NWS
St. Louis, Missouri

August 13th, 2005 Severe Weather Event
Bow Echoes Affect the Bi-State Region with
Significant Damaging Downburst Winds

Radar and Analysis:
Radar Reflectivity
from WSR-88D KLSX
(image loop)		 Radar Derived Storm Total Precipitation Storm Photos from Portions of West-Central Illinois
(image loop) 		Storm Photo from
St. Louis City
 Storm Photos from
Union, Missouri
(image loop)
     
Damage Photos Across
St. Clair, MO and
Southwestern Portions of the
St. Louis Metro Area
(image loop)		 Damage Map of
Downburst Winds
Across Southwestern Portions
of the St. Louis Metro Area		      
 
Severe Weather Assessment:
At the start of Saturday morning, a slow moving cold front extended from Central Illinois west-southwestward through Northern Missouri. Out ahead of it was a very moist and unstable airmass, and also unusually warm for mid-August.

As the front continued to slowly push southward during the day, thunderstorms began to fire along and ahead of the front over Southwest Missouri around midday and quickly developed northeastward toward Central Missouri by 2 pm and into East-Central Missouri by 3 pm.

Due to very high freezing levels of around 15,000 feet large hail was not the primary severe threat, rather damaging winds. Initially, storms were multi-cellular clusters that within a couple hours merged into broken bow segments that helped maximize the damaging wind threat.

The main swath of wind damage was through Central Missouri eastward through the St Louis Metropolitan area into Southwest Illinois. Lesser amounts of wind damage occurred in Southeast Missouri, and little to no damage was noted in Northeast Missouri and West-Central Illinois.

The types of wind damage that occurred was mainly tree damage, but also included roof damage in parts of Franklin County Missouri.
 
Damage Assessment:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1050 PM CDT MON AUG 15 2005

...EXTENSIVE TREE AND LIMB DAMAGE OVER PARTS OF ST. LOUIS AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES WERE DUE TO DOWNBURST PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS... 

A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED OVER PARTS OF THE TOWN OF ST. CLAIR IN EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY ON SUNDAY. THE DAMAGING WINDS WERE THE RESULT OF DOWNBURST PRODUCING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH AFFECTED THE AREA SATURDAY AFTERNOON BETWEEN 3:00 PM AND 6:00 PM CDT.

THE FIRST DAMAGING WIND REPORTS OCCURRED OVER THE ST. CLAIR MISSOURI AREA AND NORTH OF ST. CLAIR ALONG PARTS OF HIGHWAY 47 AROUND 320 PM CDT. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING ROOF DAMAGE AT THE BUDGET MOTEL AND TREE DAMAGE NEAR A FEW BUSINESS EAST OF THE MOTEL AND NORTH OF ST. CLAIR ALONG HIGHWAY 47.

SEVERAL ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MERGED AND FORMED INTO A SOLID LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN 3:30 PM AND 3:50 PM CDT FROM WESTERN ST. LOUIS COUNTY THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY. 

THE SOLID LINE OF STORMS PRODUCED SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST ST. LOUIS COUNTY. WIND DAMAGE EXTENDED FROM SHERMAN THROUGH VALLEY PARK AND NORTH TO NEAR MANCHESTER ROAD. TWO SWATHS OF DOWNBURST WINDS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE TREE AND LARGE LIMB DAMAGE BETWEEN MANCHESTER ROAD SOUTHWARD TO BIG BEND ROAD AND ALONG AND EAST OF RIES ROAD THROUGH HIGHWAY 141. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED OVER THESE AREAS BETWEEEN 3:55 AND 4:10 PM CDT. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED DAMAGING WINDS LASTING AS LONG AS 5 MINUTES. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 65 AND 75 MPH OVER THESE AREAS.

