Jefferson City, MO Tornado History — 65 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Jefferson City, MO had?
Jefferson City has had 65 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Jefferson City?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Jefferson City was an EF2 on April 20, 2025.
When is tornado season in Jefferson City?
March is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Jefferson City, with 12 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 Jefferson City
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 9 total, averaging 0.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Jefferson City since December 29, 2025
These are 3 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Jefferson City. 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 Jefferson City
1 fatality has been recorded within 25 miles of Jefferson City since 1950, across 1 event. 44 injuries have been reported across all events. 2001 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F1 on April 10, 2001, which caused 1 fatality along a 3.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Jefferson City
About Tornadoes in Jefferson City
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Jefferson City stands on limestone bluffs above the south bank of the Missouri River, where the rolling northern rim of the Ozark Plateau eases down into the broad river valley of central Missouri. That setting places the state capital squarely in the path of ingredients that converge each spring: humid Gulf of Mexico air streaming north up the river valleys, drier continental air pushing east off the Plains, and jet-stream disturbances that touch off thunderstorms along the boundary between them. The dissected Ozark hills south of town do little to blunt an organized storm, and the open river corridor gives supercells room to hold together as they cross the area. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center's files for the surrounding countryside show tornado activity stretching from the 1950s into the 2020s.
A defining entry in that record came on May 23, 2019, when an EF3 tornado tracked nearly 33 miles on a path as wide as 1,500 yards, injuring 33 people and causing roughly $174 million in damage as it moved through the capital area. Earlier storms left marks of their own: an F3 struck on May 1, 1983, injuring three people along a nine-mile track, while an F2 traced an unusually long path across the region on May 12, 1980. The pattern persists: on April 20, 2025, an EF2 tornado touched down in the area, injuring one person.