NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

A tornado moved NE at Marissa, destroying barns and a flour mill.  Apple trees were carried almost 2 miles.  Tornado moved into Washington County, IL and dissipated.

Developed over St. Louis City and moved ENE at an estimated 70 mph from the west bank of the Mississippi River to East St. Louis and the Brooklyn-Venice area.  There was considerable dock and waterfront damage.  Ferries and steamers were torn apart on the river and fragments carried 30 miles.  Most of the $200,000 damage was at the six railroad deports that were destroyed.  In addition, about 30 homes were destroyed and another 30 were severely damaged.  Eight of the deaths were at East St. Louis railroad facilities.  One death occurred on a bridge.  Several of though railroad facilities would be destroyed again on May 27, 1896.  There were a total of 60 injuries along the path.  

Moved E from 3 miles W of O'Fallon, destroying homes at Alma.  In the western part of O'Fallon, 3 homes, a school, a saw mill, and a lumber yard were destroyed.  Seven other homes were unroofed.  One person may have died.

Tornado formed near Falling Springs and moved NE, passing near Cahokia to 7 miles NW of Belleville, near Harmony Station.  One person was killed in 1 of 3 homes that were destroyed near Centreville.  Two people were injured near Cahokia. 

First formed in St. Louis City and moved E.  On the east end of the Eads Bridge (built as tornado proof after an 1871 tornado) a 2 by 10 inch white pine planks was driven through the 5/16" thick wrought iron plate.  No significant damage was done to the steel span of the bridge.  Damage occurred in East St. Louis, with a damage total of about $2,000,000, but the great intensity resulted in 118 deaths.  As many a 35 people died in the Vandalia railroad freight yards at East St. Louis.  The loss of life to people living on shanty boats, whose bodies were washed down river.  Tornado was apparently at maximum intensity  when it crossed the river into East St. Louis.  This tornado killed a total of 255 people and injured 1,000.  A recent study by Brooks and Doswell (2001) indicated when the damage is adjusted for inflation and wealth in 1997 dollars, this is the costliest tornado in U.S. history ($2.9 billion realistic, $2.2 billion conservative).  

Striking first near the Imbs railroad station, the tornado moved to the E, leveling many homes and causing 10 deaths near Birkner station and two at nearby Harmony station.  Lifting over Belleville, the tornado touched down or re-formed 3 miles N of Mascoutah and continued ENE into Clinton County.   Farms were leveled, homes destroyed, and additional 14 fatalities in Clinton County.  

Formed 5 miles SSW of Belleville to the west edge of O'Fallon.  Sixty homes were destroyed along the 18-block section of Belleville, where 8 people were killed and 53 injured.  Curving to the NE, the tornado destroyed other homes, killing 2 people a the edge of O'Fallon.

Formed 4 miles SE of Red Bud and moved NE, passing 2 mile W of Marissa and ending at Okawville.  Near F4 damage occurred near Marissa as two homes were mostly leveled.  Another home was destroyed at the west  of Darmstadt. 

Formed over St. Louis county and moved E, crossing the Mississippi River.  It then passed through Dupo, and "Imbs Station".  Thirty homes were damaged or destroyed in Dupo.  The deaths were in brick homes that were leveled at Imbs.

Formed just W of Summerfield, ripping apart most of the SW half of town.  Thirty-five of its 106 homes were destroyed in a block-wide swath across the S end of town.  The deaths occurred in three homes in the SW part of town.

Formed 3 miles NW of Freeburg and moved NE striking two farms.

This tornado was part of a family of small tornadoes that skipped from near New Athens to west of Vandalia.  This first tornado in the family moved ENE from near New Athens, and leveled summer cottages along the Kaskaskia River near Fayetteville.  The death was in a cottage.

Tornado apparently moved NNE with intermittent path from S of Red Bud through New Athens to near Mascoutah.  Heaviest damage was in New Athens and mainly to factories.  

Two funnels sighted.  Extensive damage to cabins and boats in the Marissa recreational area (0.4 miles E of town).  

Minor damage reported at St. Libory.

Tornado struck Belleville and O'Fallon.  Most of the damage was to farms and to a subdivision of the edge of Belleville.

Major tornado damage at Freeburg.  Dead and most of the injured were in a completely destroyed trailer court.  Homes and other buildings badly damaged.

Tornado touched down and moved NE into Clinton county where most of the damage was done.

Tornado touched down 0.5 mile west of U.S. Highway 50 and Route 4, near Lebanon.  It tore the roof of a junior high school and turned NE, damaging or destroying 20 homes.  

A roof was ripped off, and the debris damaged 4 other homes in Shiloh.  Power lines were blown down.

A small tornado was reported by the weather observer 3 miles W of Scott AFB.

A tornado briefly touched down about 4 miles N of Millstadt near the intersection of Imbs Station Road and Illinois Route 163.  The tornado destroyed a large home and blew down trees and power lines in its path.  The tornado traveled for less than 0.5 mile to the NE before lifting.

A strong tornado first touched down about 3 miles N of Fairview Heights near Bethel Mine Road and then proceeded NE into Madison county, moving just E of Collinsville.  In St. Clair county, several houses and business were seriously damaged.  Three houses were severely damaged on Bethel Road shortly after the tornado first touched down.

A tornado tore roofs off buildings and broke windows at the Belleville Park Plaza Shopping Center.

