Tornado Risk in Cass County, MO
Cass County, MO: what NOAA's tornado record says
37 tornado tracks have crossed Cass County since 1955 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 2.1 years - the Elevated band on this site's scale. That is the 78th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Within Missouri alone, Cass County ranks 21 of 115 counties for tornado frequency.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in Cass County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 37 recorded tracks, 33 were weak (EF0-1) and 4 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
Missouri does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a Cass County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
A direct hit is not required for Cass County to lose power - outbreak-wide outages across Missouri regularly reach homes and businesses well outside the actual tracks. A battery bank covers that gap without a generator's fuel and venting needs.
What Cass County's figure does not tell you
Cass County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. Cass County covers about 697 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. Cass County has about 113,873 residents.