Stone County
Population 32,503 (2025) 464 sq mi
Property owners in Stone County have filed 75 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 55th most of 115 counties in Missouri.
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 195033
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger2
At a glance
The record for Stone County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi
1
19th of 115 in Missouri
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
EF2
February 29, 2012, 24.3 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm Ike, 2008, 35.3 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 2.3 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
February 29, 2012
EF2, 24.3 mile path
400 yards wide.
Most recent
Monday, November 4, 2024
EF0, 1.4 mile path
2 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Nov 4, 2024 | EF0 | 1.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 3, 2024 | EF0 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 28, 2024 | EF0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF1 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF1 | 23.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 30, 2019 | EF1 | 23.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 26, 2017 | EF1 | 15.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 23, 2016 | EF1 | 3.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 13, 2014 | EF1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF0 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF1 | 1.4 | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF1 | 1.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 24.3 | 47 | 0 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF2 | 15.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF0 | 4.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF0 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 30, 2010 | EF1 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 30, 2010 | EF0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 13, 2010 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 8, 2008 | EF1 | 12.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2, 2007 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F1 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 15, 2001 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 21, 1987 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 13, 1973 | F2 | 2.5 | 4 | 0 |
| Aug 19, 1970 | F1 | 0.5 | 3 | 0 |
| Jun 19, 1970 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 16, 1968 | F2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 13, 1967 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F1 | 7.8 | 4 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F2 | 16.3 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Stone 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
1 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
September 14, 2008
Ike, Tropical storm
35.3 miles at closest approach, winds near 43 mph.
Most recent
September 14, 2008
Ike, Tropical storm
35.3 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- 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.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 53 days
Heavy smoke on 10 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
17.9 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
10 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 26 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
75 federal flood insurance claims since 1990, with $2.1 million paid.
Most claims in one year
2008: 23 claims
$743,000 paid.
2nd most
2015: 16 claims
$314,000 paid.
3rd most
2017: 16 claims
$777,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 65656 | 29 | $1.0 million |
| 65737 | 18 | $586,000 |
| 65633 | 9 | $89,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood97
- Flood34
- Heavy Rain15
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.
River crests
Most severe crest
April 30, 2017
James River (MO) at Galena, 35.97 ft
20.97 feet above the 15.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
May 6, 2022
James River (MO) at Galena, 25.02 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| James River (MO) at Galena | 15.0 | 35.97 ft | 4 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 87 of 1,581 months since 1895 (6%); the longest spell lasted 20 months.
87
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
50
Months in extreme drought
6%
Share of all months, severe or worse
33
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 1954
−6.43, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
20 months
June 1953 to January 1955.
Latest month
September 2026
−4.61, extreme drought
- 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
16 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1984; none reached magnitude 4.
1
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
4
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
June 11, 2017
Magnitude 3.6
6 km NNE of Bergman, Arkansas; 20.0 miles away, 3.6 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
June 11, 2017
Magnitude 3.6
6 km NNE of Bergman, Arkansas; 20.0 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
797 events in the National Weather Service record, 720 of them since 1996.
169
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
13
Hail, 2 inches or larger
185
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
52
Winter weather events since 1996
9
Heat events since 1996
8
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 22, 2004
3.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 3, 2024
99 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 7 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Mar 17, 2008Flash Flood$7.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Record flooding occurred along the James River over Stone County. 60 homes were destroyed by flooding while approximately 30 of these homes were washed away into the James River. These homes were in the communities of Hooten Town, Bakers Hole, and Galena. The flooding was caused from rainfall amounts up to eight inches near the head waters of the James and Finley rivers. Nearly all low areas that typically experience flooding during excessive rainfall were flooded.
- Feb 29, 2012Tornado$5.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
An EF-2 tornado tracked from near Kimberling City near Joe Bald Road to 1.5 miles west of Branson where it crossed the county line into Taney County. Estimated maximum wind speeds were from 120 to 130 mph. Maximum path width was 400 yards. Path in Stone County was nearly eight miles and the overall length was approximately 22 miles. Damage was reported to 30 homes in Kimberling City, as well as the Joe Bald, Indian Point, Compton Ridge and Gobbler's Mountain areas. Significant damage occurred to the Kimberling Inn. At the Port of Kimberling Marina, four large boat docks were damage or destroyed and nearly 150 boats were damaged though only one was sunk. The tornado track continued…
- Apr 25, 2011Flash Flood$4.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Route AA was closed due to flooding.||The total cost estimate for flooding damages for Stone County for this entire episode has been included. This includes roads, bridges, and structures which were affected.
- Apr 15, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
A wide area of straight line wind damage occurred between Kimberling City and Reeds Spring. Damage was extensive to condos, and single family homes in the Kimberling City area. Numerous boat docks on Table Rock Lake floated away from shore or simply were mangled or flipped over. A significant amount of trees and power lines were blown down between Kimberling City and Reeds Spring.
