How Likely Is a Tornado in Perry County, MO?
How likely is a tornado in Perry County, MO?
Perry County has recorded 22 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 3.5 years - our Moderate band. Put another way: Perry County sees more tornado activity than 54% of US counties. Missouri has 115 counties in this dataset; Perry County ranks 67 of them by frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
14 weak and 8 significant tornadoes make up Perry County's 22-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Perry County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Missouri has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Missouri this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
Tornado outbreaks routinely knock out power across Missouri for days, separately from any single house getting hit. A portable battery bank keeps a fridge, phone chargers and a radio running through that gap - cheaper and faster to set up than a generator.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Perry County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 474 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Perry County has about 19,100 residents.