| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | 2 killed, $45,000 | A moving vehicle along Highway 53 was destroyed by a very large oak tree that fell on it. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed, probably on impact. A small fire started in the engine compartment after emergency responders arrived. A 40-foot semi-trailer was overturned in the immediate vicinity of the crushed vehicle. The tin roof was lifted off a barn. A portion of a large shed collapsed. |
| May 2017 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | 1 killed, $2,500,000 | Major flooding occurred on the Black River as the month began. At the Poplar Bluff river gage, the river crested at 21.96 feet late on the morning of the 1st. This crest was only a few inches below the record crest of 22.15 feet, set in March of 2008. The main levee from Poplar Bluff to the Qulin area was under extreme stress. One section of levee broke in the vicinity of County Road 608, requiring eight houses to be evacuated. The levee was overtopped in more than a dozen spots. The part of the levee protecting Poplar Bluff, including the downtown area, was overtopped in a couple of places. Police and firefighters went door-to-door on the south side of Poplar Bluff advising residents of a levee breach just outside the city limits. Some homes in the flood plain were flooded, mostly in rural areas south of Poplar Bluff. Areas of south central Butler County were evacuated. A total of about 54 homes were damaged, and two were destroyed. About 10 businesses were damaged. A Red Cross shelter at the Black River Coliseum sheltered about 80 residents. There were two fatalities as a result of the river flooding. The first drowning victim was a 69-year-old woman, whose body was recovered from inside her vehicle on May 2 but who actually drowned on April 30. Her vehicle was swept off a county road outside of Harviell. The second drowning involved a 60-year-old man, whose truck was washed off Route 53 into a ditch near County Road 618. Most area schools were closed during the crisis. Grain bins were flooded, though some of the crop was removed before the flooding could damage it. Numerous state and county roads were closed, including Highway 53. Parts of Qulin were flooded. Between Qulin and Neelyville, residents of the Coon Island area were evacuated. In the Neelyville area, about a half dozen or so people were evacuated by boat. Damage to public property alone was estimated at nearly two million dollars. |
| April 2017 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | 1 killed, $20,000 | The Black River rose rapidly above flood stage on the 30th, climbing about 14 feet in 18 hours. The flooding reached the major category as the month was closing out. A drowning occurred when a vehicle was swept off a county road outside of Harviell. The drowning victim was a 69-year-old woman, whose body was found inside her vehicle on May 2. The Black River continued rising beyond the end of the month. |
| April 2011 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | $4,500,000 | Major flooding occurred on the Black River. The river crested at 21.41 feet at Poplar Bluff, which was the third highest crest on record. The record crest was set only a few years earlier in 2008. The main levee from Poplar Bluff to the Qulin area was overtopped in more than three dozen spots, and a breach occurred in one spot just outside of Poplar Bluff. The part of the levee protecting most of Poplar Bluff, including the downtown area, was on the verge of failure for over 24 hours. Some homes in the flood plain were flooded, mostly in rural areas south of Poplar Bluff. Areas of south central Butler County were evacuated. A Red Cross shelter housed over 300 residents at times. Most area schools were closed during the crisis. Grain bins were flooded, though some of the crop was removed before the flooding could damage it. Numerous state and county roads were closed, including Highway 53. A couple of critical water rescues were conducted on Highway 53, where two motorists were stranded in submerged vehicles. The driver of a submerged pickup truck was found in chest-deep water, still in his seat belt. He was transferred into a boat and taken to dry land. In a nearby location, a van was swept off the roadway. It was found nose-up in a ditch. The driver was able to climb into the back of the van, open the doors, and step onto a fire department tanker truck that parked next to him. Hundreds of National Guard troops assisted with rescuing people stranded in homes and vehicles. A preliminary count indicated 53 homes and 23 businesses were flooded in south and east parts of Poplar Bluff, in addition to two churches and an unknown number of public buildings. Numerous additional homes were flooded outside the Poplar Bluff city limits, including the Qulin and Broseley areas. Parts of Qulin were flooded, including a number of homes. The flooding in Qulin was reportedly about the same as the 2008 flood. Between Qulin and Neelyville, residents of the Coon Island area were evacuated by special National Guard tactical vehicles. In the Neelyville area, about a half dozen or so people were evacuated by boat, and about two dozen others left on their own. |
| March 2008 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | $2,500,000 | Record flooding of the Black River occurred. At the Poplar Bluff gage, the river crested at 22.15 feet on March 19 at 4:30 P.M. CDT. The previous record crest was 21.68 feet in December of 1982. Flood stage there is 16 feet, and major flooding begins at 21 feet. Hundreds of homes were inundated, and the river even flooded parts of the downtown area. Residents were evacuated in south and east Poplar Bluff. Boats were used to evacuate many stranded residents. U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters from as far away as New Orleans assisted in evacuation efforts. The helicopters airlifted 37 people and six dogs to safety. Flood gates were installed for the first time since a flood wall was built in 1997. The flood gates offer protection up to 23 feet. Levee breaks were responsible for a considerable amount of the flooding in and around Poplar Bluff. The vast majority of the flooded homes and businesses were on the south and east sides of Poplar Bluff. At least five levee breaches occurred, resulting in many water-covered farms. Highway 53 was closed due to a levee break southeast of Poplar Bluff. Evacuation shelters were set up in Poplar Bluff. At least 100 victims stayed in a shelter at the Black River Coliseum in downtown Poplar Bluff. U.S. Highway 60 was closed when the river overflowed the four-lane highway west of the bridge. The community of Hilliard was severely impacted, where even the upper level of at least one home was under water. Some county roads were scoured down to bedrock. A large electric substation along U.S. Highway 67 was shut down by the river flooding. