Boone County

Boone County, MO

Data available through 1/1/2013

Date

Time (CST)

F/EF-Scale

Length (Miles)

Maximum Width (Yards)

Killed

Injured

Property Damage

Source*

4/18/1880

600 pm

F2

21

100

0

n/a

G

Formed over NW Cole County and moved NE crossing far southern Boone county before entering Callaway County where it caused 2 deaths and at least 8 injuries.

5/18/1891

315 pm

F4

35

300

4

35

$50,000

G

Formed 3 miles SE of Sturgeon and moved E across the north side of Centralia before moving into Audrain County. Most of the deaths and maximum intensity were probably in Audrain County.

4/28/1896

830 pm

F2

10

100

n/a

G

Formed 3 miles west of Centralia and moved NE. A farm home was unroofed and a small house was destroyed. A horse was "carried off" and two barns were leveled. Two foot thick trees were "snapped like reeds".

4/3/1913

230 pm

F3

12

200

2

25

n/a

G

Formed 7 miles SW of Sturgeon and passed a 0.5 mile SE of town. Moved NE. About 50 farm buildings were destroyed along the path. An elderly couple was killed in the destruction of their farm house, near the start of the path.

6/5/1917

830 pm

F4

42

400

16

68

>$210,000

G

Formed over Cooper county and crossed into Boone county 4 miles SE of Rocheport. Moved NE, causing extensive damage near Rocheport (2 dead), 3 miles SE of Midway (3 dead), near New Providence (1 dead), near Hinton (3 dead), NW of Hallsville, and the north side of Centralia (7 dead). The tornado destroyed 27 houses in Centralia before moving into Audrain County.

4/19/1927

1115 am

F2

40

n/a

0

n/a

G

Complex of tornadoes and downbursts formed 7 SSW of Columbia and moved NE, passing 2 NW of Millersburg and into Callaway County. Three homes, 5 barns, and a school were damaged or destroyed along the path.

5/8/1927

915 pm

F4

40

400

0

n/a

G

Formed northwest of Jefferson City and moved NE into the southern tip of Boone County before moving into Callaway County W of New Bloomfield. Most of the noted damage and deaths occurred in Callaway County.

9/21/1931

700 pm

F2

1

200

0

1

$20,000

G

Affected the S and SW parts of Columbia. There was $10,000 damage to university buildings. A student was injured by a flying tree limb. Jesse Hall was partly unroofed and two homes were unroofed on University Avenue.

3/30/1938

1136 am

F2

30

400

1

18

$120,000

G

What was likely several tornadoes formed 4 miles SE of Columbia and moved NE into Callaway and Audrain Counties. About a dozen homes were destroyed and another dozen were seriously damaged. An elderly man was killed as his home was destroyed near the tri county border.

5/13/1942

307 pm

F3

5

50

0

n/a

G

Formed 4 miles ENE of Columbia and moved ENE, destroying a farm house and a barn. A gas station was destroyed on US Highway 40.

6/20/1948

800 pm

F2

n/a

100

0

1

$5,000

G

Three homes were unroofed at the edge of Ashland.

4/30/1954

315 pm

F2

8

100

0

$60,000

NCDC, G

Formed 4 miles SW of Sturgeon and moved NNE, passing 1 mile W of town. Fourteen farms lost buildings and at least 2 barns were destroyed. Some homes were damaged.

12/4/1956

1030 pm

F2

11

400

0

$75,000

NCDC G

Moved NE, passing 2 miles S of Centralia. This tornado destroyed three barns and unroofed at least one home. Eight other homes were damaged.

9/27/1959

723 pm

F2

6

50

0

n/a

G, NCDC

Formed over Howard county moved NE, causing heavy damage to farm buildings near Harrisburg and Woodlandville. The tornado then passed just NW of Centralia where a man died of a heart attack seeking shelter from the storm. At least one barn was destroyed, along with granaries, a house porch, and other farm property.

9/28/1959

4:00 PM

F1

0.1

10

0

n/a

NCDC

Damage reported to farm buildings.

10/4/1959

740 pm

F0

0.2

10

0

Minor

NCDC

Tornado first reported 3 miles northwest of the Columbia Airport. Moved to near Sturgeon and then into Audrain County. Storm path did not involve any heavily populated areas. Minor damage to several farm buildings along the storm path.

