Lala Approaching Hawaii; Flash Flooding Risks; Excessive Heat

Lala, may become a hurricane, is expected to impact Hawaii this weekend. Heavy rainfall, strong winds, dangerous surf and localized flooding are expected. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding concerns from the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley into the central Appalachians continues, with the threat shifting toward the mid-Atlantic later this weekend. Record heat continues for areas of the South. Read More >

Overview

Two rounds of severe weather impacted the bi-state area on March 14th, 2024. Just after sunrise, a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced five confirmed EF-0 tornadoes. Four of these occurred in rural south central Illinois, and another tracked through Charlack, Missouri in northern St. Louis County. The second round of convection occurred in the afternoon and evening hours. A series of supercells produced widespread severe hail as they raced through Missouri and Illinois. The largest hailstones were reported to be between three and four inches in diameter. These fell in and around the St. Louis metropolitan area and caused significant property damage. Luckily, there were no reported injuries or fatalities with either round of thunderstorms.

Tornado
Wind & Hail
Radar
Storm Reports

Tornadoes

Tornado - Jerseyville, IL
Jersey County

Date	March 14th, 2024
Time (Local)	7:28 - 7:38 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	85 mph
Path Length	8.65 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A weak EF-0 tornado was surveyed in central Jersey County, IL south of Jersey. Damage to trees, siding, and roofs was observed. The width of the tornado was 100 yards, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

Track Map


Roof damage to barn/outbuilding.	Large tree snapped.	7:30 a.m. radar reflectivity.	7:30 a.m. radar velocity.

Tornado - Charlack, MO
St. Louis County

Date	March 14th, 2024
Time (Local)	7:46 - 7:47 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	75 mph
Path Length	0.10 miles
Max Width	50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A weak EF-0 tornado was surveyed in northern St. Louis County, MO south of Lambert International Airport. Damage to trees and roofs was observed. The width of the tornado was 50 yards, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.

Track Map


Damage to the siding of a residence.	Roof damage to a residence.	7:46 a.m. radar reflectivity.	7:46 a.m. radar velocity.

Tornado - Brighton, IL
Jersey/Macoupin Counties

Date	March 14th, 2024
Time (Local)	7:46 - 7:48 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	85 mph
Path Length	2.75 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A weak EF-0 tornado was surveyed in southeastern Jersey County and southwestern Macoupin County, IL 2 miles north of Brighton. Damage to multiple farm outbuildings and power transmission lines was observed. The maximum width was 100 yards with maximum sustained winds were estimated to be near 85 mph.

Track Map


Large farm outbuilding destroyed.	Large tree limb snapped.	7:47 a.m. radar reflectivity.	7:47 a.m. radar velocity.

Tornado - Fidelity, IL
Macoupin County

Date	March 14th, 2024
Time (Local)	7:44 - 7:48 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	85 mph
Path Length	3.90 miles
Max Width	75 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A weak EF-0 tornado was surveyed in southwestern Macoupin County, IL 2 miles southwest of Fidelity. Damage occurred to tree limbs and small uprooted trees, outbuildings and grain silos. The maximum with was 75 yards with sustained winds of 85 mph.

Track Map


Large tree uprooted.	Damage to silos.	7:46 a.m. radar reflectivity.	7:46 a.m. radar velocity.

Tornado - Carlinville, IL
Macoupin County

Date	March 14th, 2024
Time (Local)	7:58 - 8:00 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 mph
Path Length	2.13 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A weak EF-0 tornado was surveyed in central Macoupin County, IL 5 miles southwest of Carlinville. Damage occurred to a farm outbuilding, several tree large limbs and shingles to a residence. The maximum with was 100 yards with sustained winds of 80 mph.

Track Map


Small silo moved approximately 80 yards from its original location.	Large limbs snapped.	7:59 a.m. radar reflectivity.	7:59 a.m. radar velocity.

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Wind & Hail

Wind


A large tree uprooted in Farmington, MO	A large tree snapped in Warrenton, MO	Trees snapped and fallen in Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, IL	A structure blown into a field in Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, IL

Hail


2.5 inch hail in O'Fallon, MO. Captured by Cheryl Ito	3.75 inch hail in Livingston, IL. Captured by Brandon Swanson	3 inch hail in O'Fallon, MO.	A car damaged by large hail in the northern St. Louis metro area. Captured by Karen Ruiz

Radar


Radar reflectivity (left) and base velocity (right) show a quasi-linear convective system passing through the St. Louis metropolitan area during the morning. In the base velocity loop, multiple couplets can briefly be seen along the leading edge of the line. Many of these produced EF-0 tornadoes.	Reflectivity shows a series of supercells moving northeast across the bi-state in the afternoon. The cells passing over St. Charles County, MO and Madison County, IL produced 3 to 3.75 inch hail.