NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

A tornado moved E across Hamel Township.  This tornado was part of a major outbreak, of which very little is known.

This event was probably a microburst that moved across Alton.

A small tornado moved erratically across Alton, crossing the path of the June 2, 1860 storm.  About a dozen buildings had roof and wall damage. 

Moved NE, destroying 11 homes, two churches, and a school in the western part of New Douglas.  At one church, where services were in progress, the preacher was killed and many other people injured.  Five people were injured in the Masonic Hall.  The storm "chased and hit a funeral procession", destroying the vehicles and killing two people in a home where they had sought shelter.

A tornado moved ESE, passing through Collinsville.  Ten homes were destroyed, 30 others badly damaged; 75 buildings had lesser damage.  Furniture carried 3 miles.  A girl died as a two-story home was demolished.  Four funnels were reported in the area.

Formed W of Collinsville and moved NE, passing E of Edwardsville to E of Carpenter.  A farm house was destroyed and a woman who was caught outside was killed 4 miles E of Edwardsville. The house was rebuilt, and then destroyed again in 1938.  Another possible tornado in this area unroofed the county courthouse just before midnight.

Formed near Prairietown and moved NE into Macoupin County where the most damage and deaths occurred.

Formed over far northeastern part of the county and quickly moved into Macoupin and Montgomery counties where most of the damage and deaths occurred.  Early in the path, it was said to "resemble a huge whip, surrounded by a crimson veil."

Formed near West Alton, MO and moved NE to near Bethalto.  Twenty rural buildings were damaged or destroyed.  Twenty-five freight cars were derailed.  A man was caught in the open, and carried 50 yards.

Formed 4 miles W of St. Jacob and moved ENE to the north of town.  Barns were destroyed and chickens were defeathered.

Formed over St. Louis and crossed the river, just missing a ferry boat.  Several factories were wrecked at Venice, where it looked like "a gigantic twisting cable".    The total damage over the entire track was $100,000.

Formed near St. Jacob and moved ENE to near Highland.  This tore apart a barn and damaged roofs and a church.  Minimal F2.

A tornado crossed the Mississippi River after touching down in the river.  As a waterspout, it hit a steamer, driving it into the bridge and docks, dumping people overboard.  Although the was much panic, there were no injuries.  Several barns were destroyed, and 15 homes and two factories were unroofed or damaged as the tornado passed through the west part of Alton.

F2

Formed 4 miles S of New Douglas and then moved into Bond County.

Moved NE across Alton.  Many homes unroofed or torn apart.

Tornado formed in St. Louis and caused extensive damage and death before crossing the river into Granite City.  In Illinois, 1 death occurred in a home and 6 others occurred as crucible of molten metal was overturned.  Debris was carried 50 miles.  Probably F4.   Damage and deaths list are for Illinois.  Total deaths for this tornado were 79 and total injuries 550.   A recent study by Brooks and Doswell (2001) indicated when the damage is adjusted for inflation and wealth in 1997 dollars, this is the second costliest tornado in U.S. history ($1.7 billion realistic).

Developed near St. Charles MO and passed through the N side of Alton, before moving into Macoupin County.  Losses at Alton were $150,000 as 40 buildings were torn apart, causing 10 injuries.  

Formed near Glen Carbon and moved NNE, passing 5 miles S of Edwardsville, and ending 3 miles E of that town.  One large brick farm house was destroyed.  That home was also destroyed in 1883.  Other homes were unroofed.  Barns and a tavern were destroyed.

Moved through the east and north parts of Alton, unroofing 12 homes.  Many others were shifted off their foundations.  A total of 750 buildings sustained damage to some degree.

Tornado formed near Alton and moved NE through Fosterburg before moving into Macoupin County.  The tornado killed 5 people and destroyed 45 homes in Fosterburg, about half of the village.  The tornado killed a total of 33 people and injured 449.  Total damage was $3,600,000.

Tornado formed near Florissant, MO and moved ENE, striking Wood River and the north edge of Roxanna.  The worst damage was in Wood River were the 5 deaths occurred.  F2 damage occurred at Livingston and Worden.  This tornado produced a total of $1,500,000 and injured 55 people.

Formed over Spanish Lake, MO and moved NE, striking Hartford and Roxana.  Three homes were destroyed and 11 homes were damaged at Roxana.    Total damage from the tornado was $300,000.

