NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Near Carlinville, a child was injured and roof of a home was carried a half-mile.

A "balloon-shaped tornado with the appearance of a large spinning top" moved NE from 3 miles S of Bunker Hill.  A grandfather was lifted 30 feet into the air and carried 500 feet to his death.  A child was blown out of its mother's arms and killed.  The father and siblings were seriously injured.  "Houses were scattered to the winds."

Tornado formed NW of Jerseyville and moved along the Greene/Jersey County border before entering Macoupin County 9 miles N of Medora.  The huge funnel leveled a farm house as it entered Macoupin County.  About 25 homes and many barns were destroyed by the tornado along its tracks.  In addition 1 person was killed, and 10 injured.

Developed 2 miles SW of Carlinville and moved NE, passing N of town and ending 2 miles N of Atwater.  About 50 buildings were destroyed on over two dozen farms, and many were swept completely away.  Trees were debarked.  A train stopped to let the tornado cross the track, about a mile ahead.

Developed near Prairietown in Madison County and moved NE, passing across Mt. Olive and Staunton Townships.  Four homes were destroyed and score of other farm buildings were destroyed.  The deaths were all in an area 5 miles W of Staunton, where railroad laborers and their families were living in tents.

Formed 2 miles W of Shipman and passed 2 miles S of Plainview.  The tornado lifted at the E edge of the county, after passing 7 miles N of Gillespie.  An elderly woman and 3 of her grandchildren were killed in one large home that was leveled.

Tornado developed over Madison County and moved NE, and passed SE of Staunton before moving into Montgomery County.  Two men were killed in homes near Staunton.  Early in the path, it was said to "resemble a huge whip, surrounded by a  "crimson veil".  Ten people were injured along the path.

This major tornadic event is often cited as having the longest path length of any tornado (293 miles in Illinois and Indiana for 7 hours and 20 minutes).  There is overwhelming evidence that this long track was made up of at least 4 and probably 8 or more individual tornadoes.  The first tornado touched down in Pike County, IL and moved due E where it weakened or lifted between White Hall (Greene County) and Modesto.  At Modesto, 3 lives were lost were lost and 30 homes were destroyed.  The damage was intermittent to the E of Modesto.  This tornado killed a total of 101 people and injured 638.  The maximum intensity was in Mattoon.

Moved NE, hitting 2 miles NW of Scottsville.  A farm house was "torn into sections" and a barn destroyed.  Buildings were damaged on neighboring farms.

Formed over Lincoln County, MO and moved NE through Calhoun and Greene Counties before moving into northwestern Macoupin County. The tornado then moved into Morgan County.  The tornado killed a total of 11 and injured 63.

Moved NE, passing 2 miles NW of Carlinville.  A man was injured when a tree branch was thrown into his living room.  Small barns were destroyed.  A large barn was shifted, twisted, and torn apart.  Minimal F2.

Followed an intermittent path NE from near Medora, Chesterfield, and Hagaman.  Barns were destroyed on 4 farms.

Developed over St. Charles County, MO and passed through Madison County, IL before moving through Macoupin County near Bunker Hill and 2 miles S of Gillespie.  About 60 homes were damaged at Bunker Hill with 2 injuries.  The tornado then moved into Montgomery County.  A total of 13 injuries were caused along the track.

Touched down briefly and unroofed 1 home 6 miles W of Gillespie.

Moved NE, passing 4 miles SE of Bunker Hill.  One home was unroofed, with only 3 walls left standing.  A mother and 9 children were uninjured as they huddled in the corner of that home.  She was unable to open the kitchen door to get to the storm cellar.

Developed near Alton and caused death and damage at Fosterburg before moving NE in Macoupin County.  Nineteen people were killed in Bunker Hill where 2000 buildings (80% of the town) were destroyed including 250 homes.  Another 150 homes were destroyed and 5 people killed in Gillespie.  A total of 33 people were killed, 449 injured, and $3,600,000 in property damage.

Formed near Kemper in Jersey County and moved NE, passing 2 miles W of Chesterfield.  The tornado destroyed barns and other buildings at five farms and caused $35,000 along it's path.

Developed over Madison County and moved ENE into Macoupin County dissipating 2 miles N of Mt. Olive.  A car was carried 200 yards.  One person was killed and 3 more were injured in the car that was carried 200 yards near Mt. Olive.

Tornado formed near Girard and then moved SE into Montgomery County causing more damage at Raymond and Irving.  

Tornado moved along the Madison/Macoupin County Line.  

Tornado moving toward the NE wrecked an automobile service station and damaged two churches in Plainview.  The same storm system caused wind damage at Medora and N of Elsah where a large barn was destroyed by what may have been a tornado.

Tornado formed over Greene County and followed an intermittent track through the northwestern part of the County before moving into Morgan and Sangamon Counties.

Tornado followed an intermittent damage path from Jersey County to Macoupin County and beyond.  Damage to farmsteads reported in Medora.

Eastward moving tornado caused some damage to hog houses and trees.

Formed just S of Virden and moved NE across the SE part of that town.  Damage was mostly to roofs or from falling trees or limbs with 100 houses damaged, some extensively.  Several house trailers were badly damaged.  Two grain bins apparently lifted over adjacent building and deposited 200 yards to 0.25 mile away.  One house left upside down on its roof and was reported to have been lifted, not rolled. 

A tornado swept through parts of Macoupin and Montgomery Counties in the afternoon, causing damage estimated at about $245,000 to about 35 farms.  Witnesses reported the sound of a freight train and observed the tornado rising and falling 4 times in 3 minutes at on point.  The tornado was photographed at least twice.  It was first seen in the vicinity of Shipman in southwestern Macoupin County.  It traveled to the NE, passing just N of the center of Carlinville, and was last observed NE of Farmersville in northern Montgomery County.  One injury was reported on a farm NW of Carlinville.  A man was cut on the hands as he sought shelter from the storm in an automobile parked in his garage.  The high winds broke the car's windows.

A brief touch down of a tornado destroyed a mobile home with minor damage to power lines and other structures.

A brief tornado touch down was reported 3 miles SE of Plainview.

A tornado briefly touched down in a cornfield 1 mile N of Atwater, causing extensive damage to the crop.  No crop damage estimate was available.

A tornado touched down N of Carlinville and caused damage to 6 farms in an 8 mile path. A couple a barns were destroyed, as were several machine sheds and other outbuildings. A garage was also destroyed at one home. Trees and power lines were also downed. Damage was estimated at $250,000.

A small tornado caused damage to a couple of farms. Three barns and a grain bin were destroyed and a truck was overturned.

A short-lived tornado blew 4 railcars off the tracks at a coal facility. About half a dozen trees were also downed in the area.

A small tornado (low end of F1) struck briefly near Shipman. Two farm buildings were destroyed and some trees and power lines were downed. The tornado was witnessed by several people driving to work that morning.

Storm spotters reported a brief tornado in a farm field near Medora.

Storm spotters reported a brief tornado in an open field near Piasa.

A small tornado formed just west of Palmyra and was witnessed by several people. The tornado took down some trees and power lines.

A local farmer reported that a brief tornado occurred in a field between Staunton and Bunker Hill.

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