Tornado and Hail in Missouri, October 18, 2004

Name: Tornado and Hail in Missouri, October 18, 2004
Start: 2004-10-18T17:21
End: 2004-10-18T20:30
Location: Missouri

October 18, 2004 · NWS MEG · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

2 hail, 1 tornado, 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: 3
Injuries: 7
Property damage: $300,000
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 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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 18, 2:49 PM CST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 18, 2:49 PM CST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
349 PM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

.SHORT TERM...LATEST SURFACE PLOT SHOWS SURFACE WARM FRONT
STRETCHING FROM EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY.
SURFACE DEWPOINTS ACROSS THE REGION RANGE FROM THE MIDDLE 60S INTO
THE LOWER 70S. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING SCATTERED CU/AC
FIELD ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA. MAIN FORECAST CONCERN
TONIGHT IS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. RUC ANALYSIS INDICATES 700
MB TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE LOWER/MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
OVERNIGHT. MODEL SOUNDINGS STILL INDICATE A DECENT AMOUNT
DIRECTIONAL SHEAR WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT WITH
0-3KM SRH VALUES AROUND 200 M2/S2...LI/S AROUND -5...AND CAPES
AROUND 2500 J/KG. HOWEVER WITH WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING UPPER
LEVEL RIDGING BUILDING INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...SEVERE POTENTIAL
MAY BECOME SOMEWHAT LIMITED AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES.

.LONG TERM...TUESDAY...MID/UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS WILL SLIDE ACROSS
LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI. LIFTING MECHANISM WILL BE HARDER TO COME
BY AS MID LEVEL RIDGING WILL BE PRESENT ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. A
MODIFIED SURFACE PARCEL PRODUCES SURFACE BASED CAPES IN EXCESS OF
2500 J/KG...LI/S AROUND -7...AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND
1.5 INCHES. 850MB TEMPERATURES AROUND 16C SUPPORT HIGHS IN THE UPPER
70S TO LOWER 80S. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL DIMINISH TUESDAY NIGHT
AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. DEWPOINTS IN THE
MID 60S TO LOWER 70S WILL KEEP LOWS QUITE MILD.

WEDNESDAY...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN DURING THE
AFTERNOON AS CAPES ABOVE 2500J/KG...RELATIVELY LIGHT 850-500 MB WIND
FIELDS...AND LI/S AROUND -6. NO MAJOR FOCUSING MECHANISM WILL BE
PRESENT WITH MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGING AND THINK THAT ANY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WOULD BE VERY ISOLATED.

THURSDAY THROUGH THROUGH MONDAY...MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CURRENT
AND PREVIOUS LONG RANGE MODELS WITH LONG WAVE TROUGH PASSAGE SHOW
EUROPEAN QUICKER...AND GFS A LITTLE DEEPER. IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT
STALLING OUT ACROSS THE MID SOUTH AND MOVING BACK NORTH AS A WARM
FRONT AS HIGH BUILDS OVER THE GULF. WILL HAVE POPS DECREASING TO
SLIGHT CHANCE BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND DRY FORECAST FOR MONDAY.

&&

.MEG...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
MS...NONE.
MO...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

CJC

Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 18, 9:05 AM CST, 8 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1005 AM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-191100-
ALCORN-BENTON-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA-
CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DECATUR-DESOTO-DUNKLIN-DYER-
FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY-
ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE(AR)-LEE(MS)-MADISON-
MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT-PHILLIPS-
POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY-ST. FRANCIS-
TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-WEAKLEY-
YALOBUSHA-
1005 AM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTH
MISSISSIPPI...WEST TENNESSEE AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL.

.DAY ONE...

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE MID SOUTH. THE SEVERE WEATHER AREA WILL COVER MUCH
OF THE FORECAST AREA...ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM SAVANNAH
TENNESSEE TO CLARKSDALE MISSISSIPPI.

LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE FROM CENTRAL KANSAS INTO WESTERN MISSOURI
TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS CENTRAL ARKANSAS THIS
MORNING AND WILL AFFECT THE MID SOUTH DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS.
UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE SUPPORTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL. SEVERE
STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS MORNING...THEN AGAIN DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS...AS REDEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS IS
POSSIBLE. SEE ONGOING WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY FOR
MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT OF
LARGE HAIL.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. AT
THIS TIME...THESE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED TO BE SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY TODAY AND AGAIN TUESDAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 18, 4:12 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 18, 4:14 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 18, 4:17 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
517 PM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0510 PM     TORNADO          LAFE                    36.21N 90.50W
10/18/2004                   GREENE             AR   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND NEAR LAFE BY MEDIA.

&&

Local storm report, Oct 18, 4:22 PM CST, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
522 PM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     TORNADO          4 N MARMADUKE           36.25N 90.39W
10/18/2004                   GREENE             AR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TORNADO ON THE GROUND REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

Local storm report, Oct 18, 4:24 PM CST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
524 PM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0516 PM     TORNADO          BIGGERS                 36.33N 90.81W
10/18/2004                   RANDOLPH           AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.

&&

Local storm report, Oct 18, 4:36 PM CST, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
536 PM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0532 PM     TORNADO          PEACH ORCHARD           36.28N 90.66W
10/18/2004                   CLAY               AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.

&&

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dunklin

When: October 18, 5:21 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where: Dunklin County, 1 mi N of Holcomb
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.417, -90.033

Tornado, Pemiscot

When: October 18, 6:55 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Pemiscot County, Cooter
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 125 yd
Deaths: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 7 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 36.050, -89.817

The tornado struck just south of Cooter and moved east. The tornado produced substantial damage to a farm house and a couple of modular homes. The tornado killed three persons who lived at the farm another injured seven others. A large grain trailer and several trees were blown over.

Hail, Pemiscot

When: October 18, 8:25 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Pemiscot County, 2 mi SE of Cooter
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 36.033, -89.783

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, Pemiscot	2004-10-18	86	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Pemiscot	2004-10-18		Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Pemiscot	2004-10-18		Male	Permanent Home	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.
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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Missouri, 2004 Warnings in Missouri, October 2004

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5427353, 5427354, 5427355.