Franklin County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk

• Strong windRelatively High$3.15M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.3 events a year
• Heat waveRelatively Moderate$5.63M/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
• EarthquakeRelatively Low$6.08M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 250 years
• HailRelatively Moderate$1.85M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.3 events a year
• LandslideRelatively Moderate$53.27K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.9 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Moderate$6.68M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• Ice stormRelatively Moderate$440K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
• Cold waveRelatively Moderate$3.19M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.6 events a year
• LightningRelatively Moderate$546K/yr expected annual loss, about 52 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$142K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.7 events a year
• WildfireRelatively Low$158K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,494 years
• DroughtVery Low$30.42K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.5 events a year
• HurricaneVery Low$6,045/yr expected annual loss, about once every 90 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.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

156 of 45,430 (0.3%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

804

Insured in high-risk zones

112 (14%)

Flood claims since 1978

1,097

Claims paid since 1978

$32.23M

• Hail249
• Thunderstorm Wind248 · 4 deaths
• Flash Flood37 · 2 deaths
• Winter Storm34
• Heat32
• Excessive Heat29
• Tornado22
• Flood16
• Heavy Snow11
• High Wind9

• Flash Flood05/07/2000

  Countywide, Franklin County

  2 deaths, $100M damage

  What happened

  A thunderstorm complex dropped up to 14 inches of rain on Franklin County from about Midnight to 6 am causing the worst flash flooding in county history. The rain fell at a rate of 3 inches an hour from about 2 to 3 am. A joint Federal-State Damage Assessment Team conducted for individual assistance determined that 98 structures were destroyed, 68 suffered major damage, 181 minor damage, and another 32 affected. Only 11% of the affected residences had insurance coverage. Greater than 60% of the families and individuals affected were in the low income bracket. Over 50 roads were closed at various times due to flooding. Almost every stream and creek in the county overflowed their banks. The worst flooding was in Union, MO. Flat Creek rose an estimated 15 feet and completely destroyed 2 mobile home parks. Miraculously, no one was killed in the parks as emergency workers acted quickly to evacuate the residents just before the major flooding started. 2 people were killed due to the flooding, both in vehicles. A 19 year-old female was killed when her van flipped over after driving into a flooded road. 6 other people in the van managed to escape. A 67 year-old man was killed near...

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind08/04/1996

  Washington, Franklin County

  3 deaths, 6 injured

  What happened

  A rapidly strengthening thunderstorm produced wind gusts of at least 60 mph across the Washington area, downing some trees and power lines. A pontoon boat on Missouri River was caught by the storm and overturned by the wind gusts. A women and two children on the boat took shelter in a small storage closet to escape the wind and small hail. When the boat overturned, they were trapped in the closet and drowned. Six other people on the boat were thrown into the water and suffered minor injuries.

• Heat07/14/2006

  Franklin

  30 injured

  What happened

  A major heat wave hit the St. Louis area in mid-July. Temperatures ranged from the middle 90s to a high of 100 on July 19. To make matters worse, severe thunderstorms roared across the region on the 19th and 21st causing a historic power outage. Up to 700,000 metered buildings were without power. In some cases power was not restored for a week to 10 days. St. Louis County reported over 250 heat related injuries with 2 deaths. One heat related death was reported in Jefferson County.

• Heat08/01/2006

  Franklin

  13 injured

  What happened

  The late July Heat Wave continued into the first 2 days of August before a cold front finally moved through bringing cooler temperatures. In Columbia, August 2nd was the 5th straight day of reaching a high temperature over 100 degrees. In St. Louis, August 2nd was the 4th straight day over 100 degrees.

• Thunderstorm Wind88 kt wind04/11/2013

  Sullivan, Franklin County

  11 injured

  What happened

  A microburst caused minor damage at Sullivan Regional Airport. A small section of one hanger was removed with a door of a nearby hanger also sustaining damage. Also, one private aircraft sustained minor damage. The AWOS recorded a wind gust of 101 mph with this microburst. Further downstream the damage from the microburst was sporadic. About a mile east southeast of the airport, south of I-44, the winds destroyed a vacant mobile home and caused considerable damage to 5 other mobile homes. One of the mobile homes had a large tree land on it, but only caused minor roof damage. No one was inside the destroyed mobile home at the time. However, three residents of the trailer park were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and eight other people walked into the hospital to be treated for minor injuries as well.

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind08/04/1996

  St Clair, Franklin County

  1 death

  What happened

  Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees southeast of St. Clair. A woman was killed when struck in the head by a large tree branch.

• Excessive Heat07/27/2026

  Franklin

• Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind07/04/2026

  Gerald, Franklin County

  $25K damage

• Flash Flood06/08/2026

  Sullivan Mem Arpt, Franklin County

• Hail2" hail04/28/2026

  Oetters, Franklin County

• Hail1.25" hail04/28/2026

  Gray Summit, Franklin County

• Hail1.75" hail04/28/2026

  Gray Summit, Franklin County

• Hail1.75" hail04/28/2026

  Maupin, Franklin County

• Hail1" hail04/28/2026

  Pacific, Franklin County

• Unnamed storm (1902)06/21/1902 · Landfall: TXTropical storm40 mph nearby

• Washington PwsServes 14,068 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+4 monitoring or reporting
• Union PwsServes 12,348 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
• Franklin County Pwsd 3Serves 8,250 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• Sullivan PwsServes 7,081 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Pacific PwsServes 6,000 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
• St Clair PwsServes 4,700 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• Franklin County Pwsd 1Serves 3,500 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• New Haven PwsServes 2,000 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting