Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, November 15, 1988

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, November 15, 1988
Start: 1988-11-15T14:35
End: 1988-11-15T22:55
Location: Missouri

November 15, 1988 · NWS STL · 57 events in 42 counties and zones

40 thunderstorm wind, 16 tornado, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 23
Property damage: $58 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 57

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

40 thunderstorm wind, 16 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Vernon

When: November 15, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Vernon County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 38.020, -94.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Newton

When: November 15, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Newton County
Coordinates: 37.000, -94.320

Tornado, McDonald

When: November 15, 3:45 PM CST
Where: McDonald County
Rating: F2
Path length: 10 mi
Path width: 23 yd
Coordinates: 36.500, -94.230

Tornado, Jasper

When: November 15, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Jasper County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 37.100, -94.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: November 15, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper County
Coordinates: 37.220, -94.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Chariton

When: November 15, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Chariton County
Coordinates: 39.500, -93.200

Tornado, Barry

When: November 15, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Barry County
Rating: F2
Path length: 18 mi
Path width: 23 yd
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 12 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 36.630, -94.030

Tornado, Henry

When: November 15, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Henry County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 38.530, -93.530

Tornado, Johnson

When: November 15, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 38.580, -93.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When: November 15, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Lawrence County
Coordinates: 37.230, -94.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: November 15, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Benton County
Coordinates: 38.250, -93.380

Tornado, Pettis

When: November 15, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Pettis County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 38.620, -93.400

Tornado, Christian

When: November 15, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Christian County
Rating: F1
Path length: 4 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Coordinates: 37.080, -93.570

Tornado, Greene

When: November 15, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Greene County
Rating: F1
Path length: 17 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 37.120, -93.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: November 15, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Benton County
Coordinates: 38.370, -93.230

Tornado, Pettis

When: November 15, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Pettis County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 38.750, -93.350

Tornado, Greene

When: November 15, 5:28 PM CST
Where: Greene County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Coordinates: 37.200, -93.130

Tornado, Pettis

When: November 15, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Pettis County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Coordinates: 38.700, -93.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Stone

When: November 15, 5:38 PM CST
Where: Stone County
Coordinates: 36.900, -93.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Cooper

When: November 15, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Cooper County
Coordinates: 38.970, -92.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Morgan

When: November 15, 5:46 PM CST
Where: Morgan County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 38.430, -92.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Howard

When: November 15, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Howard County
Coordinates: 39.080, -92.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Moniteau

When: November 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Moniteau County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 38.770, -92.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Randolph

When: November 15, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Randolph County
Coordinates: 39.450, -92.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Boone

When: November 15, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Boone County
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates: 38.950, -92.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Adair

When: November 15, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Adair County
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Coordinates: 40.200, -92.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Macon

When: November 15, 6:21 PM CST
Where: Macon County
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Coordinates: 39.730, -92.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Knox

When: November 15, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Knox County
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Coordinates: 40.020, -92.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Callaway

When: November 15, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Callaway County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 38.600, -92.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: November 15, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Shelby County
Coordinates: 39.700, -92.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Pulaski

When: November 15, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Coordinates: 37.750, -92.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Boone

When: November 15, 6:53 PM CST
Where: Boone County
Coordinates: 39.220, -92.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Callaway

When: November 15, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Callaway County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 38.850, -91.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: November 15, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Monroe County
Coordinates: 39.480, -92.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Osage

When: November 15, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Coordinates: 38.320, -91.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Ralls

When: November 15, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Ralls County
Coordinates: 39.500, -91.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Phelps

When: November 15, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Phelps County
Coordinates: 37.950, -91.870

Tornado, Pulaski

When: November 15, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Rating: F2
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 37.820, -92.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Marion

When: November 15, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Marion County
Coordinates: 39.700, -91.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Audrain

When: November 15, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Audrain County
Coordinates: 39.080, -91.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Osage

When: November 15, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Coordinates: 38.420, -91.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Gasconade

When: November 15, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Gasconade County
Coordinates: 38.280, -91.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: November 15, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Franklin County
Coordinates: 38.420, -91.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Gasconade

When: November 15, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Gasconade County
Coordinates: 38.580, -91.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When: November 15, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County
Coordinates: 38.850, -91.320

Tornado, St. Charles

When: November 15, 8:15 PM CST
Where: St. Charles County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 38.820, -90.850

Tornado, St. Charles

When: November 15, 8:25 PM CST
Where: St. Charles County
Rating: F3
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Injuries: 10 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 38.800, -90.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Dent

When: November 15, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Dent County
Coordinates: 37.620, -91.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When: November 15, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County
Coordinates: 38.850, -91.320

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Charles

When: November 15, 8:40 PM CST
Where: St. Charles County
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 38.780, -90.500

Tornado, Dent

When: November 15, 8:55 PM CST
Where: Dent County
Rating: F1
Path length: 17 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Coordinates: 37.750, -91.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: November 15, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 38.150, -90.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: November 15, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Franklin County
Coordinates: 38.350, -90.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: November 15, 9:09 PM CST
Where: Washington County
Coordinates: 37.950, -90.800

Tornado, Crawford

When: November 15, 9:18 PM CST
Where: Crawford County
Rating: F1
Path length: 7 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 37.730, -91.320

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Louis (C)

When: November 15, 9:30 PM CST
Where: St. Louis (C) County
Coordinates: 38.650, -90.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Ste. Genevieve (C)

When: November 15, 10:55 PM CST
Where: Ste. Genevieve (C) County
Coordinates: 37.870, -90.180

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Barry	1988-11-15				Direct

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 1988 Every state in 1988 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Missouri, 1988 Warnings in Missouri, November 1988

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: 10070859, 10070860, 10070861, 10070862, 10070863, 10070864, 10070865, 10070866, 10070867, 10070868, 10070869, 10070870, 10070871, 10070872, 10070873, 10070874, 10070875, 10070876, 10070877, 10070878, 10070879, 10070880, 10070881, 10070882, 10070883, 10070884, 10070885, 10070886, 10070887, 10070888, 10070889, 10070890, 10070891, 10070892, 10070893, 10070894, 10070895, 10070896, 10070897, 10070898, and more.