Missouri, 1981

Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 23, 1981

May 23, 1981 · NWS T · 8 events in 7 counties and zones

4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 tornado, 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$30
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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

4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dade

When
May 23, 3:05 AM CST
Where
Dade County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
37.420, -93.850

Hail, Platte

When
May 23, 3:31 PM CST
Where
Platte County
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
39.300, -94.730

Tornado, Platte

When
May 23, 3:53 PM CST
Where
Platte County
Rating
F0
Path length
3.8 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$30
Coordinates
39.280, -94.770

Tornado, Vernon

When
May 23, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Vernon County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Coordinates
37.900, -94.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Miller

When
May 23, 8:25 PM CST
Where
Miller County
Coordinates
38.350, -92.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Cole

When
May 23, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Cole County
Coordinates
38.580, -92.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Boone

When
May 23, 8:51 PM CST
Where
Boone County
Coordinates
38.950, -92.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Osage

When
May 23, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Osage County
Coordinates
38.480, -91.850

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 1981Every state in 1981This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Missouri, 1981

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: 10059214, 10059428, 10059429, 10059430, 10059431, 10059432, 10059433, 10059434.