NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Developed near "Silver Mine"  which is 10 miles WSW of Fredericktown and moved NE into St. Francois County 1 mile S of Knob Lick.

Developed 8 miles S of Fredericktown and moved NE to 4 miles E of town.  Three people were killed in one of several farm homes that were destroyed.

The start of the Great Tri State Tornado that killed 695 people, injured 2027, and $16,500,000 in property damage developed over Reynolds County and quickly moved through Iron County before entering Madison County.  There were no injuries across all of Madison County.  The damage track was very wide which may indicate downburst activity and a break in the tornado's path 2 miles S of Fredericktown.  It then quickly moved NE out of Madison County before moving through parts of southern Illinois and southwest Indiana.  While F2 was probably the maximum damage caused in Iron County, this tornado did caused F5 damage later in its path.  It is widely accepted that this was likely a series of tornadoes instead of one long tracked tornado.

Damage reported to farm buildings from a brief touchdown 3 miles NW of Fredericktown.

Observer reported a "roaring train" sound as storm approached.  House was twisted off its foundation and carried 15 feet away.

A tornado caused touched down 4.2 miles E and 3.3 miles N of the SW corner of Madison County.  It moved NE to cross the NW edge of Saco up Highway C to enter the Clark National Forest 3.5 miles W of Highway 67 and across heavily timbered lands to cross Highway 67 and dissipate 1.5 miles S of the intersection of Highway 67 and State Route C.  Two homes were destroyed in Saco and damage occurred to scattered homes and barns along the path, but the majority of the destruction was confined to heavily timbered areas.  An aerial survey indicates a total of 900 acres of National Forest timber destroyed along the path with about an equal amount on private lands.

Tornado followed an intermittent path, first touching down at a saw mill in the Jewett area on Highway C in SW Madison County.  Spotty damage to timber occurred as it moved NE before damaging a home, barn, and other buildings in Zion on U.S. 67, 11 miles N of Fredericktown.  In Zion the tornado could be heard as it approached sounding to one observer "like grease popping in a frying pan only 100 times louder", and "like a freight train" to another.  This damage in Madison County may be related to prior damage in Reynolds County.

Tornado originated over Iron County near Annapolis and followed an intermittent path to the NE, touching down in a grove of trees 1.5 miles SW of Milcreek and then moved across U.S. Highway 67 where it caused considerable damage to a trailer sales lot.  It is not known if this storm touched down anywhere in the Clark National Forest.  

Tornado touched down 15 miles SW of Fredericktown and moved to near Fredericktown.

Tornado reported near Maquand.  Five homes were destroyed and 100 were damaged.

A tornado touched down in extreme NE Iron County 2 miles E of Minimum just S of Highway C.  The storm then moved NE into Madison County, dissipating to the NE of Silver Mines.  Some damage  was reported to trees and outbuildings along the path.  The damage path was about 90 percent continuous. 

Tornado touched down briefly near Fredericktown producing structural damage and some tree damage.

A tornado touched down briefly at the end of a runway at the Fredericktown Municipal Airport. No damage.

A tornado formed just southeast of Saco near Highway HH and tracked NE to just SW of Marquand. Rows of trees were downed along the path. A barn and some outbuildings were damaged at the end of the track near the intersection of County Road 310 and Highway M.

A tornado hit Madison County, first causing damage about 9 miles south of Fredericktown along Highway 67. A mobile home was destroyed and a frame house lost its roof. The tornado moved east through a heavily wooded area uprooting and damaging trees. The tornado reached Marquand, a small town of about 400 people, about 4 pm and caused considerable damage. Large trees were uprooted or snapped off and nearly every structure in a 3 to 4 block area was damaged. The Fire Station was completely destroyed as was a restaurant that was next to it. Several other frame buildings lost all or parts of their roofs. A State Emergency Management Agency damage assessment reported that 6 homes were destroyed, 12 homes suffered major damage, and 22 homes had minor damage. There were 3 minor injuries reported.

The same supercell that spawned the Iron County tornadoes spawned two more tornadoes over Madison county.  The first tornado caused damage in an area northwest of Fredericktown know as Catherine Place.  Witnesses observed the tornado form in an open field and then move east crossing Highway H and causing damage at the County Star Mobile Home Park.  The majority of the damage was from downed trees or large tree limbs.  One home just south of the mobile homes suffered major damage from a large downed tree.  Another home just east of the mobile home park suffered minor roof damage and had four windows blown in.  The tornado crossed U.S. Highway 67 near County Road 220 and caused damage in the White Tail Cross neighborhood.  Trees were downed and snapped off at this location.

A second tornado in Madison County first caused damage near County Road 217 when it blew off part of the roof of a barn, caused minor roof damage to a home, and downed and snapped off trees.  The tornado moved east and destroyed a detached garage at a home on County Road 219 just north of County Road 221.  The owner of the home was outside and saw the tornado coming.  He moved inside just before the tornado arrived and was not injured.  The tornado moved east through fields causing intermittent tree damage.  The next significant damage occurred near the end of the tornado's track just north of Higdon along County Road 257.  A home had almost all of the roof shingles blown off and a couple of windows blown in.  The owner commented that he ended up with about 2 inches of leaves inside his house.  A trampoline in the backyard was picked up, blown to the north and wrapped abound a tree.  A 14 foot fishing boat that was on a pond behind the house was picked up and ended up and ended up 100 yards away suspended in some

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