Tornadoes in Springfield and the surrounding Ozarks

Springfield isn't Joplin or Moore, and a lot of people here assume the big ones miss town. History says otherwise. A few of the tornadoes that have hit Springfield and its neighbors:

Marshfield, April 18, 1880

An outbreak of tornadoes killed 151 people across Missouri that day. Marshfield, east of Springfield, took the worst of it: nearly every building was destroyed or badly damaged and 99 people died. NOAA ranks it among the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history (Missouri StormAware).

South Springfield, April 29, 1983

An F3 tornado touched down near Republic and tracked across south Springfield along Battlefield Road, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. Two people died.

Southeast Springfield, November 29, 1991

The day after Thanksgiving, a tornado formed north of Nixa and reached F4 strength as it hit the southeast edge of Springfield, leveling dozens of houses in the Woodbridge and Natural Bridge area and killing two people. It's a reminder that tornado season isn't only spring.

Battlefield and the May 4, 2003 outbreak

Fifteen tornadoes hit the Ozarks that evening. One crossed Battlefield at F3 strength, hitting a fire station and damaging hundreds of homes; Pierce City, Stockton, and Marionville were also hit hard.

More recent storms

Strong storms keep coming: an EF1 damaged buildings near downtown Springfield in January 2008, and on April 29, 2025 severe storms and several tornadoes swept the region, with more than 50,000 power outages in Springfield alone. The National Weather Service office in Springfield keeps event summaries for storms across the area.

What that means for your family

• Tornadoes here often come at night and in the off-season — warnings can be short.
• Many local homes have no basement, so the "lowest floor, interior room" advice leaves a lot of people in a hallway.
• A tested shelter, close enough to reach in a minute or two, changes that. See underground shelters or above-ground safe rooms.