Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, February 27 to 28, 2011

In addition to the tornadoes in the area, damaging straight line winds occurred throughout the area, primarily on an axis from 3 miles southwest of Shelbina to 3 miles east of Shelbina. The strongest straight line winds, approaching 90 mph, appear to have occurred east of Shelbina and just south of U.S. Highway 36, where power poles were snapped off by the high winds. Just north of U.S. Highway 36, the west side of a large machine shed also suffered significant straight line wind damage.

The tornado initially touched down 1.5 miles south of Shelbina just west of Highway 15, damaging a small storage building and scattering debris across Highway 15. The tornado then continued to the east-northeast, severely damaging a large metal farm building. The debris from this building was blown downwind over half a mile. The maximum damage was rated EF1, with a maximum wind speed around 90 mph. Total length of this tornado was around a mile, with a maximum width of 20 to 30 yards.

The tornado initially touched down just southwest of the intersection of Highway 15 and Route WW, in far north central Monroe County, damaging several metal machine sheds and tossing debris over a quarter of a mile downwind. The tornado continued moving east-northeast crossing into far southern Shelby County. The damage was rated EF0, with a maximum wind speed around 80 mph and a width of 20 yards. The total overall length of the tornado for both Monroe and Shelby counties was 2 miles.

As the tornado crossed from far north central Monroe County into southern Shelby County it struck a farmstead just north of County Line Road. At this location two small grain bins were destroyed, one of which was wrapped around a power pole a quarter of a mile to the east. A larger grain bin was partially shifted off its foundation, and suffered a partial collapse on its west side. A nearby windmill was also destroyed. The damage was rated EF0, with a maximum wind speed around 80 mph and a width of 20 yards. The total overall length of the tornado for both Monroe and Shelby counties was 2 miles.

Thunderstorm winds flipped over a Cessna plane destroying it and damaged three other planes at the Hannibal Regional Airport. Further to the east in town, several large trees were blown over. One large tree landed on an unoccupied car causing major damage. Also, several power lines were blown down.

The tornado initially touched down at approximately 8:05 PM on County Road 122 between Highways B and YY. A narrow swath of tree damage was found at this point. Several large pine trees were severed about half way up the trunk. The tops of the pine trees could not be found. The tornado skipped and caused additional tree damage 1/4 mile south of the intersection of County Road 120 and Highway B. The final area of tree damage was found crossing Highway 79 approximately 1 mile east of the intersection of Highways B and 79. The width of the damage area ranged from 30 to 40 yard and was rated EF0. The damage track length was approximately 2.3 miles.

Thunderstorm winds destroyed a barn on Highway Y southeast of Perry, caused moderate roof damage to a house nearby and several power poles were blown down along Highway F.

Thunderstorm winds caused damage to silos, medium to large trees and three homes in an area along and south of Highway B and north of County Road 123. Shingles were mainly removed from the roofs of three homes while both pine and oak trees were either snapped at the base or uprooted. Winds ranged from 65 to 75 miles per hour over this area.

The tornado initially touched down just south of Highway B, 1.9 miles east of Frankford, Missouri at approximately 10:05 PM. A machine shed was severely damaged at this location, and several missiles from the machine shed were embedded into the ground. This tornado destroyed three more machine sheds along its path. Debris was tossed between a quarter and a third of a mile to the east-northeast. The width of the damage ranged from 30 to 40 yards while the length of the tornado track was 1.4 miles. The damage was rate EF0.

Thunderstorm winds caused scattered damage throughout Osage county. In Westphalia, the roof of a gym on a school sustained major damage when a large portion of the roof was blown off. Further to the east on County Road 811, a large tree was blown down onto a mobile home cutting it into two. No injuries were reported at this location. On County Road 806, a horse barn was blown down. The horses were unhurt, but an RV stored in the barn was damaged. A shed across the street was destroyed as well. In Linn, the high winds damaged several pieces of equipment for track and field events at the high school and a rooftop A/C unit was blown on its side at the elementary school.

A tornado hit a farmstead around 10:15PM one-half mile south of the intersection of County Roads 804 and 811 on a ridge. A large barn was totally destroyed while a brick ranch home had several broken windows on the west side. Roofing materials were also removed. A few trees and pines were snapped about half way up and tossed over 40 to 50 yards to the east. The width of the damage track was approximately 50 yards while damage intensity was rated EF1. The damage length was approximately a quarter of a mile.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a machine shed on a farm and blew part of the roof off of a pole barn. Also, numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down in the area as well as along Brick Church Road to the east.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree in the See-Tal Subdivision. The tree landed on the corner of nearby house causing minor damage.

Thunderstorm winds tore off a large angle-iron framed awning off of a business downtown. Also, numerous power lines, trees and tree limbs were blown down around town.

