Perry County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Perry County: 3.
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.

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.

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. May 8, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$50.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread damaging winds affected most of the county. Hundreds of trees were blown down, roofs were blown off, and signs became airborne. In Perryville, the exterior wall of a tire company collapsed. The entire building was deemed a total loss. Structural damage occurred in many communities, mostly due to falling trees. Among other structures, a machine shed was destroyed in Millheim. Most residents of the county experienced some type of damage, ranging from downed trees to roofs off. Vehicles were smashed by falling trees. At a church, the roof was damaged, and tombstones were toppled at an adjacent cemetery. The glass of the front door was blown out. At another church in…

2. Feb 28, 2017Tornado$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This large and violent tornado touched down about four miles west of Perryville. The tornado quickly became violent, reaching EF-4 intensity and leveling five homes just west of Interstate 55, about 3.5 miles northwest of Perryville. Numerous unoccupied cars from a salvage yard were blown into or over Interstate 55. The lone fatality occurred when a southbound vehicle on Interstate 55 was intercepted by the tornado. The victim's pickup truck was tossed into a field at least 100 yards from the interstate. The coroner reported that the victim was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. The passenger in the vehicle was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. The area…

3. Sep 22, 2006Tornado$7.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This violent F-4 tornado reached its maximum intensity near the village of Crosstown, where peak winds were estimated near 210 MPH. Along the Perry County portion of the tornado track, 62 homes were destroyed, 17 had major damage, and 23 received minor damage. Ten of the destroyed homes were mobile homes, and seven that sustained major damage were mobile homes. Three churches were destroyed or heavily damaged. Numerous vehicles were tossed. Over 100 utility poles were broken off. Hundreds of trees were broken off or uprooted. The tornado first touched down at County Road 302 near Friedenburg, where F-1 winds destroyed a barn and partially unroofed a two-story house. There were…

4. Feb 27, 1999Hail$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An extensive hailstorm pounded much of Perry County with hailstones up to 2 inches in diameter, which is slightly bigger than a golf ball. In downtown Perryville, hailstones measuring up to 2 inches in diameter fell for 10 to 12 minutes. Insurance companies estimated damage in excess of 5 million dollars. Windows were broken out of homes and vehicles, skylights were broken, and vinyl siding was damaged. Most of the hail damage in Perryville was on the southern side of town. At the Perry County Sheriff Department, all the police vehicles were dented, and a skylight in the main cell block broke. All 200 vehicles at an auto dealership near I-55 and Route 51 received damage, including…

5. Apr 19, 1996Tornado$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado destroyed 13 homes and caused major structural damage to 5 others. 63 other homes received minor or moderate structural damage. A total of 69 outbuildings and 6 businesses were damaged or destroyed. The Salvation Army and Red Cross were called in to provide food and shelter. State highways and county roads were cleared of tornado debris and open for travel within 24 hours. Extensive damage to utility lines resulted in prolonged power outages lasting a day or two. The F3 damage occurred just west of Menfro, shortly before the tornado dissipated.

6. Mar 14, 2025Tornado$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-1 tornado touched down southwest of Precinct in Bollinger County and moved northeast to the Perry County line near Highway KK. It proceeded northeast toward the east side of Perryville, damaging trees and a few barns along the way. In Perryville, it did EF-2 damage to a few homes. It also damaged three buildings in the Perryville Middle and High School complex. It knocked in the exterior walls on the top floor of one building and did extensive roof damage to two other buildings. Two nearby houses had a large portion of the roof structure removed. As it headed northeast out of town and toward the Mississippi River, it did significant roof damage to a few more homes, damaged…

7. Apr 19, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   In Perryville, widespread damage occurred to trees and some buildings. An apartment building formerly used as a nursing home was heavily damaged or destroyed. The roof was blown off, and one of the walls collapsed. One person was injured when a portion of the roof collapsed on him. Two pets were killed. Sixteen families were displaced. Perryville police received 500 other calls during the first hour after the storm. The roof of an economic development building was blown off. Many homes suffered roof damage. Many roads were littered with roof and tree debris. Several city schools were damaged, including the roofs of the senior high school and elementary school gym. Windows were…

8. Mar 11, 2006Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado entered Perry County from Ste. Genevieve County near Highway NN and just west of the community of Giboney. The tornado moved northeast, crossing Interstate 55 only about one-half mile from the Ste. Genevieve County line. Two fatalities and F3 damage occurred in the vicinity of where the tornado crossed U.S. Route 61. The two fatalities occurred on U.S. 61, where a vehicle was picked up and thrown into a propane tank. The truck in which they were riding was likely picked up, flipped over, and slammed into the ground several times. The coroner stated that the victims died instantly. One of the victims was ejected from the truck, which then struck the top of a large…

9. May 9, 2014Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds estimated near 95 mph uprooted or snapped hundreds of trees. Thousands of large limbs were down. About 25 to 30 houses received roof damage. The roof was completely blown off a two-story house. The chimney was torn off a house. Numerous outbuildings and small sheds were destroyed. Trees and a small barn were blown across U.S. Highway 61. The damage area was about 7 to 8 miles long and two and one-half miles wide.

10. Jan 26, 2009Winter Storm, Perry$400,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This prolonged, major winter storm was termed the worst in decades for southeast Missouri. The storm dumped 6 to 10 inches of sleet and snow along and north of a line from Van Buren through Greenville to Cape Girardeau. This resulted in very difficult driving conditions along with at least two dozen roof collapses. South of that line, at least one inch of ice accumulated. Locally 1.5 to 2 inches of ice accumulated south of a line from Poplar Bluff to Dexter to Benton. This resulted in catastrophic damage to trees, power lines, and utility poles in places such as Dexter, Sikeston, Charleston, and New Madrid. A utility company serving much of the region reported this was the most…

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°FJun 29, 2012

All-time low

−19°FFeb 9, 1979

Warmest night

83°FJul 26, 2012

Coldest day

2°F2 times, most recently Jan 7, 2014

Wettest day

5.16 inMar 28, 1977

Snowiest day

14.0 inFeb 16, 1910

Hottest year

1954mean 59.6°F

Coldest year

2014mean 52.5°F

Wettest year

194561.26 in

Driest year

198824.57 in

Snowiest season

25.0 in1947-48

Station Perryville Water Plant (USC00236641), 502 ft elevation, 3.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1907 to October 16, 2026; 95.5% 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 USC00236641.
• 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.