Callaway County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

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.

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 (5), NASA (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. Jun 3, 2019Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Missouri River at Jefferson City rose above 33 feet during the late evening hours of June 3rd, which is 3 feet above Major Flood stage and remained that high through the evening of June 8th. This was the period when the river was at it's highest levels for this event. The flooding affected Jefferson City Memorial Airport for a couple of months. The terminal building sustained more than 50 percent damage so will have to be torn down and rebuilt to FEMA floodplain standards. The airport tower was flooded as well. The ASOS unit had to be powered off beginning May 22nd until July 30th and had to be repaired once the flood waters went down.

2. Nov 29, 2006Winter Storm, Callaway$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major winter storm hit Central, Northeast, East Central and parts of Southeast Missouri from November 30 through Dcember 1. Over a foot of snow fell across parts of Central Missouri while a major ice storm hit parts of East Central and Southeast Missouri, including the St. Louis area. Ice accumulations of 1 inch or more downed trees and power lines resulting in at least 300,000 electric customers losing service for up to a week. Downed limbs and trees damaged homes and automobiles across the area as well. Many rural schools were closed for several days due to slick roads and power outages. The National Guard was called out to several counties to assist with debris removal and…

3. Oct 17, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A swath of damaging downburst winds extended from Calwood, along Highway Z towards Interstate 70. A grain elevator sustained major damage in Calwood. Also, numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down along the damage path. The width of the damage area ranged from 50 to 125 yards.

4. Dec 1, 2006Winter Storm, Callaway$169,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major winter storm hit Central, Northeast, East Central and parts of Southeast Missouri from November 30 through Dcember 1. Over a foot of snow fell across parts of Central Missouri while a major ice storm hit parts of East Central and Southeast Missouri, including the St. Louis area. Ice accumulations of 1 inch or more downed trees and power lines resulting in at least 300,000 electric customers losing service for up to a week. Downed limbs and trees damaged homes and automobiles across the area as well. Many rural schools were closed for several days due to slick roads and power outages. The National Guard was called out to several counties to assist with debris removal and…

5. Apr 20, 2025Tornado$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down south of County Road 362 at 1:31 PM and quickly strengthened, blowing in the garage and removing a significant section of roof from a home along County Road 362. This was the worst observed damage and was rated as 120 mph (EF-2). The tornado then moved north-northeast, crossing State Road Y and removing siding from a church along Blessing Lane. The tornado dissipated along County Road 347 at 1:36 PM. Additional damage along the path mainly consisted of tree damage. The tornado was rated EF-2 with a path length of 2.61 miles and a maximum path width of 100 yards.

6. May 25, 2004Hail$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency management personnel reported that golfball size hail fell in parts of Fulton. There were scattered reports of automobile damage.

7. Apr 10, 2001Tornado$75,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The 2nd tornado from the Heavy Precipitation Supercell that moved across the NWS St. Louis County Warning Area formed just west of Fulton near Route F. Shortly after forming, the tornado destroyed a mobile home killing a man inside and injuring his wife and son. The tornado moved north northeast snapping off trees, destroying outbuildings and overturning an unoccupied school but. The tornado then turned more to the east and crossed Highway 54. A nearby warehouse complex received roof damage and several empty truck trailers were pushed over.

8. Apr 20, 2000Tornado$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A small tornado struck a farm south of Williamsburg. One barn was completely destroyed as was a grain silo. Three outbuildings were also severely damaged.

9. May 25, 2004Hail$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency management personnel reported that golfball size hail fell in parts of Fulton. There were scattered reports of automobile damage.

10. Aug 2, 2016Lightning$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning struck a wing of Reeves Library on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, MO. Fortunately the school was renovating that part of the library, so damage was contained. Damage was estimated around $50,000.

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

111°FJul 30, 1980

All-time low

−20°FDec 22, 1989

Warmest night

84°FJul 10, 1980

Coldest day

−7°FDec 24, 1983

Wettest day

5.94 inJul 30, 1989

Snowiest day

18.0 inJan 19, 1995

Hottest year

2012mean 59.4°F

Coldest year

1979mean 52.4°F

Wettest year

199362.49 in

Driest year

198023.66 in

Snowiest season

54.9 in1977-78

Station Columbia Regional Airport (USW00003945), 893 ft elevation, 11.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1969 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% 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 USW00003945.
• 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.