Audrain County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Low natural hazard risk, led by heat wave. 369 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $13.22M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 369
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 32
- 0.3% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Low
Score 51.4 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively High
Score 72.9 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 75.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $6.43B · Agriculture value exposed: $318M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $17.53M
Risk by hazard
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$1.66M/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$1.04M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 444 years
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$584K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.3 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$376K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.1 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$85.07K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.8 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$1.32M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.7 events a year
- LightningRelatively Moderate$252K/yr expected annual loss, about 49 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$522K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.9 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.19M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- Ice stormRelatively Low$68.64K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.0 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$607/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years
- WildfireVery Low$23.03K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,964 years
- HurricaneVery Low$6,225/yr expected annual loss, about once every 150 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 32 of 12,199 (0.3%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 157
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 30 (19%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 60
- Claims paid since 1978
- $656K
Flood claims paid per year
- Hurricane Ike$13.25K · 1 claim
- Flooding$234 · 5 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 369 events, 1 death, $340K in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind107 · 1 death
- Hail84
- Winter Storm35
- Flash Flood34
- Heat27
- Excessive Heat22
- Tornado14
- Drought9
- Heavy Snow9
- Flood5
Events per year
26 tornadoes on record (EF0 4, EF1 3, F0 9, F1 7, F2 2, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind06/25/2024
Vandalia, Audrain County
1 death, $50K damage
What happened
One direct fatality occurred 5 miles north of Martinsburg when an old, dilapidated barn on Highway 54 collapsed on an individual seeking shelter from the thunderstorm. Large trees and tree limbs were blown down in Vandalia, Laddonia, and Mexico. Siding was also blown off a church south of Mexico Airport (MYJ), power poles were knocked down by tree limbs in Vandalia, and a roof was blown off a trailer in Laddonia. Other communities in the storm's path are Scott's Corner, Rush Hill, and Martinsburg.
- Heat08/02/2002
Audrain
1 injured
What happened
The hot temperatures of late July continued across central and eastern Missouri into early August. The temperature his 101 degrees in St. Louis on August 1, and then was 99 for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Columbia hit 99 degrees on August 3rd. There was one death reported by local health officials. A 59 year old man died in Boone County from heat exhaustion after collapsing in his yard while doing yard work.
- Flood02/25/2001
Countywide, Audrain County
1 injured
What happened
Rainfall from 2 to 21/2 inches caused localized flooding across Audrain County. A 17 year-old boy suffered minor injuries when the van he was driving was overtaken by floodwater on County Road 820. After driving into the water, he managed to escape the stalled vehicle by crawling out a window. He was swept into the creek channel but managed to swim and walk to higher ground. The van was found a half mile down stream the next day. The road routinely floods during heavy rain.
- Heat07/18/1999
Audrain
1 injured
What happened
A heat wave gripped the area for the last 2 weeks of July. Temperatures stayed in the middle to upper 90s with a few days topping 100. Columbia set a record high with 104 degrees on 7/29/99. St. Louis tied a record with 103 degrees on 7/30/99. The Heat Index generally ranged from 105 to near 115. Most of the deaths and injuries occurred in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/18/2026
Vandalia, Audrain County
- Hail1" hail04/27/2026
Martinsburg, Audrain County
- Hail1.75" hail04/27/2026
Mexico, Audrain County
- Hail1" hail04/27/2026
Worchester, Audrain County
- Hail1" hail04/27/2026
Worchester, Audrain County
- Hail1" hail04/27/2026
Mexico, Audrain County
- Hail1.5" hail04/27/2026
Mexico, Audrain County
- Hail2" hail04/27/2026
Francis, Audrain County
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 28,422 people. Violations since 2021.
3 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 2 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Mo American MexicoServes 13,000 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- Monroe County Pwsd 2Serves 6,700 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Audrain County Consolidated Pwsd 2Serves 4,062 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Vandalia PwsServes 3,140 · Surface water · Local government1 health violation
- Martinsburg PwsServes 559 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+39 monitoring or reporting
- Laddonia PwsServes 511 · Purchased surface water · Local government2 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Farber PwsServes 450 · Purchased surface water · Local government1 health violation+5 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Mexico, 6.9 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 88°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 19°F in Jan. About 43.5 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 19°F | 2.03 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 23°F | 2.31 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 32°F | 3.17 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 43°F | 4.68 in |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 5.07 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 5.23 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 4.43 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.90 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 4.86 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 45°F | 2.81 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 34°F | 2.75 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 24°F | 2.28 in |
| Year | 54°F average | 43.5 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 5 toxic release facilities in Audrain County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- ADM Soybean Processing Plant411,954 lbs released, Mexico
- Poet Biorefining - Laddonia LLC10,052 lbs released, Laddonia
- Cerro Flow Products LLC4,557 lbs released, Mexico
- Spartan Light Metal Products LLC36 lbs released, Mexico
- True Manufacturing Co Inc0 lbs released, Mexico
Total: 426,599 lbs in 2024, 426,576 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Audrain County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Audrain County relatively low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $13.22M a year. The highest-rated hazards are heat wave (relatively moderate), earthquake (relatively low), drought (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Audrain County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 369 storm events affecting Audrain County, most often thunderstorm wind (107), hail (84), winter storm (35).
- How many tornadoes have hit Audrain County?
- 26 tornadoes have been recorded in Audrain County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Audrain County have flood insurance?
- 32 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Audrain County, covering about 0.3% of homes. The program has paid $656K on 60 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Audrain County?
- At Mexico, average highs reach 88°F in Jul and lows fall to 19°F in Jan, with 43.5 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.