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Poplar Bluff | $750,000 | Golf-ball size hail fell just north of Poplar Bluff. Quarter size hail fell on the northwest side of Poplar Bluff on Highway 67. At a car dealership, the hail broke 20 skylights in the shop building and damaged approximately 300 vehicles. The damage to the vehicles was generally minor, consisting of dents but no broken windshields. The hail covered the ground. |
| April 1996 | Tornado (F2) | Poplar Bluff | $300,000 | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $100,000 | In Poplar Bluff, several trees were blown down, and at least three small trailers were overturned. Just east of Poplar Bluff at and near the airport, damaging winds caused significant damage. A wind gust to 67 mph was measured by the Poplar Bluff airport's automated weather observation system. A parked small plane was overturned and pushed into a building. In the same general area, several telephone poles were knocked down. Numerous tree limbs and power lines were down. This damage was produced by a supercell thunderstorm that tracked east-southeast to New Madrid County. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $100,000 | Widespread damage to trees and power lines was reported across southwest and south central Butler County. Trees were down on a house and cars on County Road 461. Roofs were damaged and numerous trees were down on County Road 470. Trees and power lines were damaged four miles south of Poplar Bluff. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $100,000 | The automated weather observation system at the Poplar Bluff airport measured a wind gust to 64 mph. A steeple was blown off a church in the city of Poplar Bluff. The steeple was made of fiberglass and measured about four feet by four feet at its base and was about 15 feet tall. In the city of Poplar Bluff, tree limbs and a few whole trees were blown onto power lines. Broken power poles were reported off U.S. Highway 67 north of Poplar Bluff and Highway B east of Poplar Bluff. One of the biggest outages disrupted power to over 600 customers. Power was not fully restored until the following morning. Street department crews cleaned up tree debris well into the next day. In the city of Poplar Bluff, street crews removed 15 trees, 12 of which blocked streets. Limbs were blown down across the city. Outside the city, county road crews reported four roads were blocked. A motorist escaped injury when a tree fell on a vehicle on Highway B east of Poplar Bluff. The vehicle was towed away. |
| January 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed 7 trailers in a trailer park. Three houses were partially unroofed. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $100,000 | Numerous large trees were down, mainly in the south part of Poplar Bluff. A convenience store lost part of its roof. A tractor trailer was overturned. A garage was moved from its foundation and demolished. Several vehicles were damaged by falling trees. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $80,000 | In Poplar Bluff, trees and power lines were blown down. Two trees landed on cars. A few roofs were damaged in the city. |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $75,000 | Several creeks flooded rapidly after 3 to 7 inches of rain deluged the county. At least two vehicles were swept off roads and into raging creeks. In the first incident, a car was swept off County Road 459 about two miles south of Highway M. A woman was stranded on the roof of the car, which was washed up against some trees. With the assistance of a teenage high school student, the woman and her small dog waded through swiftly moving water to safety. The second incident occurred on County Road 410, north of U.S. Highway 60 in the Mark Twain National Forest. In that incident, a woman was attempting to drive through floodwaters when the vehicle stalled. The car was not swept off the road, and she was able to walk to get help. Numerous rural residents were forced to remain near their homes due to flooded roads. Unofficial rainfall reports for May 3 ranged from 3.2 inches in Poplar Bluff to nearly 7 inches northwest of Poplar Bluff. A meteorologist northwest of Poplar Bluff measured just over four inches in four hours, bringing his 24-hour rainfall to 6.62 inches. Cane Creek overflowed its banks, flooding pastures and cropland. A resident on County Road 421 northwest of Poplar Bluff reported a levy was topped for the first time in 25 years. Gravel county roads were damaged by erosion. There were numerous low water crossing areas and drainage ditches washed out. Up to six inches of water was over Highway 142 south of Poplar Bluff. |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $60,000 | A roof was blown off a home just east of Poplar Bluff. The entire end of a shed was blown down at a local lumber company in the city. Near Highway WW in Poplar Bluff, a roof was blown into a power line. Elsewhere in Poplar Bluff, a travel trailer was blown into the roadway. Two mobile homes were damaged and blown off their foundations. |
| February 2025 | Heavy Rain | Poplar Bluff | $50,000 | Heavy rainfall (up to 3) caused a retaining wall to collapse, damaging 4 vehicles. |
| April 2011 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $50,000 | Four water rescues were conducted from homes and cars. Five intersections were closed. Water was into three homes. |
