Ralls County

Ralls County, MO

Data available through 1/1/2013

Date

Time (CST)

F/EF-Scale

Length (Miles)

Maximum Width (Yards)

Killed

Injured

Property Damage

Source*

3/10/1876

n/a

F4

n/a

n/a

4

n/a

n/a

G

Tornado touched down in Monroe County and moved through Ralls and Marion Counties before moving into Adams County, IL.  Four deaths and two missing people were in Ralls County.  A total of 14 people were killed and 40 people injured.

5/1/1973

1:50 PM

F1

0.5

100

0

0

< $500

NCDC

4/23/1975

6:30 PM

F2

7

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

Last of a series of significant tornadoes that first formed in the central part of the state.  Intensity was probably not F2 by the time it reached Ralls county.

6/30/1993

9:20 PM

F2

3

450

0

0

$500,000

NCDC

6/20/2000

6:05 PM

F0

1

75

0

0

$10,000

NCDC

The County Sheriff reported a brief tornado west of Rensselaer. Trees were uprooted and a barn heavily damaged.

5/10/2003

5:30 PM

F3

14.5

200

0

0

N/A

NCDC

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 across the northeast 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. 

5/24/2004

9:55 PM

F0

0

40

0

0

$0

NCDC

Burlington Northern employees reported a brief tornado in southern Ralls County. The train had stopped to allow another train to pass when a small tornado passed in front of the lead locomotive. Some trees were damaged in the area. 

3/12/2006

11:25 AM

F0

0

50

0

0

$0

NCDC

A tornado briefly touched down in an open field, traveled over a small pond picking up some water. Then it damaged a farm outbuilding before lifting and dissipating. No injuries were reported.

4/2/2006

3:25 PM

F2

4

350

0

0

n/a

NCDC

The tornado formed around 425 pm CDT 1.5 miles north of Clarence Cannon Dam on County Highway J. Three businesses at this location sustained damage. A convenience store suffered minor exterior damage to shingles, siding, windows and trim. A pole barn suffered substantial roof damage from an airborne camper that was blown from an outdoor storage lot to the east. Damage from this building was scattered 200-300 feet. Four campers in the outdoor lot were damaged with two of these being completely destroyed. Two boats were also flipped over. A camper dealership was located directly across highway J. This building sustained extensive damage. An attached service bay to the south was completely leveled. The second story above the office was obliterated with only the west facing wall left standing. At least 30 campers sustained some type of damage. Eight to ten were completely destroyed. Some of the camper frames were found 150 to 200 feet north of their initial positions. Debris from this area was scattered over 1/4 mile away. Three 1x3 inch boards were found stuck in the dealerships hard packed gravel lot. There was also substantial tree damage. Cedar trees with a diameter of 12 to 15 inches were snapped off at ground level bordering the dealership lot. The tornado was 350 yards wide at this location and produced F2 damage. The tornado continued northeast for 1.3 miles and damaged a pole barn on Clinton Road. The pole barn suffered light roof and trim damage. Southwest of the pole barn, an isolated cedar tree 1.5 to 2 feet in diameter was snapped off 3 feet above the ground. The top portion of the tree was found 150 feet to the northeast. The tornado was 100 yards at this location and produced F1damage. The tornado continued 1.7 miles northeast passing through the Salt River Valley. On township road CC, there was a 2 foot square metal sign buried 4-6 inches into a tilled field. At this location, the tornado was 40 yards wide and produced F0 damage. The tornado dissipated just northeast of this location.

5/30/2006

4:14 PM

F0

3

50

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado initially formed near the intersection of Highway 19 and County Road 209. Power pole and tree damage was noted at this location. The tornado moved east northeast and caused more tree damage about 3/4 mile south of Highway 19 and Clarence Cannon Lane. The tornado crossed Highway P about 1 mile south of Center. Large power poles were bent over about 20 degrees at this location. The tornado moved east northeast and damaged a modular home and a machine shed near Kingbird and Vesper Drive. About 100 yards east of this location a mobile home was turned onto its side.Late afternoon and evening severe thunderstorms triggered by a northward moving warm front produced hail, wind damage, a couple of small tornadoes, and localized flash flooding across Northeast and East Central Missouri.

12/27/2008

10:03 AM

EF0

5

40

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down about 4 miles north of Center near Highway H. Two machine sheds and large tree limbs were damaged by the tornado. The tornado rapidly moved northeast and touched down a second time southeast of the intersection of Homestead and Kingsville Lanes. Three machine sheds were damaged at this location. Further northeast the tornado crossed Highway A west of New London, damaging several large trees before lifting and dissipating.A strong cold front moved through the region...triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the thunderstorms became severe with large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes and flash flooding reported.

12/27/2008

10:07 AM

EF0

1

30

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down on State Highway HH west of U.S. 61 damaging some trees in the area. The tornado travelled to the east and damaged two small apartment complexes in addition to signs and trees along U.S. 61. It continued to the east, crossing New London Gravel Road causing additional tree damage before lifting and dissipating.A strong cold front moved through the region...triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the thunderstorms became severe with large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes and flash flooding reported. 

6/27/2011

12:09 AM

EF0

0.6

70

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down on Hereford Lane, about 3 miles southeast of Monroe City in northwestern Ralls County. It travelled to the southeast blowing down numerous trees. Several large trees were snapped half way up the trunk or uprooted within a defined relatively narrow path. Most of the trees were between 50 and 60 feet tall with trunk diameters varying between 2 and 3 feet wide. Also, a barn sustained moderate damage with part of its roof blown off. The tornado lifted and dissipated on Demoss Road. The total path length was six tenths of a mile with a max width of 70 yards. The tornado was rated an EF0. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful complex of thunderstorms, known as a bow echo, moved across Missouri and Illinois during the late evening hours of June 26th and early morning hours of June 27th. The line, which raced east at 60 to 70 mph, produced widespread winds of 40 to 60 mph along and north of Interstate 70. Storm assessment teams from the National Weather Service in St. Louis evaluated the most intense damage which occurred over northeast Missouri and west central Illinois. From the extreme damage that occurred in localized areas, it appears that wind speeds reached 70 to 100 mph. The extensive nature of the damage caused power outages to at least 55,000 customers. Some did not have power return until Tuesday night. Also, there were several reports of flash flooding, especially over northeastern Missouri due to the already saturated soils from previous rains over the past week.

*Sources

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

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