Severe Thunderstorms Produce Straight Line Wind Damage and Nine Tornadoes.
May 31 2013

A total of nine tornadoes were surveyed by the National Weather Service in St. Louis.  The two tornadoes that were rated EF3 were associated with the most intense circulation that was located on the leading edge of the line of severe thunderstorms that affected the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, from St. Charles County, Missouri  to Madison County, Illinois.  Several other circulations were responsible for seven weaker tornadoes in Montgomery, Franklin, Jefferson Counties in Missouri and Macoupin, Montgomery Counties in Illinois. Many locations outside of the tornado tracks saw extensive wind damage from straight line winds up to 100 mph.

Right click and save the KMZ File to view the complete damage survey in Google Earth.

EF3 Tornado (St. Charles County to St. Louis City)      

CLICK HERE for radar loops and images.                                                                   

The tornado started about 4 miles southwest of Weldon Spring, in southern St. Charles County, and moved east,
northeast through Harvester, Earth City, Bridgeton, Ferguson, Bellefontaine Neighbors, and finally ending at the
northern extremity of St. Louis City. The worst damage was found in southern St. Charles County along Haversham Drive,
where only interior walls were left standing on three homes. The Hollywood Casino had a building where most of the roof
and siding were torn off. The Spectrum Brands building sustained extensive roof and wall damage in Earth City. The
Point 70 building, also in Earth City, sustained extensive window damage. Numerous trees fell on homes in Berkeley and
Ferguson, with the tree damage continuing to the northen extremity of St. Louis City.

BEGIN TIME/LOCATION: 5/31/13...0750 PM
                     4 MILES SW OF WELDON SPRING...MISSOURI (LAT 38.6867  LONG -90.7498)

END TIME/LOCATION:   5/31/13...0825 PM
                     EXTREME NORTHERN ST. LOUIS CITY...MISSOURI (LAT 38.7732  LONG -90.1763)

MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED: 150 MPH (EF3)
PATH LENGTH: 32.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH:  1 MILE (ST. LOUIS COUNTY) 

INJURIES:  2 MINOR

Storm Track, Radar Image and Damage Photos

EF3 Tornado South Roxana
(Extreme Northeast St. Louis County, Missouri to Madison County, Illinois)

* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING:  EF-3
* FATALITIES:  ZERO
* INJURIES:    ZERO

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION:  5/31/2013...827 PM CDT
                        LAT 38.8009  LONG -90.1493

* END TIME/LOCATION:    5/31/2013...837 PM CDT
                        LAT 38.8441  LONG -89.9602

* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED:  160 MPH
* PATH LENGTH:                   10.8 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH:            150 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE:  THE TORNADO BEGAN ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
ROXANA ILLINOIS...IN EXTREME NORTHEAST SAINT LOUIS COUNTY...AND
THEN PROCEEDED EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER INTO
MADISON COUNTY ILLINOIS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OF SOUTH ROXANA.
THE HEAVIEST DAMAGE WAS FOUND AT AN INDUSTRIAL-WAREHOUSE BUILDING
NEAR A LANDFILL IN SOUTH ROXANNA.

EF2 Tornado Gillespie (Macoupin County, Illinois)

* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING:  EF-2
* FATALITIES:  ZERO
* INJURIES:    ZERO

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION:  5/31/2013...849 PM CDT
                        LAT 39.1287  LONG -89.8272

* END TIME/LOCATION:    5/31/2013...852 PM CDT
                        LAT 39.1399  LONG -89.8039

* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED:  115 MPH
* PATH LENGTH:                   0.9 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH:            150 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE:  THE TORNADO BEGAN ON THE WEST SIDE OF
GILLESPIE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TRAVEL NORTHEAST BEFORE ENDING JUST
TO THE NORTHEAST OF GILLESPIE.  THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TREES
AND ROOFS ALONG A WEST SOUTHWEST TO EAST NORTHEAST PATH THROUGH THE
TOWN.  THE WORST DAMAGE WAS TO A SCHOOL GYMNASIUM.

EF1 Tornado Waggoner (Macoupin and Montgomery Counties, Illinois)

* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING:  EF-1
* FATALITIES:  NONE
* INJURIES:    NONE

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION:  05/31/2013...902 PM
                        3.5 MILES SSW WAGGONER IL
                        LAT 39.3309  LONG -89.6815

* END TIME/LOCATION:    05/31/2013...0906 PM
                        1.6 MILES ESE WAGGONER IL
                        LAT 39.3705  LONG -89.6204

* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED:  90-100 MPH

* PATH LENGTH:                   4.3 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH:            50 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL SURVEYED DAMAGE SOUTHWEST OF
WAGGONER ILLINOIS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND DETERMINED THAT A WEAK
TORNADO OCCURRED OVER THIS AREA.

THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN 0.5 MILES SOUTH OF THE
INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 100 EAST AND 2200 NORTH OR 3.5 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF WAGGONER ILLINOIS. SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS 6 TO
10 INCHES IN DIAMETER WERE BLOWN DOWN BY THE TORNADO. THE TORNADO
PATH AT THIS LOCATION WAS 30 YARDS WIDE. THE TORNADO TRAVELED
NORTHEAST AND DAMAGED ONE BARN AND A FEW OUTBUILDINGS ON COUNTY ROAD
2300N  AND 1.5 MILES WEST OF INTERSTATE 55. THE ROOF OF TWO
OUTBUILDINGS WERE UPLIFTED AND TOSSED 100 TO 150 YARDS TO THE
NORTHEAST. ANOTHER OUTBUILDING WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED ON COALFIELD
ROAD AND 0.5 MILES WEST OF I55. DAMAGE INTENSITY WAS RATED EF1.
DEBRIS FROM THIS MACHINE SHED WAS TOSSED ACROSS A CORN FIELD AND
ACROSS I55. THE TORNADO THEN DAMAGED A THIRD FARMSTEAD ON COUNTY
ROAD 2500N APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILE EAST OF I55. WINDOWS
WERE BLOWN INWARD ON A TWO STORY FARM HOME AND TWO MACHINE SHEDS
WERE SEVERLY DAMAGED. THE DAMAGE INTENSITY WAS RATED EF1 AND DAMAGE
WAS 40 YARDS WIDE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEAST AND
DOWNED LARGE BRANCHES 6 TO 10 INCHES IN DIAMETER ON EAST WAGGONER
ROAD 2.0 MILES EAST OF WAGGONER ILLINOIS. THE TORNADO DISSIPATED
FROM THIS POINT.