| April 2011 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $50,000 | Nearly 60 Poplar Bluff residents were rescued after city streets became flooded. Fire and police departments conducted 59 water rescues, both of houses and vehicles. Utilizing three boats, the fire department performed about 33 rescues. Because the boats were unmotorized, firefighters had difficulty pulling them through 4 to 5 feet of water. Vehicles were driving through water up to their headlights on a local thoroughfare. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $50,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in a narrow path across the north side of Poplar Bluff. The city street department reported 26 trees across streets and six others down in cemeteries. Many others were down in yards. The trees were as large as three feet in diameter. Windows were blown out at a junior high school. At the high school baseball field, a chain-link fence was blown down. Advertising signs were damaged, and one sign was blown away. The roof was blown off the skybox seats at the football field. A window was blown out of a store in a shopping center. A fireworks display tent collapsed. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Poplar Bluff | $50,000 | Golf ball-size hail smashed numerous car windows. Reported by the county sheriff. |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $50,000 | no account filed |
| January 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $45,000 | A thunderstorm downburst, with estimated peak winds near 70 MPH, occurred just south of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport. An unanchored and unoccupied mobile home was overturned, a carport was picked up and moved, and a picket fence was partially blown down. A chicken house was unroofed. Damage to siding and sheds was reported at a number of residences. Numerous trees were blown down. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service determined that the average width of the downburst was about one-half mile. |
| October 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $40,000 | Trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down throughout the city. |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $40,000 | A small metal grain silo was tossed about 75 yards into a nearby field. The roof of another metal silo was ripped off. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $40,000 | Three buildings were destroyed, and two trees were uprooted. |
| August 1997 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $40,000 | Very slow-moving thunderstorms over the Poplar Bluff area dumped 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain over the city within 90 minutes. Participants at an outdoor event were stranded when floodwaters cut off access to the event grounds. Water rose to two feet above road level in some areas of the city. A section of Highway 67 north was covered with two feet of water. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $35,000 | A section of metal roof was peeled off a house. A small detached garage partially collapsed. A couple of utility sheds were missing chunks of roof. A small radio tower was brought down. The damage occurred along Highway UU south of Highway 53. |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | A damage survey revealed a swath of straight-line wind damage along a path length of approximately two-thirds of a mile. The damage was in the southeast part of the city of Poplar Bluff. Several homes sustained shingle or roof damage. A small shed was lofted onto the top of a garage. Some large tree limbs were broken. Peak winds were estimated near 75 mph. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | Damaging winds struck the city of Poplar Bluff. A construction trailer was blown into a ditch. Trees were blown down, and power outages were numerous. Signs were blown down. |
| April 2010 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | Widespread street flooding was reported on the north side of Poplar Bluff and a few streets downtown. Some motorists were stranded in their vehicles. Police assisted stranded motorists and blocked flooded roads. Rainfall rates were estimated by radar around three inches within a couple hours over Poplar Bluff. |
| April 2010 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | Several roads were flooded and impassable. County Highway 302 had sections of the road washed away. |
| November 2009 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | Minor flooding continued on the Black River from late October. At the Poplar Bluff river gage, the crest of 18.63 feet occurred on the 1st. Flood stage there is 16 feet. Several businesses and a church on the northeast edge of Poplar Bluff were surrounded by floodwaters. The river flooded portions of the Black River Industrial Park off Business Loop 60. Floodwaters were fifteen inches deep on the industrial park road, six inches in a diesel machine shop, and two feet in a warehouse. Water was crossing the parking lot of another business but did not reach it. Clinton Park in Poplar Bluff was flooded. Some low-lying fields and woods along the river were flooded. River water broke through a private levee near County Road 611 southeast of Poplar Bluff. Some farmland was flooded by the levee break. U.S. Highway 60 began to flood heading toward Baskey. |
