Damaging Winds in Missouri, May 12, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Missouri, May 12, 2002
Start: 2002-05-12T17:15
End: 2002-05-12T17:25
Location: Missouri

May 12, 2002 · NWS LSX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

The County Sheriff reported scattered wind damage in the Park Hills and Bonne Terre areas. Numerous trees and power lines were down with at least 5000 people without power.

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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

The County Sheriff reported scattered wind damage in the Park Hills and Bonne Terre areas. Numerous trees and power lines were down with at least 5000 people without power. Some area homes suffered minor roof damage.

What forecasters said that day

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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 12, 3:30 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 3:30 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
430 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

PROBS THIS PKG TO BE HVY PCPN TNGT. CDFNT SAGGING SLOLY S ACRS FA
AND STG TSRA DVLPG ALG AND MOVG NE. THIS ACTVTY TO CONT THRU EVE
UNTIL FNT MVS FRTHR S AND T0H S/WV MVS E. WL CONT FLOOD WATCH TNGT
FOR SERN ZNS BUT THINK PCPN ONLY LGT TO W AND N AND WL DROP WATCH
THERE. FFG VERY LOW OVR ALL OF FA AND TSTMS WL AGGRAVATE SITN OVR
SRN ZNS TNGT. PCPN SHUD END LT TNGT OVR SRN ZNS WITH CLRG ON MON.

MDL TEMPS IN GD AGMT AND ACCPTD WITH ONLY MINOR TWEAKS. 50H RDG BLDG
OVR CTRL US THRU MID WK AND DRY CONDS INTO XTNDD WITH NXT CHC PCPN
BACKED OFF TIL THU AS NXT SYS APCHS FM W.

.STL...FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR TNGT FOR SERN ZNS.

WDB

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 12, 2:27 PM CST, 2 hours 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
327 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0254 PM    NEW LONDON                MO   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/12/02   RALLS                          QUARTER TO GOLF BALL
                                          SIZED HAIL COVERING THE
                                          GROUND.

Local storm report, May 12, 3:43 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
443 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0254 PM    NEW LONDON                MO   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/12/02   RALLS                          QUARTER TO GOLF BALL
                                          SIZED HAIL COVERING THE
                                          GROUND.

0427 PM    GODFREY                   IL   WIND DAMAGE
05/12/02   MADISON                        POWER LINES DOWN REPORTED
                                          BY MADISON COUNTY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
                                          AGENCY.

0150 PM    MILLERSBURG               MO   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/12/02   CALLAWAY                       REPORTED IN MILLERSBURG
                                          AND ALONG I-70

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Francois

When: May 12, 5:15 PM CST
Where: St. Francois County, Park Hills
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.850, -90.550

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Francois

When: May 12, 5:20 PM CST
Where: St. Francois County, 3 mi SE of Bonne Terre
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.883, -90.533

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Francois

When: May 12, 5:25 PM CST
Where: St. Francois County, 4 mi SE of Flat River
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.817, -90.500

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Missouri in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, May 2002

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: 5291997, 5291998, 5291999.