Butler County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Butler County: 2.
2. 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.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. 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.

Claims by ZIP code

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

1. 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.

1. 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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. 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 county boundary (or inside the county).
2. 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.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by MO DNR (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 24, 2002Tornado$30.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed into Butler County in the Mark Twain National Forest, then proceded east-southeast, passing 6 to 7 miles north of Poplar Bluff. An upscale residential subdivision beyond the northern outskirts of Poplar Bluff, just off U.S. Route 67, received extensive damage. At least two well-constructed homes were levelled by peak winds estimated around 210 MPH. A total of 50 homes were destroyed in Butler County, 16 others received major damage, and 30 homes received minor damage. Most of the damaged homes were north of Poplar Bluff. Total damage figures for Butler County included timber losses in the national forest. The total number of injuries requiring hospital care…

2. Jan 26, 2009Winter Storm, Butler$19.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This prolonged, major winter storm was termed the worst in decades for southeast Missouri. The storm dumped 6 to 10 inches of sleet and snow along and north of a line from Van Buren through Greenville to Cape Girardeau. This resulted in very difficult driving conditions along with at least two dozen roof collapses. South of that line, at least one inch of ice accumulated. Locally 1.5 to 2 inches of ice accumulated south of a line from Poplar Bluff to Dexter to Benton. This resulted in catastrophic damage to trees, power lines, and utility poles in places such as Dexter, Sikeston, Charleston, and New Madrid. A utility company serving much of the region reported this was the most…

3. Mar 14, 2025Tornado$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-3 tornado started along County Road 462 southeast of Stringtown and moved east northeast along County Road 450 all the way into Poplar Bluff. On the way it damaged numerous trees and did significant damage to several homes. Right as it crossed U.S. 67 on the northwest side of Poplar Bluff it struck a church and a nearby mobile home park. One person was killed when their mobile home was destroyed. It then did mainly roof damage to numerous buildings as it continued east northeast through town. It crossed U.S. 60 and headed northeast and completely destroyed a home on Highway T. It eventually dissipated as it reached County Road 572 northwest of Rombauer or just east of Saint…

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Butler$8.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Frequent wind gusts from 60 to 75 mph caused widespread damage in parts of southeast Missouri. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale and St. Louis on its way toward the northeastern states. The rapid speed of the low pressure system contributed to this high wind event.||Extensive tree damage occurred. A very large number of trees were uprooted, and large limbs were broken. Some trees fell on homes, businesses, and public buildings. Downed trees and limbs landed on many vehicles. Numerous streets and highways were blocked. More than half the streets in some…

5. Apr 24, 2011Flood$4.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flooding occurred on the Black River. The river crested at 21.41 feet at Poplar Bluff, which was the third highest crest on record. The record crest was set only a few years earlier in 2008. The main levee from Poplar Bluff to the Qulin area was overtopped in more than three dozen spots, and a breach occurred in one spot just outside of Poplar Bluff. The part of the levee protecting most of Poplar Bluff, including the downtown area, was on the verge of failure for over 24 hours. Some homes in the flood plain were flooded, mostly in rural areas south of Poplar Bluff. Areas of south central Butler County were evacuated. A Red Cross shelter housed over 300 residents at times.…

6. May 1, 2017Flood$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flooding occurred on the Black River as the month began. At the Poplar Bluff river gage, the river crested at 21.96 feet late on the morning of the 1st. This crest was only a few inches below the record crest of 22.15 feet, set in March of 2008. The main levee from Poplar Bluff to the Qulin area was under extreme stress. One section of levee broke in the vicinity of County Road 608, requiring eight houses to be evacuated. The levee was overtopped in more than a dozen spots. The part of the levee protecting Poplar Bluff, including the downtown area, was overtopped in a couple of places. Police and firefighters went door-to-door on the south side of Poplar Bluff advising…

7. Mar 18, 2008Flood$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Record flooding of the Black River occurred. At the Poplar Bluff gage, the river crested at 22.15 feet on March 19 at 4:30 P.M. CDT. The previous record crest was 21.68 feet in December of 1982. Flood stage there is 16 feet, and major flooding begins at 21 feet. Hundreds of homes were inundated, and the river even flooded parts of the downtown area. Residents were evacuated in south and east Poplar Bluff. Boats were used to evacuate many stranded residents. U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters from as far away as New Orleans assisted in evacuation efforts. The helicopters airlifted 37 people and six dogs to safety. Flood gates were installed for the first time since a flood wall…

8. Mar 18, 2008Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Historic flooding struck much of Butler County. At least 1,000 people in the county were displaced from their homes by flooding. U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters from as far away as New Orleans assisted in evacuation efforts. The helicopters airlifted 37 people and six dogs to safety. Several of those evacuated were from Coon Island. In northwest parts of the county, an elderly couple along JJ Highway were stranded on the roof of their home. An industrial park was inaccessible due to flooding of Pike Creek. Numerous evacuations were conducted by law enforcement and fire personnel. Broken levees along the Black River and other rivers inundated large parts of the county.…

9. Mar 14, 2025Tornado$1.4 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-4 tornado that started in Arkansas lifted northeast through Ripley County and into Butler County just north of U.S. 160 east of Fairdealing. The tornado produced EF-2 damage as it briefly moved east, paralleling U.S. 160, and then turned northeast, dissipating just south of Lone Hill. The most significant damage was along County Road 488 where it destroyed one house and did major roof damage to a few others. It also snapped dozens of trees and an wooden power pole in that area. The estimated peak wind was 132 mph. The total path length of the tornado was 118 miles.

10. Feb 11, 2008Winter Storm, Butler$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Low pressure developed over the southern Plains, spreading widespread heavy precipitation across southeast Missouri. At the same time, high pressure over the upper Ohio Valley produced a cold easterly wind flow. The result was a crippling ice storm. Around one inch of ice caused extensive damage across much of southeast Missouri. The hardest hit areas extended from Greenville (Wayne County) through Marble Hill (Bollinger County) to Jackson (Cape Girardeau County). North of a Marble Hill to Jackson line, four to six inches of sleet and snow fell, along with up to one-half inch of freezing rain. Thunder accompanied the wintry precipitation at times. Numerous trees and power lines…

1. 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.

All-time high

105°F2 times, most recently Jul 5, 2012

All-time low

−6°FFeb 19, 2015

Warmest night

80°FJul 11, 2011

Coldest day

9°FFeb 15, 2021

Wettest day

6.54 inMar 18, 2008

Hottest year

2012mean 62.0°F

Coldest year

2014mean 56.8°F

Wettest year

201170.53 in

Driest year

201233.31 in

Station Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport (USW00003975), 327 ft elevation, 5.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1997 to October 26, 2026; 95.5% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USW00003975.
• 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.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• 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.