| April 2008 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | Minor flooding of the Black River occurred. At the Poplar Bluff gage, the river crest was 18.91 feet on the 12th. Flood stage at Poplar Bluff is 16 feet. Some levees along the river were weakened by record flooding in March. Because of a levee failure near County Road 606, more land than usual was inundated during this flood. Behind the levee break, water up to three feet deep covered a 15 to 20 square mile area. Many county roads were impassable. Numerous low-lying fields and bottomlands were underwater. Water from the Black River flowed over Highway 53 west of the bridge. The road remained open, but only with flaggers and an escort vehicle from the highway department. Farmland south of Poplar Bluff was flooded. Hillcrest Park in Poplar Bluff was flooded. Highway W was closed due to flooding at Hilliard. A few homes were flooded for the second time since the March 18 record flood. |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $30,000 | Persistent thunderstorms during the early morning hours produced very heavy rainfall amounts, estimated by radar over 5 inches in isolated spots. Flooding of roads became commonplace, and some roads were closed for extended periods. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $27,000 | Several trees were down, blocking parts of PP Highway about five miles west-northwest of Poplar Bluff. A tree was blown onto a garage on County Road 469 a few miles west of Poplar Bluff. On Highway 142 just south of the city, a tree and power lines were down. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $25,000 | A large uprooted tree fell on a house in Poplar Bluff, with residents trapped inside. On the east side of Poplar Bluff, the side metal wall panel of an open shed blew off. At the Poplar Bluff airport just east of town, the automated observing system measured a wind gust to 66 mph. |
| December 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $25,000 | A shed was heavily damaged on Route AA east of Poplar Bluff. The 18-foot wide shed roof was blown up to 200 feet away, with pieces hitting a nearby house. A car inside the shed was damaged. At a church on Highway 51 between Fisk and Broseley, wind blew down the covered area over the front door and damaged a sign. In Poplar Bluff, tree limbs were down on a couple streets. A large tree was down. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $25,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were down in the southern part of the county, especially Qulin and Harviell. Tree limbs fell across roads. Four to five signal line poles were knocked down along a section of railroad tracks near the south edge of Poplar Bluff. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | Straight-line winds brought down portions of fences, damaged playsets, and caused some shingle damage on homes near Township Line Rd/CR-467. |
| June 2013 | Flood | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | Minor flooding occurred along the Black River. Low-lying fields and woodlands were flooded, including some farm fields. The river crested about one foot above the 16-foot flood stage. Just south of Highway 53 on the west bank of the river, a small levee breach resulted in minor flooding of farmland around County Road 2024. |
| April 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | The roofs and some walls of two sheds/barns were removed and blown several hundred yards. The rafters were also removed. The average damage path width was 50 yards. Peak winds were estimated near 85 mph. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | Estimated wind gusts from 60 to 70 mph were associated with this storm. Downed trees and power lines were reported in and around Poplar Bluff, including U.S. Highway 67 northwest of the city. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | Poplar Bluff street workers removed six trees that fell across city streets. A couple of other large trees were uprooted in back yards of houses. Two power poles were blown over. County highway crews removed two large trees from County Road 554. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | A garage attached to a home was blown apart at the intersection of Highway M and County Road 441. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | Residents reported 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain in less than an hour. At least three streets were closed due to flash flooding. A substantial leak occurred at a school, causing ceiling tile to drop and some flooding. Significant slowdowns or stoppage of traffic occurred. Water was over the road at the intersection of U.S. Routes 60 and 67. Water was flowing out of ditches along Highway 142. |
| January 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | The roof of a flower shop blew off. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $15,000 | A tree was blown down, blocking Highway 160. A vehicle crashed into the tree, but no injuries occurred. Power lines were down west of Poplar Bluff. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $15,000 | A barn was blown down, and trees were down. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | Multiple trees were blown down. Power outages were reported. A tree fell on a house. |
| February 2022 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | A few rural roads were flooded in low-lying areas. The Missouri Highway Patrol reported two women safely escaped from a sport utility vehicle that was driven into a flooded area. The incident happened southwest of Poplar Bluff on a rural road about two miles west of Missouri Highway 441. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | A few trees and power lines were blown down. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down throughout the community. |
| September 2012 | Flash Flood | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | Motorists were stranded in floodwaters in Poplar Bluff. Street flooding was extensive. The automated observation system at the airport measured 1.94 inches in just one hour. |
| August 2009 | Lightning | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | Lightning hit an electrical substation, knocking out power to 1,100 customers in downtown Poplar Bluff. |
| June 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | A weak, short-lived tornado touched down near the intersection of Route HH and Missouri 53. Some trees were downed, but no other damage occurred. |
| January 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $10,000 | no account filed |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $9,000 | The state highway patrol headquarters on U.S. Highway 67 just northwest of Poplar Bluff estimated winds gusted to 65 mph. Power lines were blown down. The flag pole was bent. Six trees were blown down on PP Highway. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poplar Bluff | $8,000 | Several sheds were blown over or destroyed at a Home Depot near the junction of Business Loop 67 and State Route 53. |
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