Tornadoes · United States · Missouri

Tornadoes in Perry County, Missouri

27 tornadoes have crossed Perry County since 1950, 48th of the 115 counties in Missouri with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.8 years. They have killed 3 people and injured 55. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
27
Deaths
3
Injuries
55
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, February 28, 2017

The deadliest in Perry County

  1. F3, Sainte Genevieve and Perry counties, MissouriMarch 11, 20062 killed, 12 injured
  2. EF4, Perry, Randolph, Jackson and Franklin counties, Missouri and IllinoisFebruary 28, 20171 killed, 12 injured

The strongest

  1. EF4, Perry, Randolph, Jackson and Franklin counties, Missouri and IllinoisFebruary 28, 2017EF4, 53.5 mi (86 km)
  2. F4, Perry and Jackson counties, Missouri and IllinoisSeptember 22, 2006F4, 27.5 mi (44 km)
  3. F3, Sainte Genevieve and Perry counties, MissouriMarch 11, 2006F3, 53.5 mi (86 km)
  4. F3, Perry, Randolph and Perry counties, Missouri and IllinoisDecember 21, 1967F3, 29.8 mi (48 km)
  5. EF3, Madison and Perry counties, MissouriOctober 24, 2021EF3, 18.8 mi (30 km)
  6. F3, Perry County, MissouriJune 22, 1969F3, 18.1 mi (29 km)
  7. F3, Perry County, MissouriApril 19, 1996F3, 11.5 mi (19 km)
  8. F2, Perry, Randolph, Perry, Jefferson and Wayne counties, Missouri and IllinoisMarch 6, 1961F2, 112.1 mi (180 km)
  9. EF2, Bollinger, Perry and Randolph counties, Missouri and IllinoisMarch 14, 2025EF2, 33.1 mi (53 km)
  10. F2, Madison, Saint Francois and Perry counties, MissouriSeptember 22, 2006F2, 25.0 mi (40 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 20 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Perry County. Each year links to every tornado in Missouri that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF2
20221EF0
202121EF3
20171112EF4
20131EF0
20111EF0
20091EF0
20064219F4
19981F0
19961F3
19941F0
19741F2
19731F1
19711F1
196916F3
1967316F3
19611F2
195811F1
19572F2
19561F1

Every tornado that crossed Perry County

27 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 14, 202511:25 PM CDTEF2Bollinger to IL33.1800$5.2 million
April 30, 20225:02 PM CDTEF0Perry0.150$30,000
October 24, 20219:42 PM CDTEF1Perry2.325$10,000
October 24, 20218:47 PM CDTEF3Madison18.88801$200,000
February 28, 20177:51 PM CSTEF4Perry to IL53.51,100112$15 million
November 17, 201312:26 PM CSTEF0Perry0.150$1,000
May 25, 20114:51 PM CDTEF0Perry0.360$3,000
May 8, 200911:20 AM CDTEF0Perry2.250$7,000
September 22, 20064:13 PM CDTF4Perry to IL27.52256$7.8 million
September 22, 20063:30 PM CDTF2Madison25.08801$150,000
July 21, 200612:47 PM CDTF0Perry0.250$10,000
March 11, 20069:20 PM CSTF3Sainte Genevieve53.5400212$2.2 million
April 15, 19988:50 PM CDTF0Perry0.230
April 19, 19969:30 PM CDTF3Perry11.5175$5.0 million
April 15, 19946:15 AM CDTF0Perry0.323$5,000 to $50,000
May 14, 19744:30 PM CDTF2Perry1.0177$5,000 to $50,000
May 7, 19736:15 PM CDTF1Perry1.050$500 to $5,000
April 27, 19714:00 PM CDTF1Perry1.820$5,000 to $50,000
June 22, 19698:15 PM GMT-5F3Perry18.11006$50,000 to $500,000
December 21, 196711:05 AM GMT-6F1Perry0.217$5,000 to $50,000
December 21, 196710:45 AM GMT-6F3Perry to IL29.840015$5 million to $50 million
October 24, 19671:15 PM GMT-5F1Perry12.81001$5,000 to $50,000
March 6, 19612:30 AM GMT-6F2Perry to IL112.150$500,000 to $5 million
April 5, 19582:40 PM GMT-6F1Perry1.0201$500 to $5,000
December 18, 19575:00 PM GMT-6F2Perry1.010$5,000 to $50,000
December 18, 19573:00 PM GMT-6F2Perry0.550$50,000 to $500,000
March 6, 19568:30 PM GMT-6F1Perry1.033$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Perry CountyThe forecast for Perry CountyThe live radar over Perry CountyEvery county in Missouri

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.