NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

This may have been a tri-state tornado or a family of tornadoes extending from Missouri, across Illinois, to Indiana.  The most well documented part of the path was near the Mississippi River.  The tornado crossed the river one mile below the mouth of the Merrimac River.  The massive funnel crossed the rich alluvial plain called the "American Bottom (which ran for 80 miles from Alton to Kaskaskia).  Fish from the river were "scattered all over the prairie" on the Illinois side.  Some pine tree tops were identified as having been carried at least 50 miles from eastern Missouri to American Bottom, for none of that species grew any closer than that distance.  Clothes from one destroyed home were carried 8 miles.  The start of the event was in unsettled territory in Missouri.  The eastern-most documented damaged was in Edwards County, IL, where settlers had moved W from the Wabash River.  In central Illinois, the 3/4 mile wide swath of downed trees was a major obstacle for early pioneers.  A straight line from the above points would place the path directly over Mt. Vernon.   

A house and several barns were destroyed 6 miles W of Washington.

Formed SW of Union and moved NE into St. Charles County.  Several barns and a bridge was destroyed near Union.  A shoe factory was unroofed and 75,000 pairs of shoes were exposed to the rain.  Newspapers reported that "millions of gallons" of water were drawn up as the funnel crossed the Missouri River, making an "awe inspiring waterspout".

Formed 3 miles west of Sullivan and moved N, then NE destroying one home and all outbuildings near Noser Mill.

Moved erratically to the NE, passing near Neier and ending near Union.  About 40 farms were damaged, but all injuries were in the small town of Jeffriesburg (just W of Union) where a dozen homes were torn apart.

Moved NE, passing south of Washington.  Four barns and 21 other farm buildings were destroyed.

Formed SW of Pacific and followed an intermittent track to the NE, passing near St. Albans before moving into St. Louis County near Chesterfield.  One brick house was destroyed and another was unroofed.  A six-foot-timber was driven into a dining room wall. 

Touched down briefly at airport, damaging several planes and a hangar.  One plane was carried 100 feet in the air and deposited 200 yards away.  Funnel was observed by witness.

A tornado destroyed barns and outbuildings on 10 farms beginning 1 mile ESE of the intersection of Highways 19 and E (12 miles S of Hermann, MO) in Gasconade County and ending 2 miles W of New Haven, MO 0.5 miles N of Highway 100.

A small tornado dropped out of a severe thunderstorm in Gerald destroying several buildings.  The debris from one home was found several miles away from the initial touchdown.  One mile away, several large cedar trees were completely uprooted and blown into some nearby houses causing extensive damage.  On Angell Road, south of Gerald, two grain bins were destroyed as well as numerous trees, antennas, sheds, and buildings along the road.  The tornado appeared to touch down briefly several times in its six mile path.  Other damage occurred at the Gerald Lions Park as a number of bleachers, trash barrels, and sheets of roofing tin were blown completely out of the park.  A restroom building made of concrete blocks was blown apart with the blocks being carried several yards away.  The tornado missed a subdivision by 100 yards at the edge of the town.

A narrow tornado touched down 5 miles north-northeast of Beaufort and tracked towards Washington. Damage was intermittent with numerous trees snapped off or knocked down. As many as 30 homes west and southwest of Washington had damage to roofs, siding, gazebos, or fences.

A tornado touched down briefly at the 244 mile marker along Interstate 44 damaging several trees.

A tornado produced a 2-mile-track of minor damage to a few homes and trees southwest of Washington along County Road A. Damage was mainly to roofs and was not continuous.

A small tornado touched down just southwest of New Haven damaging the roof of a house. As the storm moved quickly east-northeast, it peeled the roof of a oil station off and pushed telephone poles along County Road C over. Just before crossing Highway 100, the tornado caused minor damage to the corner of a barn and snapped numerous large trees in half. The tornado lifted shortly after damaging a chicken house north of Highway 100. Witnesses said marble-size hail covered the ground and the storm sounded like a train passing by.

The public reported a small tornado touched down briefly. There was no damage. 

A small tornado caused damage in Catawissa. A couple of homes had roof shingles blown off, siding was damaged, windows were broken on a mobile home, a couple of outbuildings damaged, and trees downed. At least 3 people saw the tornado.

A small tornado caused damage west of St. Clair. Trees and power lines were down and a few outbuildings were damaged.

The county sheriff office reported a brief tornado just west of Sullivan along I-44.  Some highway billboards were blown down and trees uprooted.

G - Grazulis, T. P., 1993: Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991.  A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films, Tornado Project, St. Johsnbury, VT.
SD - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1959-2004: Storm Data. Vols. 1-46, Nos. 1-12, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC.
SPC - Storm Prediction Center Database