Here are more details on where tornadoes touched down Friday in Illinois and Missouri
Tornadoes tore through Illinois, Missouri and four other states states Friday night, causing six deaths in Edwardsville and at least 64 deaths in Kentucky.
Storms severe enough to cause tornadoes are rare in December and the winter in the Midwest, said St. Louis National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Britt, but they are far from unprecedented. They tend to be worse in the winter because cold weather meeting with unstable, warm air causes stronger changes in the wind’s speed or direction.
“Tornadoes can occur anytime of year and anytime of day,” Britt said Monday. “Always be weather-aware and always have a plan.”
The National Weather Service in St. Louis documented five tornadoes in Missouri and Illinois. Here’s a description of each of them and the damage they caused, according to the weather service.
Edwardsville, Illinois
Time: 8:28-8:32 p.m.
Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale: EF-3
Estimated peak winds: 150 mph
Path length: 3.65 miles
Max width: 9,300 yards
Deaths and injuries: 6 deaths, 1 hospitalized
The tornado touched down just northeast of the Interstate 270/255 interchange at 8:28 p.m. and intensified as it moved toward an Amazon warehouse. The west-facing walls collapsed inward first, and more walls and the roof followed as the tornado tore through the facility. This is where the worst of the damage happened along the tornado’s entire path. Debris from the warehouse was found tens of miles to the northeast of the warehouse along the path of the storm.
The tornado lifted up cars in the rear of the building and threw them eastward, and the tornado destroyed power lines and tension towers. It weakened as it crossed Sand Road to the northeast but was still strong enough to destroy an unanchored mobile home and outbuilding. It snapped trees there and downed power poles. The National Weather Service rated damage to this area EF-1.
The tornado continued northeast and crossed South University Drive, snapping a power pole and toppling more trees. It crossed into the Sunset Hills County Club subdivision, downing more trees and causing some minor home damage. The tornado weakened and lifted as it crossed Butler Boulevard at 8:32 p.m.
Defiance, Missouri
Time: 7:35-7:57 p.m.
EF Rating: EF-3
Estimated peak winds: 165 mph
Path length: 21 miles
Max width: 100 yards
Deaths and injuries: 1 death, 2 injuries
The tornado started a mile north of the intersection of Highway T and Highway 94 in St. Charles County, causing minor damage to two homes and destroying and outbuilding. It strengthened as it neared Defiance. Multiple houses and farms were damaged along Highway F, and two homes were completely destroyed. One of the homes was 110 years old.
The tornado moved northeast and crossed the Missouri River and Howell Island. It entered St. Louis County at Chesterfield Valley, causing extensive tree damage along the river not far from an outlet mall. It crossed Highway 40 near Boone Bridge, causing minor damage to cars on the highway. The tornado crossed the Missouri River again back into St. Charles County near Greens Bottom Road, causing damage to trees, power poles and structures.
The tornado lifted just before reaching the Missouri River again just south of Harvester.
Ramsey, Illinois
Time: 8:53-9:27 p.m.
EF Rating: EF-1 and EF-2
Estimated peak winds: 110 mph
Path length: 41.4 miles total
Max width: 90 yards
Deaths and injuries: 0
The tornado touched down south of Sorento on New Douglas Road, snapping trees and then moving northeast. It moved over the southern part of Coffeen Lake, damaging trees. The tornado was rated an EF-1 in this area.
It crossed Illinois Route 185, destroying an outbuilding, snapping trees and downing power lines. It crossed Fillmore Lake, causing additional tree damage. The tornado intensified as it crossed through the southeast part of Ramsey State Park and crossed U.S. Highway 51 north of Ramsey. It continued west of Herrick, snapping power poles and snapping and twisting a “wide swath” of trees.
Wellsville, Missouri
Time: 6:55-7:00 p.m.
EF Rating: EF-0
Estimated peak winds: 85 mph
Path length: 4.3 mile
Max width: 50 yards
Deaths and injuries: 0
The tornado touched down northwest of Wellsville east of Highway 19, breaking several power poles. It moved northeast, causing minor tree damage and flattening corn.
Ellington, Missouri
Time: 10:05-10:11 p.m.
EF rating: EF-2
Estimated peak winds: 130 mph
Path length: 6.3 miles
Max width: 300 yards
Deaths and injuries: 0
The tornado first touched down northeast of Ellington, snapping trees. It moved east and crossed Sinking Creek, damaging trees, a house and a trailer along County Road 428. It intensified as it crossed County Road 447, tearing the roofs off two homes. The home on County Road 442B sustained the worse damage, losing an exterior wall. The tornado also destroyed two outbuildings there and damaged trees. It weakened as it crossed the Black River, but still caused damage to trees and power lines on County Road 456.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 11:54 AM.