10/4/1959

740 pm

F0

0.2

17

0

n/a

NCDC

1/25/1965

950 pm

F0

0.1

50

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado touched down briefly, damaging a number of large trees in a farm yard.

12/8/1966

230 am

F1

3

73

0

n/a

NCDC

9/7/1972

315 pm

F1

0.1

33

0

n/a

NCDC

A brief touchdown on a farm 2 miles east of Ashland damaged a part of the house, a garage, and two smaller buildings.

3/13/1973

946 pm

F1

6

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A small tornado left an intermittent path of destruction just W of U.S. 63 2.8 miles S of the U.S. 63/Business 63 junction. The path lies in a NNE direction crossing County Route WW 3 miles E of the Route W/U.S. 63 Junction and crossing I-70 3.5 miles E of the U.S. 63/I-70 Junction. The path ended about 0.5 mile N of I-70. Greatest damage was to 4 mobile homes located near I-70. Two concrete grain silos were heavily damaged near U.S. 63. This tornado is estimated to have been on the ground about 30 percent of its total path length.

5/26/1973

650 pm

F2

3

50

0

1

n/a

NCDC

An apartment building was unroofed in the SW part of of Columbia. Four homes were damaged.

12/4/1973

630 am

F0

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

High winds destroyed a machine shed and three grain bins, and a garage. The house was damaged. A neighbor's barn was destroyed and also the corn field.

5/12/1980

620 pm

F2

43

50

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado damage reported from northwest Cole county, to 1.5 miles west of Columbia, to south of Millersburg.

4/16/1982

505 pm

F0

0.3

50

0

$0

NCDC

Public reported a brief touchdown 6 miles E of Columbia.

5/29/1982

300 am

F1

0.1

20

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down briefly 9 miles SE of Columbia and destroyed a shed.

4/3/1984

315 pm

F1

0.3

27

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down just NW of Rocheport and lifted hay bales and tore a barn door off.

4/29/1984

445 pm

F1

0.3

55

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down in the NE part of the county, very near the Callaway county line. It uprooted trees, destroyed an outbuilding, and took the roof off a house.

10/16/1984

430 am

F1

4

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down east of Columbia and produced intermittent damage along a four mile path. Extensive damage was done to a farm about 7 miles east of Columbia. Fences and crops were destroyed. Farm equipment was overturned along the path of the storm. A greenhouse was destroyed and shingles blown off a house in Lake Chateau.

6/17/1985

400 am

F1

1

100

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado struck the Columbia Regional Airport and just missed the Weather Service Office. The wind speed was recorded at 96 mph and probably exceeded that in the tornado itself. Twenty two planes were damaged. Hangar doors were ripped off and some planes inside damaged. The parking attendant's shed was blown across the street. Considerable damage was done to the F.A.A. building and other buildings around and on the field. Most cars were damaged that were on the field.

6/2/1987

156 pm

F0

1

20

0

1

n/a

NCDC

A tornado was sighted by personnel at the NWS Office in Columbia. It was first sighted at about 7 miles SW of the Regional Airport. Minor tree damage was reported at 6.25 miles SW of the office. A woman received minor bruises on her back when she was hit by debris while running for shelter.

11/27/1990

1112 am

F3

1

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado destroyed a house, barn, and outbuilding. The tornado also snapped several power lines.

11/27/1990

1120 am

F3

12

50

0

3

>$5,000,000

NCDC

The tornado formed on the W side of Columbia and moved NE into rural parts of Boone County. The last confirmed touchdown was just SE of Hallsville. Damage was extensive. About 30 homes were destroyed or damaged. Many trees and vehicles were badly damaged. A pickup truck and garage were lifted and dropped into the backyard of another home. A shopping center received major damage and the roofs were blown off four apartment complexes. Cars were moved about and damaged throughout the area, including 50 cars damaged at a Ford dealership. One car was picked up and blown into a ditch at a Columbia mall. A 20 x 20-foot hole was torn in a Sears store. The 3 injuries occurred at the 4 apartment complexes around Broadway and Stadium Drive, where 150 people were left homeless. A roof was damaged at a school administration building. Another 30 homes were damaged or destroyed around Phille Road. A house was damaged, a barn destroyed, and several trees downed on Owens School Road about 1 mile west of Route J.

