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 Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- 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
DetailsStrongest tornado
F4
June 7, 1984, 134.0 mile path
Federal disaster declarations
19
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2026
DetailsSnowiest season
46.0in
Winter of 1977-78
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.
Every recorded tornado
| Jun 28, 2017 | EF1 | 16.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 30, 2014 | EF0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 30, 2006 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 2005 | F1 | 5.0 | 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 |
| May 24, 2004 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 24, 2004 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 30, 2003 | F0 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 30, 2003 | F0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 1995 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 1995 | F3 | 30.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 30, 1993 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 24, 1989 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 24, 1989 | F2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1984 | F4 | 134.0 | 64 | 3 |
| May 21, 1977 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 1970 | F2 | 29.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1967 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 20, 1965 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 18, 1965 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1961 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 16, 1960 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 16, 1960 | F3 | 27.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Nov 17, 1958 | F2 | 4.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 8, 1958 | F3 | 23.1 | 7 | 2 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Harrison County: 1.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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
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
- 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…
- Jun 12, 2004Hail$90,000
National Weather Service narrative
School and numerous cars damaged by the hail.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- May 28, 2019Hail$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
Several windows were broken from wind blown quarter sized hail.
- Apr 19, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree which fell on a mobile home.
- Apr 18, 2006Hail$10,000
- May 19, 2018Hail$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Windows were broken in a residence due to golf ball sized hail.
- May 10, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$5,000
National Weather Service narrative
Several car windows were blown out by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
- 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
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.
| Aug 3, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4929-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 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3232-MO |
| Jun 11, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1524-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 |
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.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 27 | 44 / 115 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 5 | 10 / 115 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 6 | 92 / 115 |
| Flood insurance paid | $157,000 | 90 / 115 |
| Disaster declarations | 19 | 108 / 115 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 23 | 104 / 115 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 244 | 63 / 115 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 53 | 44 / 115 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $536,000 | 109 / 115 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 0 | — |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 151 | 14 / 115 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 26.3 | 3 / 115 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Daviess County | 21 | 0 |
| Decatur County IA | 19 | 0 |
| Gentry County | 20 | 0 |
| Grundy County | 19 | 0 |
| Mercer County | 16 | 0 |
| Ringgold County IA | 29 | 0 |
| Worth County | 14 | 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 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.