ANOTHER SWATH OF TREE AND LARGE LIMB DAMAGE OCCURRED FROM NEAR QUEENY PARK EAST-NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH BALLAS ROAD AND TO NEAR HIGHWAY 67. THE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED OVER THIS AREA AFTER 4:00 PM CDT. AGAIN SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED DAMAGING WINDS LASTING AS ALONG AS 5 MINUTES. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 60 TO 75 MPH.

OTHER AREAS THAT EXPERIENCED MINOR WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED OVER PARTS OF THE METRO EAST AREA INCLUDING MADISON...ST. CLAIR AND WESTERN CLINTON COUNTIES.

PRZYBYLINSKI
 
Preliminary Storm Reports for August 13th:
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
535 PM CDT SUN AUG 14 2005
TIME (DATE)

0315 PM (08/13/2005)

0320 PM (08/13/2005)


0325 PM (08/13/2005)

0330 PM (08/13/2005)

0345 PM (08/13/2005)


0400 PM (08/13/2005)



0400 PM (08/13/2005)

0405 PM (08/13/2005)

0405 PM (08/13/2005)

0405 PM (08/13/2005)

0405 PM (08/13/2005)

0405 PM (08/13/2005)

0405 PM (08/13/2005)


0405 PM (08/13/2005)


0405 PM (08/13/2005)

0410 PM (08/13/2005)

0410 PM (08/13/2005)

0420 PM (08/13/2005)



0425 PM (08/13/2005)

0425 PM (08/13/2005)



0430 PM (08/13/2005)

0430 PM (08/13/2005)


0430 PM (08/13/2005)

0430 PM (08/13/2005)

0435 PM (08/13/2005)

0440 PM (08/13/2005)


0440 PM (08/13/2005)

0445 PM (08/13/2005)

0445 PM (08/13/2005)


0455 PM (08/13/2005)

0455 PM (08/13/2005)

0500 PM (08/13/2005)

0500 PM (08/13/2005)


0500 PM (08/13/2005)

0500 PM (08/13/2005)


0500 PM (08/13/2005)

0505 PM (08/13/2005)


0505 PM (08/13/2005)

0515 PM (08/13/2005)


0515 PM (08/13/2005)

0515 PM (08/13/2005)

0530 PM (08/13/2005)

0530 PM (08/13/2005)


0530 PM (08/13/2005)


0600 PM (08/13/2005)


0600 PM (08/13/2005)


0600 PM (08/13/2005)

 LOCATION (COUNTY)

ST. CLAIR (FRANKLIN MO)

2 S UNION (FRANKLIN MO)


ST. CLAIR (FRANKLIN MO)

ST. CLAIR (FRANKLIN MO)

GRAY SUMMIT (FRANKLIN MO)


VALLEY PARK (ST. LOUIS MO)



VALLEY PARK (ST. LOUIS MO)

FENTON (ST. LOUIS MO)

O'FALLON (ST. CHARLES MO)

KIRKWOOD (ST. LOUIS MO)

EUREKA (ST. LOUIS MO)

MANCHESTER (ST. LOUIS MO)

MANCHESTER (ST. LOUIS MO)


CREVE COEUR (ST. LOUIS MO)


HIGH RIDGE (JEFFERSON MO)

MANCHESTER (ST. LOUIS MO)

TOWN AND COUNTRY (ST. LOUIS MO)

COLUMBIA (BOONE MO)



BERKELEY (ST. LOUIS MO)

ST. CHARLES (ST. CHARLES MO)



HAZELWOOD (ST. LOUIS MO)

ST. LOUIS (ST. LOUIS CITY MO)


FLORISSANT (ST. LOUIS MO)

FLORISSANT (ST. LOUIS MO)

FLORISSANT (ST. LOUIS MO)

5 N MEXICO (AUDRAIN MO)


STURGEON (BOONE MO)

FLORISSANT (ST. LOUIS MO)

3 W BOWLING GREEN (PIKE MO)


GODFREY (MADISON IL)

MADISON (MADISON IL)

TROY (MADISON IL)

GODFREY (MADISON IL)


BELLEVILLE (ST. CLAIR IL)

BUNKER HILL (MACOUPIN IL)


