Carter County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Carter County: 8.
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$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado damage path began on the west side of Van Buren, right along the Current River, and crossed U.S. Route 60 very close to the Current River bridge. Two businesses in Van Buren, a lodge and a restaurant, were heavily damaged by F-2 intensity winds. The tornado travelled southeast across hilly and forested terrain until reaching the community of Ellsinore. Damage on the south side of Ellsinore was severe, where about 7 businesses were destroyed. Most of the damage at Ellsinore, which was inflicted by F-4 intensity winds, occurred along and near U.S. Highway 60. Across Carter County, 13 homes were destroyed and 12 homes suffered major damage. The tornado then moved into the…

2. May 1, 2017Flood$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A catastrophic flood on the Current River inflicted very heavy damage to Van Buren and the surrounding riverbank areas. The river crested over 8 feet above the record crest. Several hours before midnight on May 1, the river crested at 37.20 feet on the Van Buren river gage. The old record was 29.00 feet, set in March of 1904. About 238 homes were damaged or destroyed, about half of which were seasonal vacation homes. Whole houses were swept downriver. About 30 businesses were flooded. A large percentage of flood victims were evacuated to temporary shelters in Van Buren. The sheriff department in Van Buren literally floated about 100 feet off its foundation. Floodwaters were more…

3. Mar 14, 2025Wildfire, Carter$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Turley 2 wildfire, located about 2 miles east northeast of Fremont in the Mark Twain National Forest, was reported by U.S. Forest Service personnel. Fanned by south southeast winds gusting 35-50mph through the evening, the fire burnt 94.5 acres before being completely extinguished. In addition to the gusty winds, response to the fire was hindered by a series of tornadic storms that swept across southeast Missouri later in the evening. A deadly EF-3 tornado ripped a path just west and north of Fremont.

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Carter$2.0 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. Mar 14, 2025Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-3 tornado tore a path of destruction across western and northern parts of Carter County. This tornado started just northeast of Brandsville in Oregon County, then moved northeast clipping the southeast corner of Shannon County and then into Carter County southwest of Fremont. Significant tree damage occurred along Green Mountain Road with hundreds of trees uprooted or snapped, along with at least a couple trees that were debarked. A steel trailer was picked up and lofted several hundred yards. Several homes were completely destroyed along the path from Green Mountain Road and northeast towards the town of Fremont and further north along County Highway Y. The tornado…

6. Feb 11, 2008Winter Storm, Carter$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…

7. Mar 18, 2008Flood$700,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Moderate flooding of the Current River occurred. At the Van Buren gage, the river crested at 25.71 feet on March 20 at 1 A.M. CDT. Flood stage there is 20 feet, and moderate flooding begins at 23 feet. This flood crest ranked as the fifth highest crest in over 100 years of records. Some flooding occurred in low sections of Van Buren. Water flowing from Factory Hollow and Walker Hollow contributed to the flooding in Van Buren. About a half dozen homes homes were flooded in Van Buren and southeast of town. The water depth in the homes was generally eight inches or less. Sandbagging protected some homes and businesses, and a local hotel assisted with sheltering. The library was…

8. Apr 24, 2004Tornado$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down about one mile south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and County Highway 233 in eastern Carter County. The tornado tracked north-northeast, passing only about a mile west of the town of Ellsinore. The tornado damage path ended on County Road 365 less than one half mile before reaching the Wayne County line. Peak winds in the tornado were estimated at 150 MPH. Most of the injured were in a mobile home on the north side of U.S. Highway 60. Their mobile home was picked up and thrown into some trees. One person was critically injured. The critically injured person was paralyzed when her back and neck was broken, and she was airlifted to a St. Louis area…

9. Mar 14, 2025Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-1 tornado snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees as it moved northeast from just north of Eastwood to just west and north of Chilton to near Jackson and on to the Wayne County line southwest of Leeper. The roof structure was largely removed from two houses at the end of County Road 326. Another nearby house had some shingles removed, and a nearby barn sustained minor damage. A wooden power pole was snapped on Highway H near County Road 456. The estimated peak wind was 110 mph. The tornado continued northeast into Wayne County where it produced EF-3 damage in Leeper. The total path length was around 31 miles.

10. Jun 29, 2014Flash Flood$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Major flash flooding occurred in Fremont, where numerous evacuations were conducted and cars were flooded due to flash flooding of Pike Creek. Motorists were rescued from vehicles that were swept away by floodwaters on U.S. Highway 60 near Fremont. In addition, portions of Route Y and Route M were closed. Numerous roads were damaged, and a few roads were washed out and closed. Several dozen homes were flooded in Fremont and the surrounding area. About ten of those homes appeared to be a total loss. Home propane tanks floated down creeks and rivers. A large farm tractor was overturned by floodwaters and washed onto a roadway. Camping areas were inundated in the Van Buren area. At…

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

110°F3 times, most recently Jul 17, 1980

All-time low

−19°FJan 24, 1963

Warmest night

79°FJul 1, 2023

Coldest day

1°FJan 11, 1982

Wettest day

8.10 in2 times, most recently Mar 19, 2008

Snowiest day

12.0 inFeb 16, 1993

Hottest year

1954mean 59.3°F

Coldest year

1979mean 53.7°F

Wettest year

198267.63 in

Driest year

195326.12 in

Snowiest season

24.9 in1977-78

Station Clearwater Dam (USC00231674), 660 ft elevation, 14.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1946 to October 27, 2026; 85.6% 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 USC00231674.
• 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.