NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Tornado touched down in Monroe County and moved through Ralls and Marion Counties before moving into Adams County, IL.  Five deaths occurred in Miller Township, Marion County.  Tornado crossed the Mississippi River at "McDonald's Island", about 5 miles N of Hannibal.  A total of 14 people were killed and 40 people injured.

Skipped NE from 8 miles S of Shelbyville to W of Warren and dissipated near Philadelphia.  Homes and barns were torn apart or completely destroyed on 4 farms.

A family of small tornadoes accompanied intense and destructive downbursts.  Funnel clouds and brief touchdowns were noted on a NNE track from Palmyra to Loraine, Illinois in Adams County.  The damage at Palmyra totaled $500,000, mostly from downburst activity.

Formed 4 miles SW of Hannibal in Pike County, MO and moved NE through Hannibal into Pike County, IL.  Damage totaled $200,000 in a 20-block area of Hannibal with a few homes completely unroofed.  Twelve people were injured along the tornado's path.

The first evidence of the tornado was 6 miles N of Monroe City where it snapped a huge tree 3 feet from the ground.  A garage was blown completely away, leaving the contents on the ground.  Other farm buildings were damaged and debris scattered everywhere.  The tornado seemed to follow the North River W of Palmyra, and every 100 feet or so, it would sweep the water up about 50 feet in the air.  Several other residences and one business in the path were hit, with buildings, barns, houses, and trees damaged.  Many of the buildings, including a barn, were a total loss.   As the tornado continued NE, two camping trailers located 100 feet from the Mississippi River were blown into the river.  The last trace of damage was in Adams County, IL.  The sheriff at Palmyra reported that "it looked like two tornadoes floating along together" with, at one time, seven other funnel clouds in the area.

A tornado touched down in extreme NW Ralls County near Hassard and moved NE, dissipating 1/2 mile SE near Ely.  Two homes sustained damage to their roofs and another had siding damage.  Barns near the homes were also heavily damaged.  Trees and power lines were knocked down near the path of the storm.  The county sheriff reported no injuries.  

A small tornado touched down briefly just SW of Hannibal in a field.  Only crop damage was sustained.

A tornado touched down briefly just SW of Palmyra.  The Hannibal EOC said the tornado crossed Highway 36 but no damage was reported.

The Monroe County supercell spawned its second tornado near the southwest city limits of Monroe City at approximately 6:30 pm CDT. The tornado moved northeast across the northern part of town. Twenty-five homes sustained varying degrees of roof damage due to downed trees and large tree limbs broken by the tornado. The width of the damage area was 50 yards and damage intensity was rated F0 over this area.   The tornado moved northeast across the corner of Marion County at the Monroe/Marion/Ralls County border. The tornado downed a few trees and power lines in this part of Marion County before crossing the extreme northwest corner of Ralls County at the Monroe/Marion/Ralls County border. The tornado moved across open farmland and did little damage other than to some trees before crossing  back into Marion County southwest of Ely. Approximately one mile north of Ely, three farmsteads sustained varying degrees of damage including damaged or destroyed machine sheds, grain bins, and barns. The garage attached to a home one mile north of Ely was completely destroyed while the farm house sustained roof and side damage and was moved off its foundation. A relatively new home 200 yards to the east experienced severe damage with the roof of the home tossed over 1/3 mile to the northeast. Much of the south, and parts of the east and west walls of the home were destroyed. A nearby barn located 30 yards to the northwest was completely destroyed with debris tossed 1/4 mile to the north-northeast. Several two-by-four wood planks were driven into the ground at 45 to 60 degree angles and were located from 50 to 150 yards downwind from the home. The damage intensity over these areas were rated high-end F2 and low-end F3. The width of the damage area was over 200 yards. The tornado continued on a northeast path and damaged several machine sheds and homes on two additional farmsteads northwest of the town of West Ely (or 7-8 miles south-southwest of Palmyra Missouri). Numerous trees were damaged or destroyed in the path of the tornado. The width of the damage varied from 50 to 100 yards while the damage area was rated F1. The tornado traveled across U.S. Highway 61/24 and dissipated about four miles south southeast of Palmyra. One semi-tractor trailer was overturned on Highway 61/24. The damage path of the tornado at this point was less than 50 yards and rated F0 intensity.

A weak tornado caused tree damage just south of Highway 61 northwest of Hannibal.

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