...Severe Storms Move Through the Ozarks

...Severe Storms Move Through the Ozarks - May 8, 2009...

Severe thunderstorms in the form of a derecho (A widespread, long-lived thunderstorm induced wind storm) caused widespread wind damage across the Missouri Ozarks and southeast Kansas Friday Morning, May 8th. This derecho produced widespread winds of 60-90 mph across a large portion of southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, and continued to produce these winds well to the east into Illinois and Kentucky. In addition to the powerful winds, numerous tornadoes were also spawned within the line of thunderstorms, several of which were strong tornadoes in the EF-2 and EF-3 range with winds of up to 165 mph. Finally, very heavy rainfall with these storms resulted in significant flash flooding across much of the region.

Not only were significant winds observed along the leading edge of this powerful line of thunderstorms, but behind it as well. The nature of the thunderstorms allowed the complex to create its own extremely strong area of low pressure. The pressure was so low behind the thunderstorms that air had to rush in from behind to equalize the pressure difference. This persistent rush of air, primarily from the northwest, was so strong that winds were estimated to reach as high as 90 mph, and winds of 60 mph or greater lasted as long as 20 to 30 minutes. The strong winds both at the leading edge of the line and well behind it caused significant damage, uprooting, snapping, or damaging thousands of trees, destroying or damaging barns and other outbuildings, moving mobile homes from their foundations, and even causing some structural damage to well built homes.

National Weather Service survey teams will continue to assess the storm damage early this week.

Storm Report Summary

18 Tornadoes | 73 Wind Reports | 6 Hail Reports

For a list of storm reports, click here or visit the Storm Prediction Center web site.

Tornado Track Plot

National Weather Service storm survey crews surveyed the following tornado tracks on through 7 PM on Saturday. Additional tracks will be added to the map once surveys are complete.

Click on any of the tornado track images for an enlarged view

Storm Report Plot

Detailed Tornado Track Maps and Reports

Additional maps will be added as damage surveys are completed.


... EF-2 TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR CHARITY ... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN TWO MILES WEST OF CHARITY AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST OVER AN INTERMITTENT PATH. THE DAMAGE PATH WIDTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 400 YARDS AND THE LENGTH WAS 4 MILES. THREE FRAME HOUSES AND NUMEROUS OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED BY THIS TORNADO. THE TORNADO ALSO CAUSED ONE FATALITY AND ONE INJURY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ESTIMATED THE WIND SPEEDS AT 130 MPH.	...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR WILLARD... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF A MILE NORTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF WILLARD ROAD AND FARM ROAD 115. THE DAMAGE PATH WIDTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS AND THE LENGTH WAS 1.1 MILES. A HOUSE LOCATED ALONG FARM ROAD 115 SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE. A FEW OUTBUILDINGS AT THE SAME LOCATION WERE DESTROYED. THE TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 160...AND LIFTED APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES SOUTH OF FANTASTIC CAVERNS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ESTIMATED THE WIND SPEEDS AT 95 MPH.


