Tornado touched down two miles southwest of the Lucky Lady Trailer Park. The tornado then followed a trajectory through the trailer park and points north and east.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS SGF wrote it up.
Tornado touched down two miles southwest of the Lucky Lady Trailer Park. The tornado then followed a trajectory through the trailer park and points north and east. 34 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Shortly after the initial touch down, a modular home was directly hit and destroyed. One fatality was observed at this location as a woman seeking shelter with her husband in the bedroom, was thrown approximately one quarter of a mile from the house location.As the tornado traversed through the Lucky Lady Trailer Park, many residents evacuated their mobile homes and took shelter in ditches and an open field. However, one fatality occurred at the trailer park when a woman was in the process of leaving her home to seek shelter in a field, was struck by a downed tree.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 2:20 PM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 220 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002 FORECAST CONCERNS: SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL/PRECIPITATION ENDING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. VERY ACTIVE WEATHER POTENTIAL OVERNIGHT AS 25H JET WITH 150+ MPH WINDS AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA. CONWAY WIND PROFILER ALREADY INDICATING 50KTS (SSW DIRECTION) AT 85H EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH SURFACE AND BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS AROUND 30 TO 40 KTS FROM THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST. SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION ALREADY TRYING TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS ALONG THE MOISTURE GRADIENT AND CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY LAYER NEAR 90H. CONVECTIVE INHIBITIONS CONTINUE TO BE NEAR 100 J/KG AT THE SURFACE WHICH IS LIKELY KEEPING CONVECTION FROM FIRING IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON. LATEST BUFKIT INFORMATION HAS DEEP LAYER SHEAR CONTINUING OVERNIGHT WITH 50-65KTS AT 90H TO 70H. GREATEST VEERING OF THE WINDS IN THE LOWEST KM WOULD BE NEAR THE WARM FRONT WHICH IS CURRENT IN CENTRAL MISSOURI. CAPES RISE TO NEAR 1000 J/KG THIS EVENING WITH CONVECTIVE INHIBITIONS STILL NEAR 50 J/KG. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTIVE INITIATION WOULD BE ALONG THE WARM FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. UNTIL THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING FROM NORTHERN NEW MEXICO MOVING INTO THE OKLAHOMA/KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI LATER TONIGHT...DO NOT EXPECT MUCH IN THE WAY OF PRECIPITATION UNTIL THEN. AM LEANING TOWARD A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WITH LIKELY CONDITIONS AFTER MIDNIGHT. MESO ANALYST WILL NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ANY SURFACE BOUNDARIES THIS EVENING AS HELICITIES RISE TO NEAR 500 M2/S2. MODELS DIFFER ON ENDING THE PRECIPITATION ON WEDNESDAY/EARLY THURSDAY AS THE ETA SLOWS DOWN THE MAIN COLD FRONT WHICH KEEPS PRECIPITATION IN THE REGION (MAINLY SOUTH CENTRAL) THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. GFS MOVES THINGS OUT FASTER WITH MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION ENDING BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HAVE GONE WITH A BLEND OF THE TWO MODELS KEEPING SOME PRECIPITATION INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI WEDNESDAY EVENING. THICKNESS VALUES FALL BELOW 5400M ON FRIDAY...WHICH SHOULD BE THE COLDEST DAY IN THE NEXT 7. VERY LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED RANGE AS MOST OF THE MODELS DIVERGE FROM ANY ONE SPECIFIC SCENARIO. WILL CONTINUE THE CHANCE OF RAIN ON SUNDAY AND INTRODUCE A CHANCE OF RAIN ON TUESDAY AS THE LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC BRINGS IN MORE PACIFIC MOISTURE AND STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THICKNESS VALUES CONTINUE TO MODIFY THROUGH THIS PERIOD...SO EXPECT NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. ISC GRIDS ALREADY SENT. .SGF... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. JLT
KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-181200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 846 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED: LARGE HAIL DAMAGING WINDS ISOLATED TORNADOES AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING: LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM NEVADA TO COLUMBUS KANSAS. INITIAL THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES. DISCUSSION: A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WAS RAPIDLY TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS STATES TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET WAS MOVING OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES WILL INTERACT WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ACROSS WESTERN MISSOURI AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. THIS ACTIVITY WAS RACING TO THE NORTHEAST AT NEAR 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OVERNIGHT AS STRONG WIND SHEAR COMBINES WITH IMPRESSIVE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ANOTHER CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP AGAIN TOMORROW AS THE MAIN COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF A LINE FROM WARSAW TO CASSVILLE MISSOURI. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED SOUTH AND WEST OF SPRINGFIELD THROUGH 1 AM. AREAS EAST OF SPRINGFIELD WILL LIKELY BE ACTIVATED AFTER 10 PM. TERRY THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1019 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1018 PM SPRINGFIELD ARPT MO .75 INCH HAIL
12/17/02 GREENE AT NWS OFFICE
SPRINGFIELD.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1031 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1030 PM SPRINGFIELD MO .88 INCH HAIL
12/17/02 GREENE REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
OPERATOR.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1038 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1037 PM 9 W MONETT MO TORNADO
12/17/02 BARRY TORNADO ON GROUND.
DEBRIS CLOUD SPOTTED.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1043 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1042 PM FAIR GROVE MO .88 INCH HAIL
12/17/02 GREENE REPORTED BY FIRE AND
RESCUE.KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-181000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - TORNADO WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 1050 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 779...IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... IN MISSOURI: BARRY...BARTON...BENTON...CAMDEN...CEDAR...CHRISTIAN...DADE... DALLAS...DENT...DOUGLAS...GREENE...HICKORY...HOWELL...JASPER... LACLEDE...LAWRENCE...MARIES...MCDONALD...MILLER...MORGAN...NEWTON... OREGON...OZARK...PHELPS...POLK...PULASKI...SHANNON...ST. CLAIR... STONE...TANEY...TEXAS...VERNON...WEBSTER AND WRIGHT. IN KANSAS: BOURBON...CHEROKEE AND CRAWFORD. SOME CITIES IN THIS TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE AVA...BOLIVAR...BRANSON...CAMDENTON...FORT LEONARD WOOD...FORT SCOTT...HOUSTON...JOPLIN...LEBANON...MONETT...MOUNT VERNON...NEOSHO...NEVADA...OSAGE BEACH...OZARK...PITTSBURG...ROLLA...SPRINGFIELD...STOCKTON AND WEST PLAINS. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. WHILE SEVERE WEATHER MAY NOT BE IMMINENT...PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL MEDIA OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TERRY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1103 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1055 PM 5 NE SLEEPER MO .88 INCH HAIL
12/17/02 LACLEDE REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.The Springfield radar (KSGF), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:04 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
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, Lawrence | 2002-12-17 | 47 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Tornado, Lawrence | 2002-12-24 | 64 | Female | Under Tree | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Missouri, 2002Warnings in Missouri, December 2002
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: 5326269.