Formed near Fosterburg and moved ENE, striking 2 miles W of Dorsey and 2 miles N of Prairietown before turning NE into Macoupin County.  

Formed near Highland and moved ENE into Bond county where maximum intensity was reached.  This tornado killed a total of 2 people, injured 25, and caused $550,000 of damage.

Nine buildings were damaged or destroyed on the south side of Wood River.

A barn was destroyed just NW of Godfrey

Tornado caused extensive (F4) damage and 10 deaths in St. Louis before crossing the Mississippi River near the McKinley Bridge  Some factory damage was reported in the Venice-Granite City area.

A tornado caused heavy damage to a farmstead near Fosterburg with lighter damage N of Alton and in Fosterburg.  Collapse of a dairy barn killed 18 cows.

One or more tornadoes moved toward the ENE.  Wrecked 8 house trailers and loosened roofs of other buildings at Troy.  Two minor injuries in the only occupied trailer.

Ripped shingles from a garage, uprooted trees, and felled powerlines at Wood River.

Small tornado unroofed a barn, uprooted trees, and damaged buildings at Poag.

Tornado formed near Bethalto and moved SE, destroying 3 hangars.  Forty eight aircraft were destroyed or damaged estimated at near $1,000,000 in damage.  Seven house trailers were overturned totaling $35,000 in damage.  At Bunker Hill, 8 persons were injured after being hit by flying debris.  A mother and 4 children were injured at Godfrey when their house was hurled off its foundation. 

Damage to a silo and some small buildings.

Six houses damaged near Mitchell.

Houses in Mitchell received minor structural damage.  A truck camper near one house was blown 100 yards to the N, reportedly after being lifted 300 feet in the air.  Chain was broken which tied a dog to a porch post and dog's body was bound 1 mile to NNE.  Wheat in field to N twisted in circular pattern.  Witnesses reported seeing two funnels, one small one stayed aloft.  At about the same time a pickup truck-camper on I-270 was blown over with only minor injuries to 7 occupants.  A larger truck just ahead was blown into the ditch.

Tornado ripped off the roof in Granite City.

Tornado produced mild damage to a shopping center and destroyed a mobile home in Pontoon Beach. 

Tornado reported between Worden and Alhambra and caused no damage.

A tornado struck a farm at Grantfork destroying a barn and a machine shed and threw the debris into a nearby field. 

A small funnel cloud developed just SW of the 200 block of Illinois Avenue of South Roxana and moved NE.  The funnel apparently dropped down 3 times, with the heaviest losses occurring at a trailer court and a lounge.  At the trailer court, a mobile home was overturned and destroyed and 3 other mobile homes were moved off their blocks and damaged.  The roof of the Sports Beat Lounge was blown off and the roof of the Shell Oil canning plant was damaged.  Also affected by the vicious winds were a pickup and camper shell damaged, 2 large trees uprooted, and several limbs knocked off other trees.  Of the damaged mobile homes, all but 2 were tied down by either over-the-top metal straps, anchors to the frame, or both.  The mobile home that was destroyed had both anchors and straps on the front and rear.

A tornado traveled 15 miles in a NNE path that was intermittent.  The tornado struck the eastern portion of Granite City at about 10:55 pm destroying 7 homes and damaging 24 others.  A few mobile homes were destroyed in Granite City and about 20 more in Pontoon Beach.  At one location, a pair of hand hedge trimmers were lifted from a yard and driven into the top of a telephone pole.  A closed garage nearby buckled out and and was destroyed and a top of a tree was sheared off.  A car overturned and another was completely turned around while being driven.  The tornado then lifted and touched down 1 mile east of the intersection of I-270 and I-57 where 2 tractor trailers were overturned.  It lifted again and traveled into Edwardsville.  Many homes and business buildings were damaged or destroyed.  A transformer was blown about 1/2 block and there were a number of cases where boards and limbs were driven through walls and windshields.  Pieces of linoleum were driven underneath the molding that was over a vinyl roof of a car.  The tornado finally lifted for the last time on the north edge of town.

A tornado was sighted by the Sheriff 8 miles N of Alton.  A HAM radio operator observed a tornado at Godfrey, 2 miles N of Alton.  Two funnels were also reported east of Fosterburg.  Damage to 2 homes was reported, power lines were downed.

