Missouri saw more tornadoes than almost any other state last year

Tornado numbers were above average again in 2025, and Missouri was close to the top of the list.

There were 120 reported tornadoes in Missouri last year, the third highest for any state. Texas remained in its usual top spot thanks to its large size, with 162 tornadoes, while our neighbor, Illinois, ranked second with 146 tornado reports.

Not all reports are verified, though, and Missouri actually confirmed 98 tornadoes in 2025. This is nearly three times the state's average of 35 tornadoes annually.

Several stronger tornadoes occurred in the spring, including the first EF2 to hit Columbia this century, which damaged the city's recycling center on Easter Day. Rolla and Pilot Grove also experienced notable EF2 damage from tornadoes in March and April. An EF3 tore through the Saint Louis metro area on May 16th.

Although 2025 was expected to be the most active year for tornadoes in over a decade, activity slowed during the summer and fall. The second half of 2025 had the quietest end to severe weather season in 14 years. This was mostly due to the absence of landfalling hurricanes.

Maybe the biggest record broken last year was the end of a 12-year drought without an EF5 tornado. A tornado that roared through rural North Dakota on June 20th was officially upgraded to an EF5 after a preliminary EF3 ranking.