Joplin, MO Tornado History — 153 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Joplin, MO had?
Joplin has had 153 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 13 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Joplin?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Joplin was an EF0 on April 29, 2025.
When is tornado season in Joplin?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Joplin, with 50 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 Joplin
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 45 total, averaging 2.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Joplin 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Joplin. 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 Joplin
202 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Joplin since 1950, across 11 events. 1,828 injuries have been reported across all events. 2011 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF5 on May 22, 2011, which caused 158 fatalities along a 21.6-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Joplin
About Tornadoes in Joplin
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.
Joplin can go whole seasons with hardly a rumble of thunder, then face an afternoon when the sky over southwest Missouri unravels within hours. An F4 tornado tore across the area on April 3, 1956, injuring 59 people along a 41.8-mile track. An F4 struck again on April 25, 1975, killing 3 people and injuring 22. On May 4, 2003, an F3 traced a 49-mile path that left 7 people dead and 48 injured. An EF4 on May 10, 2008 carved a 75.51-mile track about a mile wide, with 21 dead and 350 hurt. Then came May 22, 2011, when an EF5 crossed the city itself on a 21.62-mile path, killing 158 people, injuring 1150, and causing damage near 2.8 billion dollars. An EF3 followed on May 23, 2019, tracking 9.22 miles nearby.
Those dates cluster in spring for a reason. Joplin sits where humid Gulf of Mexico air streaming north across the Plains meets drier air off the High Plains and cold fronts steered by the springtime jet stream. When those ingredients converge near the Ozark Plateau's western edge, an outbreak day can spin up long-track supercells; otherwise quiet weeks follow. The rhythm builds through spring and eases by midsummer as the jet retreats. The storm data behind this history comes from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, whose listings trace that pulse back to the 1950s.