St. Louis, MO Tornado History — 186 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has St. Louis, MO had?
St. Louis has had 186 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 18 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near St. Louis?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of St. Louis was an EF1 on June 4, 2025.
When is tornado season in St. Louis?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near St. Louis, with 49 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 St. Louis
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 73 total, averaging 3.6 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near St. Louis since December 29, 2025
These are 6 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 St. Louis. 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 St. Louis
49 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of St. Louis since 1950, across 11 events. 874 injuries have been reported across all events. 1959 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on February 10, 1959, which caused 21 fatalities along a 23.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near St. Louis
About Tornadoes in St. Louis
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.
Saint Louis learned long ago that its tornado season does not respect the calendar: on February 10, 1959, an F4 swept across the metropolitan area, killing 21 people, injuring 345, and cutting a track 23.9 miles long. The city sits where warm, humid air streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico meets drier continental air and strong jet-stream winds over the middle Mississippi Valley, a setup that can spin up rotating thunderstorms in almost any month.
February had already shown its hand: an F4 on February 25, 1956 traveled 77.6 miles, killing 6 people and injuring 36, and on January 25, 1967 another F4 killed 3 people and injured 216. Spring carries the classic threat too, as when an F4 on April 4, 1981 injured 32 people. In the modern era, an EF4 on April 23, 2011 carved a 21.3-mile path and caused $250 million in damage, and an EF3 on June 1, 2013 grew to 1,760 yards wide along a 31.71-mile track. Even New Year's Eve has produced tragedy, when an EF3 on December 31, 2010 killed one person and injured 6.
Still, the rhythm bends toward spring, when Gulf moisture, instability, and wind shear peak together, with a cold-season echo the history above makes plain. The event list and counts elsewhere on this page draw on live data compiled by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, updating as new storm surveys arrive.