Tornado Risk in Laclede County, MO
Laclede County, MO: what NOAA's tornado record says
27 tornado tracks have crossed Laclede County since 1960 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 2.8 years - the Elevated band on this site's scale. That is the 64th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Among 115 Missouri counties in this dataset, Laclede County ranks 43 for how often a tornado touches down.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in Laclede County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 27 recorded tracks, 19 were weak (EF0-1) and 8 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 Laclede County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
Power loss after a tornado outbreak in Missouri often reaches homes the storm itself never touched. A battery-backup unit covers the outage without the fuel and venting a generator needs.
What Laclede County's figure does not tell you
Laclede County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. Laclede County covers about 765 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. Laclede County has about 36,738 residents.