 1977 | F3 | 26.2 | 5 | 1 |
| May 4, 1977 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1976 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 21, 1973 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 1973 | F2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F2 | 2.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F2 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 15, 1968 | F2 | 12.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 15, 1968 | F1 | 4.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 10, 1967 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F2 | 20.4 | 0 | 0 |
| May 23, 1966 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 15, 1966 | F1 | 1.6 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 20, 1965 | F2 | 13.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 26, 1965 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 22, 1961 | F1 | 1.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 22, 1961 | F2 | 4.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 1961 | F2 | 9.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 1958 | F2 | 4.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 10, 1958 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 10, 1958 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 4, 1956 | F2 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped within 25 miles since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 65 days
Heavy smoke on 15 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
23.9 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
17 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 37 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
16 federal flood insurance claims since 1982, with $272,000 paid.
Flood insurance figures are for Saline County, the county that contains Marshall.
Most claims in one year
1993: 7 claims
$98,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 65340 | 10 | $218,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood120
- Flash Flood29
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).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
River crests
River gauges in Saline County, the county that contains Marshall.
Most severe crest
October 3, 1986
Blackwater River near Blue Lick, 41.53 ft
17.53 feet above the 24.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
May 1, 2026
Blackwater River near Blue Lick, 29.67 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Blackwater River near Blue Lick | 24.0 | 41.53 ft | 1 |
| Missouri River at Miami | 18.0 | 32.60 ft | 5 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 130 of 1,581 months since 1895 (8%); the longest spell lasted 21 months.
The drought index is for Saline County, the county that contains Marshall.
130
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
54
Months in extreme drought
8%
Share of all months, severe or worse
22
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 1934
−6.90, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
21 months
September 1953 to May 1955.
Latest month
September 2026
+0.75, incipient wet spell
Last severe month: March 2024.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes
2 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 2005; none reached magnitude 4.
1
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
July 31, 2005
Magnitude 3.3
Missouri; 37.6 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
July 31, 2005
Magnitude 3.3
Missouri; 37.6 miles away.
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
529 events in the National Weather Service record for Saline County, 399 of them since 1996.
91
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
8
Hail, 2 inches or larger
87
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
40
Winter weather events since 1996
15
Heat events since 1996
10
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
June 21, 1977
2.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
May 10, 2014
113 mph
Costliest events since 1996
- Mar 12, 2006Tornado$3.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Tornado crossed into Saline county from Pettis county at 2009 CST. The tornado crossed over Interstate 70 at mile marker 71 at 2012 CST. Six people seeking shelter under a highway overpass were injured. Their cars were crushed when a semi was blown over on top of them. The tornado produced F2 damage just northeast of I-70 where several houses lost their roofs and a church was destroyed. The tornado continued northeast over rural areas and dissipated 3 miles east of Marshall at 2035 CST.
- Jan 30, 2002Ice Storm, Saline$400,000
National Weather Service narrative
A long-lived major ice and snow storm blasted much of northwest, northern and central Missouri from late Tuesday, January 29th, until Thursday, January 31st. Ice accumulations of over an inch were observed from the Kansas City metropolitan area, east and north through Moberly Missouri. At one point 409,504 total customers were without electrical power in the CWA, with some residents without power up to two weeks. For the Kansas City area, the ice storm was ranked as the worst ever. Further north across northern Missouri, heavy snow fell generally along and north of a line, from St. Joseph to Trenton to Kirksville. Snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 14 inches.
- Aug 4, 2004Flash Flood$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
4 to 6 inches of rain produced widespread flash flooding in the Marshall area. Several water rescues and several homes and businesses suffered water damage. Damage to roads and bridges as well. Flowing water was 3 to 4 feet deep on Route YY.
- May 22, 2011Tornado$230,000
National Weather Service narrative
At 1550CST an EF1 tornado touched down around one mile southeast of Slater, and moved east around three and a half miles, before lifting at 1557CST, around a mile south of Gilliam. One home was destroyed near Slater, with one mobile home destroyed and minor outbuilding damage near Gilliam.
- Mar 12, 2006Hail$75,000
- Mar 12, 2006Tornado$75,000
National Weather Service narrative
Tornado touched down 6 miles south of Marshall at 2028 CST. It traveled east-northeast and for a time paralleled another tornado to the north before the first one occluded. Little damage was noted along the track until it neared the Howard county line. The tornado merged with another tornado near the Missouri River and quickly produced F3 damage to a farmstead. The tornado then entered Howard county 4 miles north of Arrow Rock at 2046 CST.
- Nov 12, 2018Winter Weather, Saline$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Light snow caused icy roads, which then caused numerous accidents. In this case a vehicle slid into a second vehicle. The driver sustained moderate injuries.
- Jun 6, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
National Weather Service narrative
Power lines and trees were downed in the town of Marshall.
- Oct 29, 2004Tornado$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
Pettis county Tornado crossed into Saline county just west of Highway K. Then damaged a house near K Highway and County Road 330 before dissipating.
- Apr 18, 2006Hail$15,000
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Marshall, 1.7 miles from the city centre, with records from 1893.
- All-time high
- 112°F3 times, most recently Jul 21, 1974
- All-time low
- −26°FFeb 13, 1905
- Warmest night
- 85°F2 times, most recently Jul 4, 1926
- Coldest day
- −9°FDec 22, 1989
- Wettest day
- 9.75 inJun 25, 2021
- Snowiest day
- 15.0 inFeb 12, 1894
- Hottest year
- 1938mean 59.0°F
- Coldest year
- 1895mean 51.7°F
- Wettest year
- 197359.28 in
- Driest year
- 196322.95 in
- Snowiest season
- 40.6 in1944-45
Median first snow
December 8
Earliest: October 25, 1898
Median last snow
March 1
Latest: April 11, 1940
1 of 75 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Marshall (USW00013991), 790 ft elevation, 1.7 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 95.2% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
26 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, June 30, 2026.
Declarations for Saline County.
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4924-MO |
| Sep 1, 2021 | Severe Storm | DR-4612-MO |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490-MO |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482-MO |
| Jul 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4451-MO |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4238-MO |
| Aug 12, 2011 | Flood | DR-4012-MO |
| Jun 30, 2011 | Flood | EM-3325-MO |
| Mar 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1961-MO |
| Feb 3, 2011 | Severe Storm | EM-3317-MO |
| Jun 19, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1847-MO |
| Jan 30, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3303-MO |
| Jun 25, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1773-MO |
| Dec 12, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3281-MO |
| Jun 11, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1708-MO |
| Mar 16, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1631-MO |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3232-MO |
| May 6, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1463-MO |
| Feb 6, 2002 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1403-MO |
| Jun 2, 1995 | Severe Storm | DR-1054-MO |
| Jul 9, 1993 | Flood | DR-995-MO |
| Oct 14, 1986 | Flood | DR-779-MO |
| Sep 24, 1976 | Drought | EM-3017-MO |
| Nov 1, 1973 | Flood | DR-407-MO |
| Apr 19, 1973 | Severe Storm | DR-372-MO |
| Jul 27, 1965 | Flood | DR-203-MO |
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).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013991.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.