NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

A tornado moved ENE, cutting a "devasting swath" from "Elizabethtown" (6 miles SW of Monroe City) passing 4 miles S of Monroe City (near Hassard), then through Ralls and Marion Counties before crossing the Mississippi River into Adams County, Illinois.  Five deaths and 15 injuries occurred at Elizabethtown as the village was destroyed.

A tornado touched down 9 miles S of Shelbina.  Five farm homes and at least that many barns were destroyed.  Some homes were almost leveled to the ground.  Tornado moved into Shelby County and dissipated.

Small tornado damaged farm on County Route JJ, 5 miles north of Madison.  

Brief touchdown.

This is a continuation of the tornado that tracked through Moberly, MO. It continued its NE movement and entered western Monroe County southwest of Duncans Bridge around 605 pm CST. Several farm buildings were damaged in this area, including a barn, grain bin, machine shed, and power lines. The tornado crossed into southern Shelby County about 8 miles south of Clarence at 612 pm CST.  There were no known injuries. 

A supercell that eventually spawned 3 tornadoes created its first in Monroe County along Highway FF near the small community of North Folk (10 miles southwest of Monroe City). Several large trees were either uprooted or snapped off at the base of the trunk. Nearby machine sheds and homes sustained little if any damage. The total damage path of this tornado was one quarter mile in length and 40 yards wide. Tornado damage was rated F0 over this area.

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.

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