Lightning in Missouri

Events

280

Deaths

26

Injuries

70

Damage

$10 million

• Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 22 to 23, 2011162 deaths · 1,153 injured · $2.8 billion · EF5 · 32 eventsA strong upper level trough across the central plains region and a strong upper level disturbance along with a frontal boundary in the area produced numerous severe storms with a few supercells across southeast Kansas.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 10, 200816 deaths · 210 injured · $46 million · EF4 · 42 eventsThree tornadoes were spawned from supercell thunderstorms that developed over southeast Kansas. These storms quickly moved into southwest Missouri causing devestating damage to homes, businesses, and trees in Newton, Barry, and Jasper counties.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, December 30 to 31, 20104 deaths · 12 injured · $95 million · EF3 · 27 eventsBetween the evening of the 30th and the morning of the 31st, two separate lines of thunderstorms produced significant severe weather across southwest Missouri including damaging wind, large hail, and deadly tornadoes.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, August 5 to 10, 20133 deaths · $19 million · 1.75 in hail · 147 eventsA stalled frontal boundary led to multiple rounds of thunderstorms which trained over the same areas and produced intense rainfall rates and rainfall totals.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, May 26 to 28, 20173 deaths · 1 injured · $1.1 million · EF1 · 151 eventsMultiple rounds of severe thunderstorms brought damaging straight-line winds, large hail, tornadoes, and flooding to the Missouri Ozarks from May 27th into the early morning hours of May 28th. Over 130 reports of severe weather and flooding were received from the Missouri Ozarks.
• Lightning Strike in Missouri, August 23, 20024 deaths · 1 eventLightning struck four individuals who got caught in an open field during a thunderstorm, and fled under a tree for shelter.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, April 28 to 30, 20172 deaths · $116 million · 1.75 in hail · 117 eventsMultiple rounds of severe thunderstorms and extremely heavy rainfall over several days led to historic and devastating flash floods, record breaking river levels, large hail, wind damage, and at least one tornado across the Missouri Ozarks region.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Missouri, May 30 to 31, 20132 deaths · 2 injured · $80,000 · EF1 · 61 eventsA slow moving trough across the central portions of the country helped develop several rounds of severe thunderstorms and flash flooding across the Missouri Ozarks.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, May 1, 20192 deaths · $154,000 · 48 eventsStrong storms produced heavy rainfall and flooding as a slow-moving cold front moved across southeastern Kansas and into Missouri from overnight April 30th and continued into May 1st.
• Lightning Strike in Missouri, October 17, 20052 deaths · 1 injured · 1 eventTwo men were killed and one injured by a lightning strike west of Hunnewell. The 3 men were doing road work near the bridge over the North Fork of the Salt River when the storm approached.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Missouri, July 18 to 21, 20101 death · 2 injured · $400,000 · EF0 · 25 eventsSeveral rounds of storms moved through the region during the period of July 18th through July 21st. There were numerous reports of flash flooding and wind damage as well as some isolated reports of large hail.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, June 21, 20191 death · 2 injured · $309,000 · 65 kt wind · 11 eventsA severe weather outbreak occurred during the afternoon and early evening hours. An organized line of severe thunderstorms formed over the central Plains states during the night of the 20th. This bowing line of storms progressed southeast across the St.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, July 1 to 4, 2015$2.6 million · EF1 · 112 eventsA slow moving front caused multiple rounds of thunderstorms which led to severe weather and flash flooding across the Missouri Ozarks.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, August 28, 20181 death · $60,000 · 1.25 in hail · 23 eventsOn the afternoon and evening of August 28 several thunderstorms affected the area with hail and wind. The winds ranged from 60 to 70 mph and did some damage to trees, power lines, and some structures. Hail sizes ranged from penny to half-dollar sized.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Missouri, August 10, 20201 death · $50,000 · 61 kt wind · 16 eventsA very strong cold front moved south through the region. A line of strong to severe storms developed ahead of the cold front. Some of the storms produced widespread wind damage.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Missouri, August 3 to 5, 20111 death · $62,000 · 52 kt wind · 8 eventsA weak cool front became stationary across central Missouri interacting with a very unstable airmass. Isolated strong to severe pulse storms occurred across the Ozarks which produced isolated wind damage.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, July 30, 20231 injured · $3.4 million · 1.25 in hail · 76 eventsAn unusually strong upper level disturbance dropped southward from the northern Plains into western Missouri during the evening of the 30th and continued southward through the early morning of the 31st.
• Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Missouri, October 8 to 9, 20091 death · $1,000 · 36 eventsWidespread heavy rainfall and flooding occurred across southeast Kansas and the Missouri Ozarks. The heavy rainfall was associated with several rounds of efficient rain producing stratiform events along a stalled warm front.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, July 9, 20071 death · $26,000 · 1.25 in hail · 12 eventsScattered severe thunderstorms formed during the afternoon across the St. Louis Metropolitan area and adjacent portions of Southwest Illinois. A man was struck by lighting and killed in St. Louis County.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Missouri, July 19, 20201 death · 3 injured · 1 in hail · 7 eventsA strong cold front moved into the region and stalled out along the I-70 corridor. Numerous showers and storms developed along the boundary. Some of the storms became severe with reports of damaging winds and large hail.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, May 18 to 20, 20171 injured · $749,000 · EF1 · 66 eventsMultiple rounds of severe thunderstorms over a two day period produced numerous weak tornadoes and wind damage reports across the Missouri Ozarks. Training of storms led to localized heavy rainfall and minor flooding reports.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Missouri, June 25 to 26, 20151 death · $20,000 · 52 kt wind · 12 eventsA cold front moved through the Missouri Ozarks and developed a few severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 24 to 25, 2011$502,000 · EF1 · 76 eventsA powerful upper level low pressure system moved across the Ozarks causing numerous strong to severe storms to develop with several supercells as well.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Missouri, July 29 to 31, 20111 death · 2 injured · $6,000 · 52 kt wind · 5 eventsA weak cool front that became stationary across the Ozarks and southeastern Kansas interacted with a very unstable airmass. Isolated strong to severe pulse storms occurred across the Ozarks which produced isolated wind damage.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, May 26 to 28, 2021$885,000 · EF1 · 63 eventsStrong to severe storms with heavy rainfall developed during the late morning of the 27th in association with an upper low pressure system. Widespread flash flooding and wind damage occurred over the region through the late afternoon.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in Missouri

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.