... EF-0 TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR EBENEZER... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 13 AND HIGHWAY WW NEAR EBENEZER...AND CONTINUED TO THE EAST NORTHEAST OVER AN INTERMITTENT PATH BEFORE LIFTING NEAR H HIGHWAY AND FARM ROAD 56. THE DAMAGE PATH WIDTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS AND THE LENGTH WAS 2.3 MILES. THE TORNADO DAMAGED SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS ALONG ITS PATH. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ESTIMATED THE WIND SPEEDS AT 80 MPH. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN AND SOUTHWEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 100 MPH OCCURRED IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN COUNTY INTO FAR SOUTHWEST DOUGLAS COUNTY. THE TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF ONE HALF MILE TRACKED NORTHEAST SEVEN MILES FROM THREE MILES SOUTHEAST OF GARRISON TO FIVE MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF GOODHOPE. THE TORNADO DAMAGED TWO HOMES...DESTROYED SOME OUTBUILDINGS...AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN FORDLAND MISSOURI... AT APPROXIMATELY 0845 AM CST...A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 YARDS AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 110 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A FOUR MILE PATH FROM HIGHWAY 60 ONE MILE EAST OF FORDLAND NORTHEAST TO DIGGINS ROAD ONE MILE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 60. DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH CONSISTED OF A DELIVERY TRUCK BEING LOFTED OVER A FENCE AND BLOWN 40 FEET...A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF THE MEMORY LANE DAIRY FARM...NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED...AN OUTBUILDING WAS DESTROYED ON DIGGINS ROAD...AND THE SIDE OF AN AMISH HOG BARN WAS BLOWN IN ON ZION ROAD. ...EF-2 TORNADO IMPACTED RURAL SECTIONS OF CENTRAL LACLEDE COUNTY... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD 1/4 OF A MILE SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF EVANSTON ROAD AND SPRUCE DRIVE. THE TORNADO TRACKED 2.2 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST...CROSSING FALCON ROAD AND LIFTING JUST PRIOR TO CROSSING HIGHWAY 32. FOUR HOUSES AND SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AS THE HOME WAS SEPARATED FROM ITS STEEL FRAME. AN RV VAN WAS PICKED UP AND THROWN APPROXIMATELY 20 YARDS AND FLIPPED OVER ON ITS TOP. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS 200 YARDS WIDE...AND THE LENGTH WAS 2.2 MILES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ESTIMATED THE MAXIMUM WINDS AT 115 MPH...AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED. ... EF-0 TORNADO CONFIRMED WEST OF CABOOL ... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 4 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF MOUNTAIN GROVE. THE TORNADO TRACKED TO THE NORTHEAST...CROSSING US HIGHWAY 60...AND LIFTING 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF CABOOL. THE TORNADO TRACKED INTERMITTENTLY FOR 7 MILES WITH A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF 200 YARDS AND WINDS ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH. SEVERAL BUILDINGS SUSTAINED DAMAGE FROM THIS TORNADO INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A LARGE METAL OUTBUILDING. SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED WITH NUMEROUS MATURE TREES UPROOTED ALONG THE TORNADO PATH. STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED WITHIN THE TOWN OF CABOOL. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN SOUTHERN POLK COUNTY... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF1 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 95 MPH OCCURRED IN SOUTHERN POLK COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS 250 YARDS WIDE AND TRACKED APPROXIMATELY 8.5 MILES ALONG AN INTERMITTENT PATH FROM TWO MILES NORTHWEST OF BRIGHTON TO TWO MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF BOLIVAR. THE TORNADO DAMAGED OR DESTROYED SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS AND BARNS....AND CAUSED MODERATE TO SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRAME HOMES. IN ADDITION NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN NORTHERN WRIGHT COUNTY... NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF1 TORNADO WITH 90 TO 100 MPH WINDS OCCURRED FOUR MILES NORTHWEST OF HARTVILLE. THE TORNADO DESTROYED SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS...AND UPROOTED AND SNAPPED NUMEROUS TREES. THE TORNADO PATH WAS ONE QUARTER MILE WIDE AND THREE AND A HALF MILES IN LENGTH. ...EF-2 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN HOWELL... TEXAS...AND SHANNON COUNTIES... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 0935 AM CST ON FRIDAY MAY 8TH...AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF ONE-HALF TO ONE MILE AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 130 MPH. THE TORNADO TRAVELED ALONG A TWENTY-ONE MILE PATH BEGINNING JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY 60...EIGHT MILES WEST OF MOUNTAIN VIEW...AND MOVED NORTHEAST TO MISSOURI HIGHWAY 106...APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES SOUTHEAST OF SUMMERSVILLE...WHERE THE TORNADO LIFTED AT ABOUT 955 AM. DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH CONSISTED OF AN 82 YEAR OLD FARM HOUSE THAT WAS LIFTED OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND MOVED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET... RESULTING IN TWO INJURIES TO ITS RESIDENTS. OTHER DAMAGE INCLUDED TWO AUTO SHOPS THAT WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED...SEVERAL HOMES AND OUT BUILDINGS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED...AND NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 945 AM ON FRIDAY MAY 8TH...AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF ONE-HALF TO ONE MILE AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 130 MPH. THE TORNADO TRAVELED ALONG A TWELVE MILE PATH BEGINNING NEAR THE JACKS FORK RIVER...FIVE MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALLEY SPRING...AND MOVED NORTHEAST TO MISSOURI HIGHWAY 19... APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES NORTH OF EMINENCE...WHERE THE TORNADO LIFTED AT ABOUT 1000 AM. DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH CONSISTED OF A SAW MILL IN THE VENICE AREA WHERE SEVERAL BUILDINGS AND A CABIN WERE DESTROYED...AS WELL AS NUMEROUS TREES BEING SNAPPED AND UPROOTED.	...STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 75 TO 90 MPH IN JASPER AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT A BROAD SWATH OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AFFECTED MUCH OF CHEROKEE AND JASPER COUNTIES. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 75 TO 90 MPH THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE AREA INCLUDING THE TOWNS OF COLUMBUS... CRESTLINE... FAULKNER... ASBURY...CARL JUNCTION...WEBB CITY... CARTHAGE... NORTH JOPLIN... AND AVILLA. SEVERAL HOMES AND OUTBUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED. GENERAL DAMAGE INCLUDED REMOVAL OF ROOFS FROM HOMES...UPROOTING OF TREES...A 1000 FOOT TRANSMISSION TOWER BLOWN DOWN...DOWNED POWER LINES...AND WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES. A MICROBURST ALSO OCCURRED THREE MILES EAST OF CRESTLINE AND PRODUCED A CONCENTRATED AREA OF 90 MPH WINDS WHICH CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A RESIDENCE. ...EF-3 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN POMONA... AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 AM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF-3 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 TO 800 YARDS AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 165 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A 1.8 MILE TRACK FROM ONE MILE NORTHWEST OF POMONA TO 1.7 MILES NORTHEAST OF POMONA. DAMAGE INCLUDED A DESTROYED 39-YEAR OLD HOME WHERE TWO PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED IN A BASEMENT...SEVERAL CARS BLOWN 40 TO 50 YARDS...ONE MOBILE HOME AND ONE TRAVEL TRAILER DESTROYED...TWO OUTBUILDINGS AND AN AUTO SHOP DESTROYED...TWO SCHOOL BUSES BLOWN OVER...TWO FLAG POLES BLOWN OVER AND NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN REPUBLIC MISSOURI... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND REPUBLIC EMERGENCY MANAGER DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 110 MPH OCCURRED IN REPUBLIC MISSOURI ON MAY 8TH. AT APPROXIMATELY 800 AM...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT TWO MILES SOUTHWEST OF REPUBLIC AND TRACKED APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS REPUBLIC. THE TORNADO WIDTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS. DAMAGE OCCURRED MAINLY TO ROOFS AND WINDOWS WITH TWO BUILDINGS UNINHABITABLE. DAMAGE WAS CONCENTRATED ON KRISTOPHER STREET. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN NORTHERN DOUGLAS COUNTY... AN NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THERE WAS AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH 100 MPH WINDS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF AVA IN DOUGLAS COUNTY. THE TORNADO OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 9 AM. THE TORNADO WAS 200 YARDS WIDE WITH AN INTERMITTENT PATH LENGTH OF 3.2 MILES. THE TORNADO CAUSED MINOR HOME DAMAGE...DESTROYED A BARN...AND UPROOTED NUMEROUS TREES. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN NORTHEAST HOWELL COUNTY... A NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THERE WAS AN EF1 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE AND AN INTERMITTENT PATH LENGTH OF 9 MILES. THE TORNADO TRACKED FROM 4 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF PEACE VALLEY NORTHEAST TO ONE AND HALF MILES EAST OF MOUNTAIN VIEW. THE TORNADO DAMAGED A FEW HOMES AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES. ... TWO EF-2 TORNADOES CONFIRMED IN WESTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY ... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO WITH WINDS UP TO 130 MPH TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH OF MERRITT. THE THREE QUARTER MILE WIDE TORNADO TRAVELED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST FOR 3 MILES BEFORE LIFTING 3.5 MILES NORTHWEST OF GOODHOPE. THE TORNADO DAMAGED 2 HOMES...SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS... SNAPPED OFF NUMEROUS TREES... AND EVEN DEBARKED TREES. A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT A SECOND EF-2 TORNADO WITH WINDS UP TO 120 MPH TOUCHED DOWN 2 MILES WEST OF GOODHOPE. THIS HALF MILE WIDE TORNADO TRAVELED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST FOR 2 MILES BEFORE LIFTING 1.3 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF GOODHOPE. THE TORNADO TORE A ROOF OFF OF A HOME...AND ALSO SNAPPED OFF SEVERAL TREES...CARRYING THE TREETOPS FOR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE. ...EF-1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN NORTHEAST TEXAS COUNTY... NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF1 TORNADO WITH 85 TO 95 MPH WINDS OCCURRED FOUR MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF HAZELTON OR FIVE MILES WEST OF LICKING. THE TORNADO WAS ONE HALF MILE WIDE AND TRACKED THREE AND A HALF MILES NORTHEAST TO TWO AND HALF MILES NORTHWEST OF LICKING. THE TORNADO REMOVED A ROOF FROM A MOBILE HOME...DESTROYED A BARN...AND UPROOTED NUMEROUS TREES.