7/2/1992

533 pm

F1

0.5

50

0

>$50,000

NCDC

A tornado briefly touched down on the SE side of the city near Providence and Green Meadows Roads. Witnesses saw a rope-like cloud take part of the roof off of a Wal-Mart store and break tops off of nearby trees.

7/2/1992

543 pm

F0

2

23

0

$0

NCDC

The fire department reported sighting a small tornado touch down briefly on the edge of town. There was no damage.

7/8/1995

415 pm

F0

0

80

0

$0

NCDC

Ham radio spotters reported a brief touchdown.

11/10/1998

158 am

F3

2

70

0

16

$16,000,000

NCDC

Close to 50 homes or businesses were destroyed or suffered major damage from an early morning tornado that hit on the southeast side of Columbia. Miraculously, only 16 people were injured, most minor cuts and bruises, by the the multiple-vortex tornado which reached F3 intensity. The tornado first touched down in the South Ridge Subdivision where at least 20 homes were virtually destroyed. On Lakespur Court, 5 homes here suffered considerable roof and wall damage as the tornado quickly reached F2 strength. The tornado moved north-northeast and crossed Churchill Street. The upper half of a two-story house in this area was completely destroyed. As the tornado continued northeast, it briefly reached F3 intensity at the corner of Saratoga and Lupine Drives. A ranch home in this area was completely leveled. Other nearby homes in this area sustained severe roof and wall damage. Large trees that were downed fell in a definite convergent pattern. The tornado tracked northeast across Balmoral and Caliente Courts and Hialeah Drive. About 15 homes in this area sustained major damage. Several homes in this area were speared by 2 by 4 boards driven by the wind. Severe roof damage was also noted on several homes on Solano Court. The tornado caused significant damage to seven large homes on Le Mesa Drive. It was noted in this area that the walls of two homes were drawn in toward the center axis of the tornado. The tornado crossed Highway 63 and caused at least $400,000 in damage in the Concorde Office and Industrial Plaza. Metal roofs and walls and loading dock doors were blown away on several buildings. At one warehouse, the damage tripped the sprinkler system which then flooded the inside of the building.

4/8/1999

455 pm

F2

4

120

0

5

n/a

NCDC

A tornado first formed near Midway and created a 4 mile damage path as it moved northeast across Boone County. Damage first occurred along Locust Grove Road where 1 barn and 2 equipment buildings were destroyed and 3 homes suffered roof and siding damage. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped in two in this area. When the tornado crossed O.B. Brown Road, a mobile home was destroyed as were 7 outbuildings. One home completely lost its roof while another lost half of its roof. Witnessed described the tornado as a swirling mass of rain and debris.

4/8/1999

505 pm

F2

10

120

0

n/a

NCDC

The supercell that spawned the tornado near Midway created another tornado that first caused damage near Hinton. A couple of farm equipment buildings and a garage were destroyed. Near Hallsville, one home lost its roof and an equipment building was destroyed. 3 grain bins were destroyed with one landing about 0.75 mile from its original location. To the southeast of Hallsville 3 homes suffered roof damage, 1 barn, 2 equipment buildings and a grain bin were destroyed.

2/25/2000

335 pm

F0

0

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A brief tornado occurred just southwest of Ashland. Damage was limited to downed or uprooted trees.

3/26/2000

615 pm

F1

0

150

0

$50,000

NCDC

A small tornado formed very quickly southwest of Centralia and caused damage for about a 0.25 mile. One home lost 0.5 of its roof, a large deck on another home was destroyed, windows were broken, outbuildings destroyed, and trees and powerlines downed.

5/17/2001

330 pm

F0

0

50

0

$0

NCDC

Several people witnessed a brief tornado form near the Midway Truck Stop. There was no reported damage.

*Sources:

G - Grazulis, T. P., 1993: Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films, Tornado Project, St. Johsnbury, VT.

NCDC - National Climatic Data Center U.S. Local Storms Events Data (www.ncdc.noaa.gov)