Two EF1 Tornadoes (Franklin and Jefferson Counties, Missouri)

TWO TORNADO TRACKS WERE FOUND ACROSS PORTIONS OF  JEFFERSON COUNTY AND FRANKLIN COUNTY.
THERE WERE ALSO POCKETS OF STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE NEAR THE TRACKS OF BOTH TORNADOES.

...DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY MISSOURI...

* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING: EF-1
* FATALITIES: 0
* INJURIES: 0

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...801 PM
                       3 MILES SE CATAWISSA
                       LAT 38.4013 LONG -90.7322

* END TIME/LOCATION:   05/31/2013...818 PM
                       2.7 MILES E BYRNES MILL
                       LAT 38.4328 LONG -90.5064

* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED: 100 MPH
* PATH LENGTH: 12.5 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 200 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: THE TORNADO BEGAN IN EXTREME WESTERN JEFFERSON
COUNTY NEAR HIGHWAY NN AND APKE ROAD. IT MOVED TO THE EAST AND MOST
OF THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF SNAPPED AND DOWNED TREES AND BROKEN TREE
LIMBS. IN THE BYRNES MILL AREA SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES WERE DAMAGED
FROM FALLEN TREES. IN SCOTSDALE...SEVERAL SCHOOL BUILDINGS AT OUR
LADY QUEEN OF PEACE CHURCH SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE. THE TORNADO ENDED
WEST OF RUSTIC TRAILS DRIVE AROUND 2.7 MILES EAST OF BYRNES MILL.

...DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY...

* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING: EF-1
* FATALITIES: 0
* INJURIES: 0

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...737 PM
                       3.5 MILES SW UNION
                       LAT 38.4095 LONG -91.0509

* END TIME/LOCATION:   05/31/2013...750 PM
                       3.4 MILES SW ROBERTSVILLE
                       LAT 38.3918 LONG -90.8679

* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED: 105 MPH
* PATH LENGTH: 10.2 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 550 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: THE TORNADO BEGAN JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY UU
AROUND 3.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF UNION. MOST OF THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF
SNAPPED AND DOWNED TREES AND BROKEN TREE LIMBS. FIVE HOMES LOCATED
ALONG INDIAN PRAIRIE LANE BETWEEN UNION AND ST CLAIR SUFFERED MINOR
ROOF DAMAGE. THE TORNADO ENDED TO THE SOUTH OF THE MERAMEC TERRACE
ROAD AND INDIAN ACRES ROAD INTERSECTION...AROUND 3.4 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF ROBERTSVILLE.

Three EF0 Tornadoes (Montgomery County, Missouri)

TORNADO #1
* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING: EF-0
* FATALITIES:  0
* INJURIES: 0

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...620 PM CDT
                       LAT 38.943 LONG-91.519

* END TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...621 PM CDT
                     LAT 38.938 LONG -91.512

* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED: 75 MPH
* PATH LENGTH:                  0.5 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH:           30 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: A WEAK TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHDOWN ALONG
  HIGHWAY 161 FROM 2.5 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST TO TWO MILES SOUTH
  SOUTHWEST OF MONTGOMERY CITY. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO
  TREE DAMAGE. ONE LARGE TREE SNAPPED ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY
  FROM THE BASE AND FELL ONTO A PARKED SCHOOL BUS. NO ONE WAS
  INSIDE THE BUS. BEFORE THE TORNADO LIFTED THREE POWER POLLS WERE
  BENT ABOUT 40 DEGREES TO THE NORTHEAST.

TORNADO #2
* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING: EF-0
* FATALITIES:  0
* INJURIES: 0

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...621 PM CDT
                       LAT 38.944 LONG -91.502

* END TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...622 PM CDT
                     LAT 38.944 LONG-91.498


* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED: 75 MPH
* PATH LENGTH:                  0.2 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH:           30 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: A WEAK TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHDOWN ABOUT TWO
  MILES SOUTH OF MONTGOMERY CITY. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED
  TO TREE DAMAGE. BEFORE LIFTING AND DISSIPATING...THE ROOF OF AN
  OLD MACHINE SHED WAS PEELED OFF TO THE SOUTH.

TORNADO #3
* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING: EF-0
* FATALITIES:  0
* INJURIES: 0

* BEGIN TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...628 PM CDT
                       LAT 38.939 LONG-91.460


* END TIME/LOCATION: 05/31/2013...630 PM CDT
                     LAT 38.938 LONG-91.442


* MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WIND SPEED: 80 MPH
* PATH LENGTH:                 1.0 MILES
* MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH:           40 YARDS

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: A WEAK TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 2.0 MILES NORTH
  NORTHWEST OF NEW FLORENCE. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO
  DOWNED TREES. THE TORNADO TRAVELED TO THE EAST FOR ABOUT A MILE.
  AT THIS LOCATION A HOME SUSTAINED SIDING AND SOFFIT DAMAGE. ALSO
  A LARGE TREE WAS UPROOTED IN THE BACKYARD. THEN THE TORNADO
  LIFTED AND DISSIPATED.