- Jan 8, 2008Tornado$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
This tornado is an extension of the Barry County tornado. A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado tracked across rural sections of Stone County. Poultry barns, sheds, and outbuildings in the vicinity of Boomerrang Road and Highway 248 were heavily damaged or destroyed. Several poultry barns were also destroyed along Horsecreek Road.
- Apr 30, 2017Flash Flood$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Numerous homes and business sustained flood damage across Stone County. Numerous roads and bridges were severely damaged or washed away across the county. Galena was especially hit hard with flooding along the James River. This report will contain the total dollar estimate for flood damage to infrastructure, businesses, and homes across Dent County.
- Jul 7, 2015Flash Flood$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Significant flooding occurred at Reeds Spring with major street flooding. State Highway 248 and Highway 265 were closed. This storm report will contain the overall flood damage estimates across the entire Stone County for this storm event. There were several episodes and heavy rainfall events which led to a compound affect to the flooding damage. Numerous roads, bridges, and low water crossings were heavily damaged. Several businesses in Reeds Spring suffered flood damage.
- Dec 30, 2010Tornado$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The NWS storm survey revealed that a strong EF-1 tornado impacted the eastern shore line of the Highway DD peninsula. This tornado crossed six different coves, damaging or destroying 11 boat docks. There were approximately 25 boats that were either damaged or destroyed. Approximately 60 homes experienced minor to moderate roof damage. One well built brick home had lost its entire roof. This home was located in the Trails End community. The peak wind speeds were estimated at 110 miles per hour.
- Dec 28, 2015Flood$1.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
There were at least 20 homes flooded from the James River at Galena. There were at least six homes flooded near Hootentown from the James River. Several businesses suffered flood damage along the James River and across the county. Numerous low water crossings and roads sustained damage from flood water. Several boat docks and campground areas around Table Rock Lake suffered flood damage as well. This storm report will contain the damage estimates for the entire county for this event.
- Apr 15, 2001Tornado$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
A tornado briefly touched down one mile north of Kimberling City. It caused a steel roof from a boat and marina shop to be removed, plus several large boats inside were damaged or destroyed.
- 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 Galena, 5.9 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1963.
- All-time high
- 110°FAug 4, 2011
- All-time low
- −21°FJan 19, 1984
- Warmest night
- 82°FJul 17, 1978
- Coldest day
- 2°F2 times, most recently Jan 15, 2024
- Wettest day
- 5.05 inOct 9, 2009
- Snowiest day
- 15.0 inMar 12, 1968
- Hottest year
- 2016mean 58.5°F
- Coldest year
- 1996mean 52.9°F
- Wettest year
- 200869.76 in
- Driest year
- 195321.27 in
- Snowiest season
- 29.0 in1978-79
Median first snow
December 26
Earliest: November 18, 1980
Median last snow
February 11
Latest: March 31, 1984
8 of 42 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Galena (USC00233094), 1,027 ft elevation, 5.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1963 to October 27, 2026; 89.4% 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
24 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 |
| Jun 2, 2017 | Flood | DR-4317-MO |
| Jan 21, 2016 | Flood | DR-4250-MO |
| Jan 2, 2016 | Flood | EM-3374-MO |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4238-MO |
| May 9, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1980-MO |
| Feb 3, 2011 | Severe Storm | EM-3317-MO |
| Jun 19, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1847-MO |
| Feb 17, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1822-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 |
| Mar 19, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1749-MO |
| Feb 5, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1742-MO |
| Dec 12, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3281-MO |
| Jan 15, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1676-MO |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3232-MO |
| May 6, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1463-MO |
| May 6, 2002 | Severe Storm | DR-1412-MO |
| Jun 2, 1995 | Severe Storm | DR-1054-MO |
| Jul 9, 1993 | Flood | DR-995-MO |
| Sep 24, 1976 | Drought | EM-3017-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 Stone County stands among 115 counties in Missouri and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 33 | 34 / 115 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 1 | 19 / 115 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 75 | 55 / 115 |
| Flood insurance paid | $2.1 million | 52 / 115 |
| Disaster declarations | 24 | 68 / 115 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 146 | 27 / 115 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 445 | 20 / 115 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 52 | 53 / 115 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $39.0 million | 38 / 115 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 4 | 43 / 115 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 87 | 105 / 115 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 17.9 | 114 / 115 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 1 | 26 / 115 |
Neighbouring counties
| Barry County | 50 | 1 |
| Carroll County AR | 19 | 1 |
| Christian County | 44 | 1 |
| Lawrence County | 30 | 0 |
| Taney County | 23 | 1 |
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 USC00233094.
- 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.