Missouri, 1980

Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 12, 1980

May 12, 1980 · NWS T · 18 events in 10 counties and zones

10 tornado, 5 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
30
Property damage
$26 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
18

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

10 tornado, 5 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Jackson

When
May 12, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Jackson County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.980, -94.430

Hail, Jackson

When
May 12, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.880, -94.530

Tornado, Saline

When
May 12, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Saline County
Rating
F2
Path length
27 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
39.120, -93.480

Tornado, Pettis

When
May 12, 4:12 PM CST
Where
Pettis County
Rating
F3
Path length
15.8 mi
Path width
300 yd
Injuries
23 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
38.670, -93.420

Tornado, Benton

When
May 12, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Benton County
Rating
F1
Path length
9.1 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.520, -93.500

Hail, Platte

When
May 12, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Platte County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
39.200, -94.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When
May 12, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Benton County
Coordinates
38.480, -93.330

Hail, Moniteau

When
May 12, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Moniteau County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.650, -92.780

Tornado, Moniteau

When
May 12, 5:12 PM CST
Where
Moniteau County
Rating
F2
Path length
22.7 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.570, -92.800

Tornado, Cole

When
May 12, 5:41 PM CST
Where
Cole County
Rating
F2
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.730, -92.430

Tornado, Boone

When
May 12, 5:43 PM CST
Where
Boone County
Rating
F2
Path length
16.2 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.730, -92.420

Hail, Moniteau

When
May 12, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Moniteau County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.620, -92.480

Tornado, Callaway

When
May 12, 6:04 PM CST
Where
Callaway County
Rating
F2
Path length
3.8 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.870, -92.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Callaway

When
May 12, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Callaway County
Coordinates
38.980, -92.150

Tornado, Callaway

When
May 12, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Callaway County
Rating
F1
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
38.750, -92.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Callaway

When
May 12, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Callaway County
Coordinates
38.750, -92.130

Tornado, Montgomery

When
May 12, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Montgomery County
Rating
F2
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
100 yd
Injuries
7 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
38.870, -91.330

Tornado, Montgomery

When
May 12, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Montgomery County
Rating
F2
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
38.830, -91.300

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Missouri in 1980Every state in 1980This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Missouri, 1980

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10058538, 10058539, 10058540, 10058541, 10058542, 10058543, 10058544, 10058545, 10058546, 10058547, 10058548, 10058549, 10058550, 10058551, 10058552, 10058553, 10058554, 10058555.