A tornado, crossing the Mississippi River from MO, traveled 15 miles through Granite City to Edwardsville and lifted at Route 157, north of I-270.  Six mobile homes were destroyed at the Edwardsville Estates Mobile Home Park and 10 others were damaged.  Roof, building, and tree damage was also reported.  Two shopping centers and a 2 block area was badly damaged in Granite City and a few trees uprooted.  

A tornado caused minor damage to homes in Collinsville.

A strong tornado first touched down about 3 miles N of Fairview Heights near Bethel Mine Road and then proceeded NE and moved just E of Collinsville, crossing at the intersection of Kirsch and Liberty Roads and then moved to the SE side of Troy.  Nineteen structures were destroyed in Collinsville and Troy.  The tornado knocked down 3 steel transmission power line towers just to the SW of Troy.  The last report of damage was at 213 East U.S. Route 40 where part of a roof was ripped off a house.  The most severe damage occurred near touch down in St. Clair County.

A tornado touched down near New Douglas then skipped NE for about 6 miles.  Many homes were damaged and outbuildings were destroyed along a path that paralleled the Union Pacific Railway into rural Bond County.  A large machine shed, 60 x 126 ft was destroyed.  

The same thunderstorm that produced a tornado in St. Louis County produced another in Madison County from Granite City to Edwardsville. The tornado first caused damage on the northwest side of Granite City at the Nameoki Trailer Park where 5 mobile homes were damaged by downed trees. The tornado moved northeast to Pontoon Beach where about 6 homes suffered roof damage. The tornado weakened, but gained strength again and caused damage on the south side of Edwardsville, primarily at the intersection of Center Grove, Goshen, and Troy roads. Several businesses suffered roof damage in this area; among them a floor covering store, an autobody shop, and the Moose Lodge. A nearby daycare also suffered minor roof damage.

The Illinois State Police reported a short lived tornado east of Livingston in open farmland. Trees were uprooted in the area but there was no other damage. A storm chaser photographed the tornado which quickly became rain-wrapped and dissipated. However the storm produced a damaging tornado a few minutes later that moved into Bond County, IL.

A damaging tornado occurred in Madison and Bond counties in southwest Illinois, starting about 615 pm in Madison County just east of New Douglas and moving east into Bond County. This tornado has an almost continuous damage path of nearly 6 miles and a maximum width of 150 yards. Four mobile homes in far northwest Bond County near the Gilmore community were destroyed with 4 people suffering minor injuries. Two farm houses sustained roof damage and 4 farm implement buildings were also destroyed. Numerous trees were also downed along the path.

Law enforcement and several spotters reported a small tornado just northwest of Troy near the intersection of I-270 and I-55/70. The tornado was brief, formed in an open field and did no damage.

A small non-supercell tornado associated with a line of thunderstorms caused 1 injury and damage to 3 farms New Douglas area. Most of the damage was to barns and outbuildings. One home had the roof and a couple of walls of an addition blown away. The garage was also severely damaged. One man suffered cuts and bruises when hit by flying debris.

The 6th and last tornado spawned by the Heavy Precipitation Supercell that moved across the NWS St. Louis, County Warning Area, formed on the east side of Granite City and moved east into south Pontoon Beach. The tornado first damaged an apartment complex near Worthen Park. Two buildings were destroyed with 4 others suffering major to minor damage. Several cars in the parking lot were damaged by flying debris. One person was injured by flying glass. The tornado caused intermittent damage as it moved east across the Legacy Golf Course. Trees were downed and 3 homes suffered roof damage. In southern Pontoon Beach, one house was destroyed as the attached garage was blown away and the entire roof blown off. About 20 other homes/b businesses were damaged before the tornado dissipated.

A small tornado formed near Highland High School causing minor damage, but a lot of shook up people. The tornado passed over the school gymnasium ripping 6 air conditioner units off their bases. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the gym and to the ceiling of the second story classrooms. The tornado then crossed Route 160 causing some minor damage to farm outbuildings.

A tornado initially formed near the intersection of Highway 4 and Fruit Road where several trees were damaged. The tornado moved northeast and caused minor roof damage to a couple of homes and more extensive damage to several farm buildings for about 2 miles. Sheet metal from one roof flew at least one-quarter mile.

Local law enforcement reported a brief tornado in an open field east of Edwardsville.

A small tornado caused a 1 1/4 mile damage path in northeast Alton. Trees were downed at a golf course and a shoe store suffered roof damage.

BD - Brooks, H. E, and C. A. Doswell:  2001:  Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890-1999.  Wea. Forecasting, 16, 168-176.
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