Cape Girardeau, MO Tornado History — 136 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Cape Girardeau, MO had?
Cape Girardeau has had 136 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 6 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Cape Girardeau?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Cape Girardeau was an EF1 on June 7, 2025.
When is tornado season in Cape Girardeau?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Cape Girardeau, with 41 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Cape Girardeau
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 62 total, averaging 3.1 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Cape Girardeau since December 29, 2025
These are 2 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Cape Girardeau. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Cape Girardeau
17 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Cape Girardeau since 1950, across 8 events. 127 injuries have been reported across all events. 2023 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF2 on April 5, 2023, which caused 5 fatalities along a 20.7-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Cape Girardeau
About Tornadoes in Cape Girardeau
This overview was written July 24, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Cape Girardeau sits on the Mississippi River in southeastern Missouri, where the low hills of the Ozark border meet the flat river lowlands near the top of the Bootheel. This is the mid-Mississippi Valley, a region where tornadoes are a serious and recurring hazard through much of the year.
The area's tornado risk draws on moisture pulled north from the Gulf of Mexico. When that moisture meets the wind shear of a strong jet stream, thunderstorms can organize into rotating supercells. The region sees a pronounced spring peak and a meaningful cool-season threat as well, and its tornadoes are more likely than those of the open plains to occur after dark or to travel within fast squall lines, raising the danger to residents.
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale rates tornado strength from EF0 to EF5 based on surveyed damage rather than a measured wind speed. Most tornadoes are weak, but the regional climate can produce violent, long-track events. For the specific record near Cape Girardeau — total counts, the decade and rating breakdowns, and the deadliest, costliest, and most recent events — see the figures compiled from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center elsewhere on this page.