Schuyler County

Population 4,140 (2025) 307 sq mi

Schuyler County has recorded 9 tornadoes since 1950, 112th most of 115 counties in Missouri; the most recent was on June 29, 2014.

Hazard fingerprint for Schuyler County Tornado: 38th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 32th percentile. Hail & wind: 18th percentile. Heat: 65th 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 19509

At a glance

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

Tornadoes since 1950

9

112th of 115 in Missouri

Fewer than the typical Missouri county, which has had 25

Details

Strongest tornado

F4

January 24, 1967, 25.7 mile path

Federal disaster declarations

18

Most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020

Details

Record high

108°F

July 14, 1954

Details

Record low

−21°F

February 2, 1951

Details

Snowiest season

50.1in

Winter of 1964-65

Costliest event since 1996

$2.3M

Heavy Snow, April 10, 1997

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 8.4 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

January 24, 1967

F4, 25.7 mile path

440 yards wide.

Most recent

Sunday, June 29, 2014

EF1, 4.7 mile path

12 years ago.

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

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Schuyler County since 1950
Jun 29, 2014EF14.730000
Jul 17, 2006F11.17500
Apr 30, 2003F06.030000
May 1, 1973F11.02000
May 1, 1973F11.05000
Oct 8, 1970F14.315000
May 13, 1970F00.11000
Jan 24, 1967F425.744020
May 26, 1955F211.72720
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Schuyler County: 0.
  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: 63 days

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

Last 10 years

24.3 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

19 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 40 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 14 2012: 18 2013: 11 2014: 9 2015: 18 2016: 3 2017: 12 2018: 14 2019: 8 2020: 26 2021: 50 2022: 18 2023: 63 63 2024: 30 2025: 19 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

No federal flood insurance claims are recorded for this county.

Flood events since 1996

  • Flash Flood14

1 death recorded in flood events since 1996.

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 125 of 1,581 months since 1895 (8%); the longest spell lasted 21 months.

125

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

61

Months in extreme drought

8%

Share of all months, severe or worse

21

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

August 1934

−6.65, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

21 months

May 1988 to January 1990.

Latest month

September 2026

+1.24, slightly wet

Last severe month: July 2018.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 3 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 5 1902: 5 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 1 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 1 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 1 1918: 5 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 3 1931: 3 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 7 1935: 0 1936: 3 1937: 1 1938: 0 1939: 0 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: 1 1956: 11 1957: 3 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 1 1964: 8 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 7 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 8 1989: 12 12 1990: 1 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 1 2000: 12 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 3 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 5 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 1 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

No earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or more is recorded within 50 miles of the county in the USGS catalogue, which begins in 1900.

Severe weather and other events

197 events in the National Weather Service record, 174 of them since 1996.

26

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

2

Hail, 2 inches or larger

28

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

52

Winter weather events since 1996

14

Heat events since 1996

12

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

June 4, 2010

2.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

June 14, 2001

90 mph

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Apr 10, 1997Heavy Snow, Schuyler$2.3 million
    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. Aug 1, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Roofs blown off a post office and American Legion buildings. Trees and telephone lines also down.

  3. Jul 17, 2006Tornado$15,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Tornado touched down along D highway 1.75 miles south-southeast of Lancaster at 1935 CST. A damage path was noted for 1.1 miles, and the storm damaged 3 farmsteads directly. The first farmstead had an outbuilding destroyed and windows blown out of the farmhouse. As the tornado moved south, two barns were destroyed at the second farmstead. Near Gray's Drive and Highway D, just southwest of the D and V Highway intersection, additional damage was noted to a third farmstead, with significant low-end F1 damage to outbuildings. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed along Highway D. Anecdotal observations suggest the tornado turned left before dissipating at 1938 CST, and then…

  4. Jun 15, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Damage to building and sheds blown over along Highway 63.

  5. May 19, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$8,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A 150 foot long hog confinement building, had half of its roof ripped off. An unknown number of dead hogs were observed. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 70 mph.

  6. Jun 14, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$5,000
  7. Dec 10, 2007Ice Storm, Schuyler$5,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Ice accumulations of around a half inch was reported across the county.

  8. Aug 13, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$1,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Machine shed had roof torn partially off. Tree damage around Highway V.

  9. Jun 8, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$1,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An outbreak of severe thunderstorms with high winds, occurred on June 8, 2008. There were also a few reports of hail and flash flooding from heavy rains.

  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 Kirksville Regional Airport, 25.3 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1948.

All-time high
108°FJul 14, 1954
All-time low
−21°FFeb 2, 1951
Warmest night
80°FJul 19, 2019
Coldest day
−6°F2 times, most recently Jan 14, 2024
Wettest day
7.32 inJul 24, 2008
Snowiest day
12.6 inJan 26, 1967
Hottest year
2012mean 55.0°F
Coldest year
1951mean 48.7°F
Wettest year
201964.54 in
Driest year
195324.66 in
Snowiest season
50.1 in1964-65
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Kirksville Regional Airport 32°F 35° 17° 1.6 Jan 40° 20° 1.6 Feb 53° 31° 2.7 Mar 64° 41° 4.1 Apr 73° 52° 4.5 May 83° 61° 5.3 Jun 86° 65° 4.0 Jul 85° 63° 3.9 Aug 79° 55° 3.9 Sep 66° 43° 3.5 Oct 53° 32° 2.0 Nov 40° 22° 1.8 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 1999: 13 2000: 1 2001: 0 2002: 5 2003: 8 2004: 0 2005: 8 2006: 10 2007: 6 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 2 2011: 11 2012: 33 33 2013: 14 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 6 2017: 4 2018: 9 2019: 3 2020: 0 2021: 3 2022: 2 2023: 5 2024: 3 2025: 1 199920092019
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 5.4.
Snowfall by winter 1948: 27.0 in 1949: 14.9 in 1950: 21.6 in 1951: 30.2 in 1952: 25.2 in 1953: 11.8 in 1954: 20.5 in 1955: 18.7 in 1956: 32.5 in 1957: 20.3 in 1958: 39.9 in 1959: 42.0 in 1960: 17.8 in 1961: 44.3 in 1962: 20.9 in 1963: 32.9 in 1964: 50.1 in 50.1 1965: 7.3 in 1966: 24.7 in 1967: 16.3 in 1968: 26.0 in 1969: 30.1 in 1970: 24.3 in 1971: 33.6 in 1972: 28.7 in 194819581968
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

November 29

Earliest: October 26, 1967

Median last snow

March 25

Latest: April 23, 1967

0 of 25 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Kirksville Regional Airport (USW00014938), 956 ft elevation, 25.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 94.0% 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

18 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, March 26, 2020.

Federal disaster declarations
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
Mar 23, 2011Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormMajor disasterDR-1961-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
Nov 13, 2008Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and A TornadoMajor disasterDR-1809-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
Sep 10, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3232-MO
May 6, 2002Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1412-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 Schuyler County stands among 115 counties in Missouri and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19509112 / 1152,326 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger168 / 1151,281 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19840——
Flood insurance claims0——
Flood insurance paid$0——
Disaster declarations18112 / 1151,866 / 3,143
Flood events since 199614112 / 1152,764 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199658115 / 1152,981 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19965253 / 1151,904 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$2.3 million80 / 1152,713 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189512553 / 1151,600 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years24.324 / 115705 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19000——
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19730——

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Adair County100021
Appanoose County IA25008
Davis County IA23000
Putnam County10001
Scotland County16000

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 USW00014938.
  • 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.