Carroll County
Population 8,417 (2025) 695 sq mi
Property owners in Carroll County have filed 179 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 35th most of 115 counties in Missouri.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195017
- Major flood years since 19783
At a glance
The record for Carroll County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes since 1950
17
86th of 115 in Missouri
Fewer than the typical Missouri county, which has had 25
DetailsStrongest tornado
F4
May 4, 1977, 48.6 mile path
Snowiest season
54.6in
Winter of 1959-60
Tornadoes
About one every 4.5 years since 1950, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 4, 1977
F4, 48.6 mile path
880 yards wide.
Most recent
Monday, March 6, 2017
EF0, 6.0 mile path
9 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 16, 2007 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F0 | 9.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2000 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 26, 2000 | F1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 8, 1999 | F2 | 53.5 | 2 | 0 |
| May 4, 1977 | F4 | 48.6 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 29, 1975 | F0 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F2 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F1 | 2.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F3 | 14.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 20, 1965 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 26, 1965 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 1961 | F2 | 9.6 | 0 | 0 |
| May 26, 1955 | F0 | 0.2 | 1 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Carroll County: 0.
- 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 here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 65 days
Heavy smoke on 16 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
24.7 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
18 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
179 federal flood insurance claims since 1981, with $3.7 million paid.
Most claims in one year
1993: 39 claims
$943,000 paid.
2nd most
1998: 30 claims
$1.0 million paid.
3rd most
2019: 29 claims
$806,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 64633 | 146 | $3.2 million |
| 64668 | 25 | $194,000 |
| 64687 | 5 | $79,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood55
- Flash Flood21
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
Most severe crest
July 13, 1993
Grand River near Brunswick, 34.40 ft
15.40 feet above the 19.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
April 28, 2026
Wakenda Creek at Carrollton, 19.36 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Grand River near Brunswick | 19.0 | 34.40 ft | 1 |
| Wakenda Creek at Carrollton | 16.0 | 22.21 ft | 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.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 126 of 1,581 months since 1895 (8%); the longest spell lasted 17 months.
126
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
53
Months in extreme drought
8%
Share of all months, severe or worse
19
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 1934
−7.25, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
17 months
December 1917 to April 1919.
Latest month
September 2026
0.00, near normal
Last severe month: July 2018.
- 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
3 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 2005; none reached magnitude 4.
1
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
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; 49.3 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
July 31, 2005
Magnitude 3.3
Missouri; 49.3 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 county boundary (or inside the county).
- 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
366 events in the National Weather Service record, 308 of them since 1996.
74
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
15
Hail, 2 inches or larger
52
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
41
Winter weather events since 1996
16
Heat events since 1996
10
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 23, 1975
4.50 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
June 17, 2009
100 mph
Costliest events since 1996
- Apr 8, 1999Tornado$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
The tornado touched down 3 miles west of Bosworth and moved northeast into Chariton and Macon Counties. A home was destroyed 1 mile north of Bosworth and several large trees were downed before the tornado moved into Chariton County.
- Mar 12, 2006Tornado$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
F0 tornado touched down around Norborne at 0944 CST and then lifted 2 miles east of Carrollton at 1005 CST. Damage was noted to buildings...trees and power lines.
- Jan 30, 2002Ice Storm, Carroll$250,000
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.
- Oct 14, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
National Weather Service narrative
Extensive wind damage was reported just southwest of Hale. A 50-by-60 foot machine shed and a 60-by-120 foot Morton building were destroyed, and farm equipment inside was damaged. A two car garage was destroyed, and a modular home suffered roof damage. Large trees and limbs were downed, and one limb fell on the roof of a home, causing damage.
- Mar 9, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
National Weather Service narrative
Roof blown off a house. Silo blown over onto church.
- Jun 17, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
Spotter reported thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be up to 100 mph. Winds were gusting up to 60 mph, for 10 to 15 minutes, between Norborne and Carrollton. Numerous trees and power lines were down. Several power poles were snapped.
- Jun 14, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
A barn was destroyed by severe thunderstorm winds along County Line Rd, 8 miles southwest of Plymouth.
- May 26, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorm winds damaged the roof of a home east of Carrollton.
- Oct 14, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Large tree limbs were blown down and a machine shed was severely damaged.
- Jun 2, 2018Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Main power line was downed by strong winds.
- 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 Carrollton, 3.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1893.
- All-time high
- 114°FJul 14, 1954
- All-time low
- −34°FFeb 13, 1905
- Warmest night
- 86°FJul 8, 1991
- Coldest day
- −7°FDec 22, 1989
- Wettest day
- 7.34 inJul 25, 2025
- Snowiest day
- 18.0 inFeb 12, 1894
- Hottest year
- 2012mean 57.6°F
- Coldest year
- 1979mean 51.8°F
- Wettest year
- 199864.72 in
- Driest year
- 195621.54 in
- Snowiest season
- 54.6 in1959-60
Median first snow
December 7
Earliest: October 18, 1976
Median last snow
March 14
Latest: April 21, 2021
0 of 72 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Carrollton (USC00231340), 705 ft elevation, 3.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 96.3% 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
29 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, June 30, 2026.
| 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 |
| May 20, 2019 | Flood | DR-4435-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 |
| Aug 17, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1934-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 |
| Jun 11, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1524-MO |
| May 6, 2002 | Severe Storm | DR-1412-MO |
| Feb 6, 2002 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1403-MO |
| Oct 14, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1253-MO |
| Jun 2, 1995 | Severe Storm | DR-1054-MO |
| Jul 9, 1993 | Flood | DR-995-MO |
| May 7, 1977 | Tornado | DR-535-MO |
| Sep 24, 1976 | Drought | EM-3017-MO |
| Jun 10, 1974 | Flood | DR-439-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.
How this compares
Where Carroll County stands among 115 counties in Missouri and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 17 | 86 / 115 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 2 | 47 / 115 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 179 | 35 / 115 |
| Flood insurance paid | $3.7 million | 36 / 115 |
| Disaster declarations | 29 | 10 / 115 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 76 | 57 / 115 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 139 | 104 / 115 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 41 | 108 / 115 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $1.1 million | 95 / 115 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 2 | 57 / 115 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 126 | 51 / 115 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 24.7 | 19 / 115 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 1 | 26 / 115 |
Neighbouring counties
| Caldwell County | 11 | 0 |
| Chariton County | 16 | 0 |
| Lafayette County | 30 | 0 |
| Livingston County | 13 | 0 |
| Ray County | 34 | 0 |
| Saline County | 24 | 0 |
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 USC00231340.
- 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.