A brief tornado touch down was reported by emergency officials.

A tornado touched down several times while skipping across a farm fields and kicking up a lot of dust.  No damage was reported.

The New Athens Police Department reported a tornado initially between Route 13 and Five Forks Road near New Athens.  Two outbuildings and a farm were damaged shortly after the tornado formed.  The tornado tracked SE along Highway 13 damaging two more farm buildings near Marissa.  Many trees and power lines were destroyed before the tornado lifted near Route 4.

A tornado touched down briefly damaging one outbuilding and knocking down several large trees.

A small tornado touched down just southwest of Freeburg. Damage was limited to downed trees and power lines. The damage path missed an elementary school by only 50 yards.

The Marissa Fire Chief reported a small tornado near the fire station. Damage consisted of a few downed trees, the bleachers at a baseball field were destroyed, and a trash dumpster was blown into the side of a building breaking some bricks.

A small tornado initially touched down southeast of Waterloo and then moved NE leaving an intermittent damage path, which primarily consisted of downed trees. A parked ambulance was overturned at the intersection of Highways 159 and 156 near Hecker. The tornado moved along the Kaskaskia River downing trees finally dissipating near Fayettville.

At approximately 240 pm CDT, a tornado formed west northwest of Millstadt near the intersection of Bluffside and Metter Roads. Several large trees were downed and a cattle barn extensively damaged. The tornado moved ENE causing mainly tree and power line damage and then turned more east entering the Triple Lakes Golf Club. One home, 2 large utility buildings and the clubhouse suffered varying degrees of damage. The tornado became multiple vortex in nature at this point producing 2 distinct damage paths. Numerous large trees were uprooted or downed while the tornado continued through the golf course. The tornado continued on an east path downing trees and power lines, crossing Route 163 to about 2.25 miles northeast of Millstadt and dissipating. There were 2 minor injuries that occurred while the tornado went through the golf course. A man suffered a back injury when the golf cart he was riding in overturned. Another man suffered minor injuries from flying debris.

Around 1035 pm CDT, a tornado formed just southwest of Shiloh and started to cause damage. The worst damage occurred along Rio Verde Drive where 23 homes sustained some degree of damage. Two large buildings at the Yorktown Golf Club were also damaged. The tornado continued northeast crossing the intersections of Wendy Way and Goalby and Wendy Way and Anderson Lane. A number of homes sustained roof damage in this area with a number of trees uprooted or snapped off. The tornado caused minor roof damage to Whiteside Elementary School. A total of 34 homes along the path sustained some type of damage.

A tornado first caused damage just west of Highway 3 north of Dupo. The roof of one home was partially removed while several large trees were snapped at the base or uprooted. The roof of a nearby garage was also lifted off and tossed 80 yards across Highway 3. The next significant damage occurred along McBride Ave. Four homes suffered roof damage and four mobile homes were damaged with two of them considered destroyed. The tornado crossed Interstate 255 and blew over a tractor trailer truck. The final damage area was just east of I-255 along Stolle Road where several large trees were uprooted or snapped off at the base.

A tornado first caused damage along the west side of the town of Caseyville, Illinois along Forest Blvd, just east if Interstate 255. Over twelve witnesses observed the tornado along the leading edge of the bowing squall line as they saw debris tossed several hundred feet into the air. The tornado traveled east southeast along Forest Blvd and West Lincoln Avenue. Three house trailers were severely damaged by the tornado between 85th and Black Lane. Two injuries occurred in two of the three house trailers. Numerous large trees were severed or downed by the tornado. The roof of a large machine shed on Black Lane was uplifted and displaced several hundred yards to the east. The tornado then ripped through an auto salvage area where several vehicles were over-turned, damaged or destroyed. The width of this damage area was 50 to 100 yards wide while damage intensity was rated F1. The tornado continued to travel just a bit south of due east causing damage to two homes and a camper and completely destroying another mobile home. Some of the remains of the mobile home was observed 3/4 mile to the east just west of Highway 157. Pieces of metal were wrapped around snapped power poles while one 2 x 4 board was driven into the front windshield of a pickup truck. The width of this damage area varied from 50 to 75 yards while the damage intensity was rated low-end F2. The tornado continued east and showed a convergence pattern in a nearby wheat field south of West Lincoln Ave. The tornado then caused minor damage to six new homes 100 to 300 yards south of West Lincoln Ave and 1/4 to 1/2 mile west of Highway 159. Roofs from five homes were partially uplifted and tossed 200 to 400 yards downwind to the east. One home under construction was completely destroyed. The width of the damage area varied from 75 to 150 yards. The damage intensity was rated the lower end of F1. The tornado continued east up a ridge just east of Highway 157. Several large trees were snapped or uprooted just east of 157. Additional tree damage was found along Hill Road east of Highway 157. One home on Hill Road sustained minor roof damage. The tornado crossed East O'Fallon Drive and severed or uprooted several large trees. One home sustained minor roof damage while a machine shed and garage was severely damaged. The tornado damage track ended just west of Highway 159. Width of the damage area again varied from 75 to 100 yards while the damage intensity was rated at the lower end of F1.

An aerial survey conducted by members of the BAMEX (Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment) revealed a small tornado track that crossed into St. Clair County west of Paderborn. The damage occurred in a rural area and was limited to downed trees.

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