Harrison County

Population 8,281 (2025) 723 sq mi

Harrison County has recorded 27 tornadoes since 1950, 44th most of 115 counties in Missouri; the most recent was on June 28, 2017.

Hazard fingerprint for Harrison County Tornado: 49th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 24th percentile. Hail & wind: 37th percentile. Heat: 67th percentile. Cold: 56th percentile. Winter: 38th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 195027

At a glance

The record for Harrison County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Tornadoes since 1950

27

44th of 115 in Missouri

About as many as the typical Missouri county

Details

Flood insurance claims

6

92nd of 115 in Missouri

$157,000 paid since 1993

Details

Strongest tornado

F4

June 7, 1984, 134.0 mile path

Federal disaster declarations

19

Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2026

Details

Record high

107°F

Reached 3 times, most recently August 9, 1988

Details

Record low

−30°F

January 12, 1974

Details

Snowiest season

46.0in

Winter of 1977-78

Costliest event since 1996

$250K

Heavy Snow, April 10, 1997

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 2.8 years since 1950, 5 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

June 7, 1984

F4, 134.0 mile path

250 yards wide; 3 killed along the whole path.

Most recent

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

EF1, 16.4 mile path

9 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 6 6 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 1 A: 4 M: 11 11 J: 7 J: 0 A: 0 S: 2 O: 1 N: 1 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Harrison County since 1950
Jun 28, 2017EF116.47500
Jun 30, 2014EF03.020000
Mar 30, 2006F01.05000
Jun 4, 2005F15.010000
May 29, 2004F06.010000
May 29, 2004F422.080063
May 27, 2004F02.05000
May 24, 2004F00.55000
May 24, 2004F00.55000
Apr 30, 2003F010.010000
Apr 30, 2003F02.05000
May 27, 1995F00.22000
May 27, 1995F330.415000
Jun 30, 1993F00.35000
May 24, 1989F11.05000
May 24, 1989F22.57300
Jun 7, 1984F4134.0250643
May 21, 1977F11.010000
Apr 29, 1970F229.380000
Jun 12, 1967F10.15000
Sep 20, 1965F10.21000
Sep 18, 1965F01.02000
Jun 7, 1961F10.51700
May 16, 1960F10.21000
Apr 16, 1960F327.030040
Nov 17, 1958F24.110000
Oct 8, 1958F323.130072
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Harrison 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.

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: 70 days

Heavy smoke on 22 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

26.3 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

20 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 39 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 13 2012: 20 2013: 14 2014: 8 2015: 17 2016: 2 2017: 11 2018: 14 2019: 8 2020: 26 2021: 55 2022: 22 2023: 70 70 2024: 35 2025: 20 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

6 federal flood insurance claims since 1993, with $157,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 1993. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Flood events since 1996

  • Flash Flood17
  • Flood3
  • Heavy Rain3

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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 151 of 1,581 months since 1895 (10%); the longest spell lasted 23 months.

151

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

61

Months in extreme drought

10%

Share of all months, severe or worse

20

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

June 1956

−6.89, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

23 months

November 1955 to September 1957.

Latest month

September 2026

+1.97, slightly wet

Last severe month: January 2013.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 2 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 3 1902: 4 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 2 1911: 5 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 2 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 1 1918: 11 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 1 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 5 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 4 1935: 0 1936: 6 1937: 3 1938: 11 1939: 5 1940: 0 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 4 1954: 9 1955: 3 1956: 12 12 1957: 9 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 3 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 1 1977: 7 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 1 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 7 1989: 6 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 1 2000: 5 2001: 0 2002: 2 2003: 10 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 1 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 4 2013: 1 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

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; 37.9 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

February 10, 1995

Magnitude 3.1

6 km E of Clearmont, Missouri; 37.9 miles away.

  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.

Severe weather and other events

431 events in the National Weather Service record, 378 of them since 1996.

128

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

18

Hail, 2 inches or larger

95

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

53

Winter weather events since 1996

15

Heat events since 1996

12

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

May 6, 2023

4.00 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

April 5, 2001

86 mph

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Apr 10, 1997Heavy Snow, Harrison$250,000
    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…

  2. Jun 12, 2004Hail$90,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    School and numerous cars damaged by the hail.

  3. Aug 16, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Thunderstorm winds destroyed a barn and knocked down 2 large trees 5 miles southeast of Blythesdale.

  4. Apr 2, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous buildings were reported to have lost roof vents in town. Numerous sheds were also blown over throughout Bethany.

  5. Dec 10, 2007Ice Storm, Harrison$25,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Around 3/4 of an inch of ice accumulated across the county. Many tree branches and power lines were down.

  6. May 28, 2019Hail$20,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several windows were broken from wind blown quarter sized hail.

  7. Apr 19, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree which fell on a mobile home.

  8. Apr 18, 2006Hail$10,000
  9. May 19, 2018Hail$10,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Windows were broken in a residence due to golf ball sized hail.

