Moniteau County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by ice storm. 291 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $9.74M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 291
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 7
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 31.0 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 43.3 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 48.0 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $4.62B · Agriculture value exposed: $186M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $10.53M
Risk by hazard
- Ice stormRelatively High$589K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$1.6M/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Low$141K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 810 years
- DroughtRelatively Low$255K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$376K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 555 years
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.47M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$1.07M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.2 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$63.55K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.4 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$148K/yr expected annual loss, about 51 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$548/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Strong windRelatively Low$317K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
- HailVery Low$82.47K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.8 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$5,031/yr expected annual loss, about once every 139 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
- 7 of 6,976 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 93
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 7 (8%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 27
- Claims paid since 1978
- $261K
Flood claims paid per year
- Midwest Flooding$165K · 10 claims
- Flooding$45.05K · 13 claims
- Hurricane Ike$36.99K · 2 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 291 events, 0 deaths, $1.07M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind73
- Hail64
- Winter Storm30
- Heat28
- Flash Flood28
- Excessive Heat24
- Heavy Snow7
- Flood7
- Drought7
- Ice Storm5
Events per year
21 tornadoes on record (EF1 1, F0 5, F1 10, F2 5).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Winter Storm12/22/2022
Moniteau
1 injured
What happened
Between 1 and 2 inches of snow fell. The snow combined with gusty northwest winds (35-45 mph gusts) created extremely hazardous travel with sporadic near-blizzard conditions during the heaviest snowfall. Road conditions deteriorated rapidly during this event. Several accidents occurred across the county due to slick snow packed roads. One person sustained minor injuries.
- Flash Flood07/26/1998
Countywide, Moniteau County
$350K damage
What happened
Rainfall up to 6 inches caused widespread flooding across the area. Besides flooding of small streams and creeks, the Osage, Maries, and Gasconade Rivers all surged over their banks. A construction crane being used to build a new bridge over the Osage River was ripped from its moorings and washed about 2 miles downstream. Countless gravel roads across the area suffered significant wash-out damage.
- TornadoEF1, 1.7 mi path, 30 yd wide04/28/2024
Tipton, Moniteau County
$200K damage
- Winter Storm11/30/2006
Moniteau
$200K damage
- Lightning06/05/2005
Fortuna, Moniteau County
$200K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind07/04/2026
Latham, Moniteau County
$20K damage
- Flash Flood06/08/2026
California Phllps Ar, Moniteau County
- Excessive Heat07/25/2025
Moniteau
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind07/06/2025
California, Moniteau County
- Thunderstorm Wind53 kt wind04/20/2025
California, Moniteau County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind04/20/2025
Clarksburg, Moniteau County
- Winter Storm01/05/2025
Moniteau
- Hail1" hail05/08/2024
High PT, Moniteau County
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 9,731 people. Violations since 2021.
2 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 3 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- California PwsServes 4,423 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
- Tipton PwsServes 2,861 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Moniteau County Pwsd 2Serves 1,400 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Jamestown PwsServes 369 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Clarksburg PwsServes 353 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Moniteau County Pwsd 1Serves 200 · Groundwater · Local government3 health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Mo American Hickory HillsServes 125 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
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 California, 5.1 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 88°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 20°F in Jan. About 43.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 9.7 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 20°F | 2.01 in | 3.3 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 24°F | 2.31 in | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 33°F | 2.97 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 44°F | 4.90 in | - |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 4.98 in | - |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.41 in | - |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 4.71 in | - |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 3.88 in | - |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 4.11 in | - |
| Oct | 68°F | 45°F | 3.78 in | - |
| Nov | 55°F | 34°F | 3.17 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 25°F | 1.92 in | 3.5 in |
| Year | 55°F average | 43.2 in | 9.7 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Moniteau County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Cargill Meat Solutions1,665 lbs released, California
Total: 1,665 lbs in 2024, 0 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk8 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Moniteau County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Moniteau County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $9.74M a year. The highest-rated hazards are ice storm (relatively high), heat wave (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Moniteau County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 291 storm events affecting Moniteau County, most often thunderstorm wind (73), hail (64), winter storm (30).
- How many tornadoes have hit Moniteau County?
- 21 tornadoes have been recorded in Moniteau County since 1950.
- How many homes in Moniteau County have flood insurance?
- 7 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Moniteau County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $261K on 27 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Moniteau County?
- At California, average highs reach 88°F in Jul and lows fall to 20°F in Jan, with 43.2 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.