JEFFERSON CITY (COLE MO)

BENLD (MACOUPIN IL)


BELLEVILLE (ST. CLAIR IL)

HIGHLAND (MADISON IL)


5 S SUMMERFIELD (ST. CLAIR IL)

TRENTON (CLINTON IL)

LEBANON (ST. CLAIR IL)

CANAAN (GASCONADE MO)


GREENVILLE (BOND IL)


O'FALLON (ST. CHARLES MO)


3 W SHOBONIER (FAYETTE IL)


VANDALIA (FAYETTE IL)

 EVENT

TSTM WND GST

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TSTM WND DMG

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0.75 INCH HAIL

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TSTM WND DMG

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TSTM WND DMG

TSTM WND DMG



1.00 INCH HAIL

TSTM WND DMG


0.75 INCH HAIL

TSTM WND GST

TSTM WND GST

TSTM WND DMG


TSTM WND DMG

1.00 INCH HAIL

TSTM WND DMG


TSTM WND DMG

TSTM WND DMG

TSTM WND DMG

TSTM WND DMG


TSTM WND GST

TSTM WND DMG


TSTM WND DMG

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TSTM WND GST

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 REMARKS

TRAINED SPOTTER

TREES BLOCKING HIGHWAY 47 BETWEEN UNION AND ST. CLAIR

PART OF ROOF BLOWN OFF OF BUDGET MOTEL

4-7 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWNED

NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED ALONG COLEMAN ROAD TO I-44

SMALL LIMBS DOWNED WITH DEBRIS BLOWING AROUND AT CORNER OF BIG BEND & SULPHUR SPRINGS RD

SEVERAL 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE LIMBS DOWNED

18 INCH TREE DOWNED

REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

LARGE TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES DOWNED

8 INCH LIMBS DOWNED

6 INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWNED ACROSS RD

24 INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWNED AS WELL AS POWER LINES DOWNED

SIGNIFICANT LARGE LIMB AND TREE DAMAGE ALONG NEW BALLAS RD

SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWNED ON HWY 30

LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED ON HANNA RD

SEVERAL TREE LIMBS DOWNED

SEVERAL LARGE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWNED OVER THE NORTHERN COLUMBIA, SEVERAL ARE ALSO BLOCKING ROADS

LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED

SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS & TREES DOWN FROM COTTLEVILLE THROUGH ST. PETERS INTO CITY OF ST. CHARLES MO

REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

NUMEROUS LARGE TREES KNOCKED DOWN ACROSS CITY OF ST. LOUIS. TIME ESTIMATED

REPORTED BY EMERGENCY MNGR

REPORTED BY EMERGENCY MNGR

REPORTED BY EMERGENCY MNGR

FEW LARGE TREES & LIMBS DOWN. CORN FIELD FLATTEN

TREES DOWNED

REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

LARGE LIMBS DOWN ALONG HWY 54 WEST OF BOWLING GREEN

TREES DOWNED

POWER LINES DOWNED...ALONG HWY 203

TREES DOWNED

POWER LINES DOWNED AS WELL AS NUMEROUS 2-4 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWNED

4 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWNED

POWER LINES DOWNED...REPORTED BY MACOUPIN COUNTY SHERIFF.

A FEW LARGE TREES DOWN

POWER LINES DOWNED...REPORTED BY MACOUPIN COUNTY SHERIFF.

REPORTED BY AMATEUR RADIO

ONE TWO FOOT DIAMETER TREE DOWN IN YARD. SEVERAL 6 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWNED

REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

ONE LARGE TREE DOWN

POWER LINES AND LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED.

LARGE TREE FELL OVER ON POWER LINES NEAR TOWN OF CANAAN. TIME ESTIMATED.

WHOLE TREES AS WELL AS LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED

LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED...CANOPY ON DECK DESTROYED

TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN NEAR THE TOWN OF PITTSBURG IL

A FEW LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED ON TOP OF VEHICLES

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