High Wind, St. Charles
- When
- April 28, 8:00 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- St. Charles forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.782, -90.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Missouri, April 28, 1996
A large pressure difference in the vicinity of a line of thunderstorms produced a widespread high wind event across the St. Louis area with wind gusts up to 70 mph reported behind the line of storms.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS LSX wrote it up.
A large pressure difference in the vicinity of a line of thunderstorms produced a widespread high wind event across the St. Louis area with wind gusts up to 70 mph reported behind the line of storms. Union Electric, the major electric utility in the area, reported nearly 200,000 customers lost power. A company spokesperson called the storm the worst "in more than a decade". Trees were toppled throughout the area, some falling on homes and vehicles. A major hospital in St. Louis suffered roof damage from the wind and a large furniture store was destroyed by fire caused by downed electric lines. Damage at the furniture store was in excess of $1 million. Damage across the area was extimated to approach $5 million.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, St. Louis
- When
- April 28, 8:00 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- St. Louis forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.641, -90.443 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Jefferson
- When
- April 28, 8:00 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.261, -90.538 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Franklin
- When
- April 28, 8:00 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 38.411, -91.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Missouri, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Kansas, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Kansas, April 28, 1996
- Tornado in Missouri, April 28, 1996
- Flash Flood in Illinois, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, April 28, 1996
- Flash Flood in Illinois, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Kansas, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, April 28, 1996
- Flash Flood in Illinois, April 28, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Kansas, April 28, 1996
More
Every storm in Missouri in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 1996
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: 5545000, 5545001, 5545002, 5545003.