Livingston County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 334 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $9.46M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 334
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 2
- 0.0% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 23.0 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very Low
Score 19.5 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 69.8 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.86B · Agriculture value exposed: $111M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $8.34M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$908K/yr expected annual loss, about 17 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.49M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$590K/yr expected annual loss, about 10 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$2,462/yr expected annual loss, about once every 7 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$1.05M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.8 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$221K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.7 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$27.19K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,031 years
- LightningRelatively Low$158K/yr expected annual loss, about 48 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$108K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 794 years
- Strong windRelatively Low$229K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
- Ice stormVery Low$18.52K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Winter weatherVery Low$18.3K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
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, hurricane, 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
- 2 of 7,422 (0.0%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 53
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 0 (0%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 24
- Claims paid since 1978
- $317K
Flood claims paid per year
- Midwest Flooding$13.47K · 1 claim
- Late spring storms$2,338 · 1 claim
- Flooding$1,191 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 334 events, 1 death, $4.1M in damage
- Hail92
- Thunderstorm Wind72
- Flood65
- Winter Storm19
- Drought19
- Heat12 · 1 death
- Flash Flood11
- Ice Storm9
- Heavy Snow8
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill7
Events per year
12 tornadoes on record (EF0 2, EF1 1, F0 2, F1 7).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Heat09/01/2000
Livingston
1 death
What happened
The extreme heat that gripped northern Missouri in late August continued into September. Temperatures on the first 3 days of the month flirted with the century mark. The high of 106 at Kansas City International Airport on September 2 was a record for that date. Heat indices were above 100 on all three days, and heat-related illnesses claimed the lives of two men in Kansas City, and another in Chillicothe. A cold front finally broke the oppressive pattern on September 4.
- TornadoF1, 9.5 mi path, 200 yd wide05/25/2004
Chillicothe, Livingston County
$1.7M damage
What happened
A tornado struck just south of Chillicothe where highway 65 crosses Shoal Creek, east-northeast to approximately 3 miles east of Chillicothe. Isolated areas of F1 magnitude tornado damage were observed, especially along CR255. Widespread straight-line wind damage also noted along the path of this tornado. Witnesses described seeing what appeared to be a 6-mile wide lowering with intermittent vortices touching the ground.
- Flood05/07/2007
Bedford, Livingston County
$750K damage
What happened
The Grand River near Sumner crested at 39.90 feet, or 13.90 feet above flood stage. This was its second highest crest on record and was on May 12, 2007.
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind09/08/2001
Chillicothe, Livingston County
$500K damage
What happened
The MetLife blimp that broke from its mast in Kansas City, came to a rest on private property. The blimp accompanied a squall line nearly 60 miles before crashing. The blimp was severely damaged and there was minor damage to a truck on the ground.
- TornadoF1, 7 mi path, 75 yd wide04/08/1999
Chillicothe, Livingston County
$400K damage
What happened
The tornado touched down 7 miles east of Chillicothe, detroying a maching shed and downing several telephone poles and trees. Before dissipating 7 miles north of Wheeling, a pole barn, grain bin, and a small garage was destroyed near the point where the tornado lifted.
- Hail3" hail04/19/2006
Chillicothe, Livingston County
$250K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Hail1.75" hail05/17/2026
Chula, Livingston County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/17/2026
Eversonville, Livingston County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/17/2026
Chula, Livingston County
- Heavy Snow01/24/2026
Livingston
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/08/2025
Utica, Livingston County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/03/2025
Utica, Livingston County
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill02/18/2025
Livingston
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind10/31/2024
Wheeling, Livingston County
Drinking water
8 community water systems serve about 19,091 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system 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.
- Chillicothe Municipal Utilities PwsServes 10,187 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Livingston County Pwsd 2Serves 2,215 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+2 monitoring or reporting
- Livingston County Pwsd 3 EastServes 2,087 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Livingston County Pwsd 4Serves 1,507 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Linn Livingston County Pwsd 3Serves 1,350 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Livingston County Pwsd 1Serves 1,320 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Wheeling PwsServes 223 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Chula PwsServes 202 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 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 Chillicothe 2s, 2 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 87°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 16°F in Jan. About 41.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 13.9 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 16°F | 1.26 in | 4.7 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 21°F | 1.80 in | 4.5 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 31°F | 2.90 in | 1.6 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 41°F | 3.75 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 74°F | 53°F | 5.36 in | - |
| Jun | 83°F | 63°F | 5.21 in | - |
| Jul | 87°F | 67°F | 4.71 in | - |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 4.61 in | - |
| Sep | 78°F | 55°F | 4.39 in | - |
| Oct | 66°F | 43°F | 3.22 in | - |
| Nov | 51°F | 31°F | 2.29 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 22°F | 1.69 in | 2.4 in |
| Year | 53°F average | 41.2 in | 13.9 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 4 toxic release facilities in Livingston County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Wireco Worldgroup Chillicothe Facility953 lbs released, Chillicothe
- West Agro Inc D/B/A Delaval Manufacturing541 lbs released, Chillicothe
- Donaldson Co Inc254 lbs released, Chillicothe
- Chillicothe Municipal Utilities - Water Plant0 lbs released, Chillicothe
Total: 1,748 lbs in 2024, 707 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk1 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Livingston County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Livingston County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $9.46M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate), heat wave (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Livingston County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 334 storm events affecting Livingston County, most often hail (92), thunderstorm wind (72), flood (65).
- How many tornadoes have hit Livingston County?
- 12 tornadoes have been recorded in Livingston County since 1950.
- How many homes in Livingston County have flood insurance?
- 2 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Livingston County, covering about 0.0% of homes. The program has paid $317K on 24 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Livingston County?
- At Chillicothe 2s, average highs reach 87°F in Jul and lows fall to 16°F in Jan, with 41.2 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.