Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 7, 1973

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, May 7, 1973
Start: 1973-05-07T11:20
End: 1973-05-07T20:30
Location: Missouri

May 7, 1973 · 22 events in 16 counties and zones

12 tornado, 9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 8
Property damage: $881,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

12 tornado, 9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Jackson

When: May 7, 11:20 AM CST
Where: Jackson County
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Coordinates: 39.100, -94.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: May 7, 11:20 AM CST
Where: Jackson County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 39.000, -94.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Clinton

When: May 7, 12:05 PM CST
Where: Clinton County
Coordinates: 39.580, -94.350

Tornado, Clay

When: May 7, 12:20 PM CST
Where: Clay County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 39.300, -94.400

Tornado, Ozark

When: May 7, 1:45 PM CST
Where: Ozark County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 36.500, -92.300

Tornado, Howell

When: May 7, 2:25 PM CST
Where: Howell County
Rating: F2
Path length: 7.4 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 36.730, -92.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Boone

When: May 7, 2:55 PM CST
Where: Boone County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 38.800, -92.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Audrain

When: May 7, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Audrain County
Coordinates: 39.130, -91.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When: May 7, 3:55 PM CST
Where: Butler County
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Coordinates: 36.750, -90.380

Tornado, Madison

When: May 7, 4:05 PM CST
Where: Madison County
Rating: F2
Path length: 14.6 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 37.400, -90.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: May 7, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Franklin County
Coordinates: 38.630, -90.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: May 7, 4:40 PM CST
Where: Madison County
Coordinates: 37.600, -90.500

Tornado, Polk

When: May 7, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Polk County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 37.620, -93.420

Tornado, Pike

When: May 7, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Pike County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 39.300, -91.000

Tornado, Butler

When: May 7, 4:50 PM CST
Where: Butler County
Rating: F3
Path length: 3.6 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 7 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 36.750, -90.350

Tornado, Stoddard

When: May 7, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Stoddard County
Rating: F3
Path length: 32.4 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 36.780, -90.300

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Louis

When: May 7, 5:05 PM CST
Where: St. Louis County
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 38.700, -90.600

Tornado, St. Louis

When: May 7, 5:10 PM CST
Where: St. Louis County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 38.470, -90.200

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Louis

When: May 7, 5:10 PM CST
Where: St. Louis County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 38.750, -90.380

Tornado, Perry

When: May 7, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Perry County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 37.700, -90.000

Tornado, Cape Girardeau

When: May 7, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Cape Girardeau County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 27 yd
Property damage: $250
Coordinates: 37.380, -89.670

Tornado, Stoddard

When: May 7, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Stoddard County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 27 yd
Property damage: $250
Coordinates: 37.100, -89.920

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Missouri in 1973 Every state in 1973 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Missouri, 1973

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10059286, 10059287, 10059288, 10059289, 10059290, 10059291, 10059292, 10059293, 10059294, 10059295, 10059296, 10059297, 10059298, 10059299, 10059300, 10059301, 10059302, 10059303, 10059304, 10059305, 10059306, 10059307.