  10. May 10, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$5,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several car windows were blown out by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.

  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.

Weather records

From Spickard 7 W, 15.8 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1957.

All-time high
107°F3 times, most recently Aug 9, 1988
All-time low
−30°FJan 12, 1974
Warmest night
80°FJun 25, 1978
Coldest day
−10°FDec 22, 1989
Wettest day
6.55 inJun 6, 1996
Snowiest day
12.0 in3 times, most recently Feb 2, 2011
Hottest year
2012mean 55.5°F
Coldest year
1996mean 48.5°F
Wettest year
201961.35 in
Driest year
198815.88 in
Snowiest season
46.0 in1977-78
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Spickard 7 W 32°F 34° 14° 1.0 Jan 39° 18° 1.3 Feb 52° 30° 2.3 Mar 63° 40° 3.5 Apr 73° 51° 5.5 May 83° 62° 5.6 Jun 87° 66° 4.0 Jul 85° 63° 4.7 Aug 79° 55° 3.5 Sep 66° 42° 3.5 Oct 52° 31° 2.0 Nov 39° 20° 1.4 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1974: 12 1975: 13 1976: 14 1977: 18 1978: 2 1979: 4 1980: 31 1981: 3 1982: 4 1983: 32 1984: 11 1985: 7 1987: 14 1988: 38 38 1989: 8 1990: 14 1991: 12 1992: 0 1995: 18 1996: 3 1997: 12 1998: 10 1999: 17 2000: 8 2001: 7 2002: 12 2004: 0 2005: 12 2006: 14 2007: 8 2008: 2 2009: 2 2010: 5 2011: 13 2012: 33 2013: 12 2014: 0 2015: 2 2016: 1 2017: 1 2018: 17 2019: 3 2020: 0 2021: 3 2022: 4 2023: 4 19741984199720082018
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 8.0.
Snowfall by winter 1976: 18.1 in 1977: 46.0 in 46.0 1978: 44.5 in 1979: 26.4 in 1980: 10.5 in 1981: 25.9 in 1982: 14.2 in 1983: 37.7 in 1984: 23.4 in 1985: 8.7 in 1986: 10.6 in 1987: 13.5 in 1988: 8.5 in 1989: 16.3 in 1990: 12.0 in 1991: 10.0 in 1992: 24.8 in 1995: 13.6 in 1996: 12.7 in 1997: 0.0 in 1998: 2.3 in 1999: 0.0 in 2000: 0.0 in 2001: 0.0 in 2005: 3.0 in 2006: 0.0 in 2007: 36.5 in 2008: 16.5 in 2009: 32.3 in 2010: 36.6 in 2014: 15.9 in 2015: 8.9 in 2016: 5.7 in 2017: 14.6 in 2018: 24.8 in 2019: 17.8 in 2020: 22.9 in 2021: 20.8 in 2025: 11.0 in 1976198619982014
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

December 7

Earliest: October 15, 2018

Median last snow

March 18

Latest: April 20, 2021

5 of 42 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Spickard 7 W (USC00237963), 875 ft elevation, 15.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1957 to October 27, 2026; 96.1% 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

19 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, August 3, 2026.

Federal disaster declarations
Aug 3, 2026Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4929-MO
Mar 26, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4490-MO
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3482-MO
Jul 9, 2019Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4451-MO
Aug 7, 2015Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4238-MO
Oct 31, 2014Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4200-MO
Feb 3, 2011Severe StormSevere Winter StormEmergencyEM-3317-MO
Aug 17, 2010Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disasterDR-1934-MO
Jan 30, 2009Severe Ice StormSevere Winter StormEmergencyEM-3303-MO
Jun 25, 2008Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1773-MO
Dec 27, 2007Severe Ice StormSevere Winter StormsMajor disasterDR-1736-MO
Dec 12, 2007Severe Ice StormSevere Winter StormsEmergencyEM-3281-MO
Jun 11, 2007Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1708-MO
Sep 10, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3232-MO
Jun 11, 2004Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1524-MO
Jul 9, 1993FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-995-MO
Sep 24, 1976DroughtDroughtEmergencyEM-3017-MO
Nov 1, 1973FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-407-MO
Apr 19, 1973Severe StormHeavy Rains, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disasterDR-372-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 Harrison County stands among 115 counties in Missouri and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19502744 / 1151,140 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger510 / 115242 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19840——
Flood insurance claims692 / 1152,494 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$157,00090 / 1152,211 / 3,143
Disaster declarations19108 / 1151,704 / 3,143
Flood events since 199623104 / 1152,374 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199624463 / 1151,600 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19965344 / 1151,880 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$536,000109 / 1153,026 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189515114 / 115908 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years26.33 / 115499 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19000——
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19730——

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Daviess County210037
Decatur County IA19007
Gentry County20002
Grundy County19004
Mercer County16000
Ringgold County IA29000
Worth County14000

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 USC00237963.
  • 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.