How Likely Is a Tornado in Randolph County, MO?
How likely is a tornado in Randolph County, MO?
Randolph County has recorded 11 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 6.9 years - our Low band. Put another way: Randolph County sees more tornado activity than 31% of US counties. Among 115 Missouri counties in this dataset, Randolph County ranks 105 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
9 weak and 2 significant tornadoes make up Randolph County's 11-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Randolph 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
The storm that misses Randolph County outright can still take its power out - outbreak-scale outages across Missouri are common well beyond the tracked path. A battery-backup unit handles that without a generator's setup or fuel.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Randolph County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 483 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. Randolph County has about 24,077 residents.