Spanish Lake, MO Tornado History — 174 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Spanish Lake, MO had?
Spanish Lake has had 174 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 17 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Spanish Lake?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Spanish Lake was an EF1 on June 4, 2025.
When is tornado season in Spanish Lake?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Spanish Lake, with 37 on record. April through June account for 102 of the 174 tornadoes on record near Spanish Lake.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Spanish Lake
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 62 total, averaging 3.1 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Spanish Lake since December 29, 2025
These are 5 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Damage photos provided by broadcast media revealed EF-0 tree damage along Warson Woods drive. This aligns well with radar indicated rotation and a video of a very low.. (LSX)
A video from Alton showed the vortex of a waterspout tornado dissipating as it approached the Lincoln Shields Recreation Area. A NWS damage survey was unable to find an (LSX)
NWS Damage Survey found that a brief EF0 tornado impacted a farm near IL Highway 4 and Interstate 70. (LSX)
*** 1 INJ *** Survey crews confirmed a brief EF-1 tornado that did damage within the communities of Moro and Midway... IL... early this morning along a 1.6 mile path. (LSX)
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 1 W Grafton. Significant roof damage to a local restaurant. Time estimated from radar. (LSX)
Within 25 miles of Spanish Lake. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Spanish Lake
One local storm report has been filed within 25 miles of Spanish Lake and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 16, 2025 and the most recent on May 16, 2025. It is already counted in the Spanish Lake totals above; quoted below is the narrative the reporting office filed at the time.
*** 5 FATAL... 38 INJ *** Storm survey determined an EF3 tornado began near Clayton and tracked northeast through the city of St Louis and continued into Illinois. It d (LSX)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
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 Spanish Lake
46 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Spanish Lake since 1950, across 11 events. 830 injuries have been reported across all events. 1959 was the deadliest year on record near Spanish Lake.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on February 10, 1959, which caused 21 fatalities along a 23.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Spanish Lake
What the record shows near Spanish Lake
The 2000s were the busiest decade near Spanish Lake, with 33 of the 174 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 31 so far. The Spanish Lake record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Spanish Lake, 124 reached EF0 or EF1 and 47 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Spanish Lake is rated EF4, of which 5 are logged. A further 3 near Spanish Lake are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Spanish Lake has averaged 3.1 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 62 in total. 2024 was the busiest of them with 13, and 3 of those years passed with none at all.