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 Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- 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
DetailsStrongest tornado
F4
January 24, 1967, 25.7 mile path
Snowiest season
50.1in
Winter of 1964-65
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.
Every recorded tornado
| Jun 29, 2014 | EF1 | 4.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 17, 2006 | F1 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 30, 2003 | F0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 1973 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 1973 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 8, 1970 | F1 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 13, 1970 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 24, 1967 | F4 | 25.7 | 2 | 0 |
| May 26, 1955 | F2 | 11.7 | 2 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Schuyler 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: 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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…
- 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.
- 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…
- Jun 15, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Damage to building and sheds blown over along Highway 63.
- 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.
- Jun 14, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$5,000
- Dec 10, 2007Ice Storm, Schuyler$5,000
National Weather Service narrative
Ice accumulations of around a half inch was reported across the county.
- Aug 13, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$1,000
National Weather Service narrative
Machine shed had roof torn partially off. Tree damage around Highway V.
- 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.
- 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
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.
| 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 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1961-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 |
| Nov 13, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1809-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 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3232-MO |
| May 6, 2002 | Severe Storm | DR-1412-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 Schuyler County stands among 115 counties in Missouri and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 9 | 112 / 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 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance paid | $0 | — |
| Disaster declarations | 18 | 112 / 115 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 14 | 112 / 115 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 58 | 115 / 115 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 52 | 53 / 115 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $2.3 million | 80 / 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 | 125 | 53 / 115 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 24.3 | 24 / 115 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Adair County | 10 | 0 |
| Appanoose County IA | 25 | 0 |
| Davis County IA | 23 | 0 |
| Putnam County | 10 | 0 |
| Scotland County | 16 | 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 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.