Daviess County
Population 8,558 (2025) 563 sq mi
Property owners in Daviess County have filed 37 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 69th 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 195021
- Major flood years since 19781
At a glance
The record for Daviess County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes since 1950
21
74th of 115 in Missouri
About as many as the typical Missouri county
DetailsStrongest tornado
F4
May 29, 2004, 22.0 mile path
Federal disaster declarations
24
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2026
DetailsSnowiest season
51.2in
Winter of 1978-79
Tornadoes
About one every 3.6 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 29, 2004
F4, 22.0 mile path
800 yards wide; 3 killed along the whole path.
Most recent
Sunday, October 24, 2021
EF0, 0.1 mile path
5 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Oct 24, 2021 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 27, 2016 | EF0 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 27, 2014 | EF2 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 27, 2014 | EF1 | 9.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 2009 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 2005 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 2004 | F0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 2004 | F4 | 22.0 | 6 | 3 |
| May 27, 2004 | F0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 26, 2002 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 26, 2002 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1984 | F2 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1984 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 12, 1978 | F1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F2 | 8.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 19, 1966 | F1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 10, 1965 | F2 | 11.1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 22, 1964 | F1 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 22, 1964 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 7, 1958 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Daviess 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: 69 days
Heavy smoke on 20 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
25.9 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
19 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 39 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
37 federal flood insurance claims since 1993, with $609,000 paid.
Most claims in one year
1993: 33 claims
$557,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 64670 | 34 | $457,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood34
- Flash Flood25
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 8, 1909
Grand River near Gallatin, 45.00 ft
19.00 feet above the 26.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
June 6, 2026
Grand River near Pattonsburg, 31.40 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Grand River near Gallatin | 26.0 | 45.00 ft | 12 |
| Grand River near Pattonsburg | 25.0 | 40.00 ft | 10 |
- 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 136 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 21 months.
136
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
63
Months in extreme drought
9%
Share of all months, severe or worse
19
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
February 1957
−6.54, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
21 months
December 1955 to August 1957.
Latest month
September 2026
+1.40, slightly wet
Last severe month: September 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 1995; none reached magnitude 4.
0
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
February 10, 1995
Magnitude 3.1
6 km E of Clearmont, Missouri; 46.3 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
February 10, 1995
Magnitude 3.1
6 km E of Clearmont, Missouri; 46.3 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
476 events in the National Weather Service record, 432 of them since 1996.
110
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
19
Hail, 2 inches or larger
118
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
55
Winter weather events since 1996
14
Heat events since 1996
10
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
May 6, 2023
4.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 3, 1974
81 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jun 7, 2009Hail$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Grapefruit sized hail lasted 10 minutes, on the west shore of Lake Viking. One injury was reported from broken glass. Most homes suffered damage to roofs, windows, siding, and automobiles.
- Dec 10, 2007Ice Storm, Daviess$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
Ice accumulations of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch were reported across the county. Numerous tree branches and power lines down.
- Apr 10, 1997Heavy Snow, Daviess$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy wet snow fell across the Northern third of Missouri throughout the day on the 10th followed by a second band of snow during the early morning hours of the 11th. Since temperatures were near or slightly over freezing during the snowfall, some of the snow melted quickly but 6 to 12 inches of snow accumulated with well over a foot in many locations. The heaviest snow fell along and to the north of Highway 136 from Albany in Gentry County to Prineton in Mercer County to Lancaster in Schuyler County. The greatest totals were recorded in Schuyler and Mercer Counties where 20-24 inches of snow was reported. Schuyler County Emergency Management reported 24 inches of snow at…
- Mar 12, 2006Hail$50,000
- Apr 2, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$45,000
National Weather Service narrative
A chimney was reported collapsed and several roofs were blown off buildings.
- Oct 24, 2021Tornado$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
A weak and brief tornado formed in Daviess County that destroyed an outbuilding at a residential farm in a rural area. NWS survey also indicated a grain bin caved in at the property.
- Jun 7, 2009Hail$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
A significant episode of severe weather, featuring extremely large and destructive hail and a few brief tornadoes, impacted portions of northwest and north central Missouri during the late afternoon and evening hours on June 7th. The setup for the event featured a slow moving warm front that was draped from far northwest Missouri southeastward into central Missouri. This front had been reinforced by a complex of thunderstorms that had impacted northern Missouri during the overnight and early morning hours prior, allowing abundant low level moisture to become pooled along the front. Strong daytime heating along and south of the front sent temperatures into the middle and upper 80s.…
- Jun 7, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Powerlines were reported down and an elementary school was damaged.
- Apr 2, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
A barn was blown down along Business Highway 6. A two foot diameter tree was also uprooted.
- Dec 15, 2021Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
There was a report of a carport and a lean-to blown over in Coffey, Missouri.
- 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 Trenton, 22.1 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1895.
- All-time high
- 114°FJul 15, 1936
- All-time low
- −26°FJan 22, 1930
- Warmest night
- 90°F2 times, most recently Jul 3, 1911
- Coldest day
- −7°F3 times, most recently Jan 15, 2024
- Wettest day
- 6.66 inSep 7, 1914
- Snowiest day
- 12.0 inMar 30, 1899
- Hottest year
- 1938mean 57.1°F
- Coldest year
- 1978mean 48.8°F
- Wettest year
- 200859.03 in
- Driest year
- 193622.98 in
- Snowiest season
- 51.2 in1978-79
Median first snow
December 4
Earliest: October 26, 2020
Median last snow
March 13
Latest: April 20, 2021
0 of 72 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Trenton (USC00238444), 837 ft elevation, 22.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1895 to October 27, 2026; 93.4% 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
24 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, August 3, 2026.
| Aug 3, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4929-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 |
| Oct 31, 2014 | Severe Storm | DR-4200-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 27, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1736-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 |
| Feb 6, 2002 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1403-MO |
| Jun 2, 1995 | Severe Storm | DR-1054-MO |
| Jul 9, 1993 | Flood | DR-995-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.
How this compares
Where Daviess County stands among 115 counties in Missouri and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 21 | 74 / 115 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 1 | 68 / 115 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 37 | 69 / 115 |
| Flood insurance paid | $609,000 | 66 / 115 |
| Disaster declarations | 24 | 68 / 115 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 59 | 66 / 115 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 262 | 51 / 115 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 55 | 37 / 115 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $1.1 million | 98 / 115 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 22 | 6 / 115 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 136 | 31 / 115 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 25.9 | 8 / 115 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Caldwell County | 11 | 0 |
| DeKalb County | 21 | 0 |
| Gentry County | 20 | 0 |
| Grundy County | 19 | 0 |
| Harrison County | 27 | 0 |
| Livingston County | 13 | 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 USC00238444.
- 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.