A tornado touched down about half a mile west of the intersection of Lone Grove School Road and Hesemann Road. In this location it broke off and uprooted numerous trees. As it travelled to the east it blew over a hay wagon and overturned a couple of tanks and farm equipment. A nearby home sustained minor roof damage and a shed was completely flattened. It blew over more trees before crossing Lone Grove School Road. At this location it blew part of the roof off of a large barn. It travelled a little further to the east blowing down a few more trees near Grannemann Road before lifting and dissipating. The max width of the tornado was 175 yards and was on the ground for three quarters of a mile. It was rated as EF1.

Thunderstorm winds blew over two large trees near Lone Grove School Road as well as numerous large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm winds blew off a 15 foot section of the Calvary New Life Tabernacle Church. Also, a mobile home in the neighboring trailer park lost part of its roof.

Thunderstorm winds destroyed a machine shed and an equipment storage shed on a farm just south of the intersection of Highway C and Highway YY. Also, a 60 foot concrete brick silo was destroyed, sheet metal was blown off of a barn used to store hay and several trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm wind blew down several power lines in town.

Thunderstorm winds uprooted a large tree on Main Street. It landed on an unoccupied car causing moderate damage. Also, another tree fell onto an unoccupied car destroying it. A nearby porch sustained minor damage as the tree fell.

Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large trees, tree limbs and power lines throughout town. A couple of businesses sustained minor to moderate roof damage when sections of their roofs were blown off. Some of the fallen trees landed on homes and vehicles causing minor to moderate damage. A section of bleachers at the Washington Fairgrounds were folded over.

Thunderstorm winds blew down sixteen power poles along Highway 47 between the Missouri River Bridge and Washington Regional Airport. Also, in Dutzow a pole barn was flattened, metal roof of a garage was peeled back and some shingles were blown off of a couple of houses. Several large trees were snapped off.

Several large trees and power lines were blown down around town.

The tornado that hit Balducci Winery was embedded within an area of strong straight line winds of 60 to 75 mph. Numerous areas of damage could be found from the countyline along Highway 94 towards Defiance. Numerous large trees and tree limbs were blown down.

The tornado touched down near the Balducci Winery, about 3 miles west-northwest of Augusta. The tornado then continued to the east, producing intermittent damage along Highway 94 before moving into the Missouri River Valley about 4 miles southwest of Defiance. The tornado crossed the Missouri River into extreme northeast Franklin County. The width ranged from 50 to 200 yards. Maximum damage, noted at several locations along the path, was estimated at EF1. Some of the more significant damage included the total removal of a roof from a century old home at the Balducci Winery, significant tree and home damage 1 to 2 miles east of the winery, large trees snapped at a catholic church 1 mile northwest of Augusta, and structural damage to a home just northeast of Klondike Park. The total overall length of the tornado for both St. Charles and Franklin counties was 9.35 miles.

As the tornado crossed the Missouri River from St. Charles County into extreme northeast Franklin County, it blew down and snapped off numerous trees in the flood plain before lifting and dissipating just north northeast of St. Albans. The width of the damage was around 50 yards and was rated EF1. The total overall length of the tornado for both St. Charles and Franklin counties was 9.35 miles.

Thunderstorm winds caused minor to moderate roof damage to a number of homes in St. Albans. Also, several large trees and numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

A tornado touched down just northwest of the intersection of Wild Horse Creek Road and Babler Forest Road. Damage to the trees in this area was rated EF1. The tornado then crossed Wild Horse Creek Road and lifted just southeast of the intersection of Wild Horse Creek Road and Puellman Road. Path length was 0.15 miles and maximum width of damage was 50 yards.

The tornado touched down in Babler Memorial State Park and caused tree damage southwest of the intersection of Theodore Martin Drive and Guy Park Road in the park, where several large trees where either snapped or uprooted. The tornado moved northeast along Guy Park Road causing more tree damage before lifting. This tornado was rated EF1, had a path length of 0.36 mile and a maximum width of 75 yards.

The tornado touched down causing extensive tree damage in Babler State Park. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped along portions of John Cochran Road and Pine Road. The tornado continued east, crossing Babler Park Drive, where it hit a farmstead. A tin roof to a barn was partially removed and numerous trees were uprooted or snapped. The tornado lifted to the east of this farm. The damage was rated EF1, with a maximum width of 200 yards, and the track length was nine tenths of a mile.

The tornado touched down in the campground area of Babler Memorial State Park in the far southern part of the park. Several large trees were either snapped or uprooted at this location and revealed a convergent damage pattern. The tornado again touched down and caused minor tree damage just north of the intersection of Babler Park Drive and Pond Road. The width of the damage area ranged from 40 to 70 yards and was rated EF1. The total path length of the tornado was three quarters of a mile.

The tornado touched down along Rosemar Lane causing extensive tree damage. The tornado tracked east across Highway 109 causing minor tree and shingle damage to a few homes before lifting. The width of the damage area averaged 70 yards and was rated EF1. The total path length of the tornado was sixth tenths of a mile.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree onto a home on Colonial Hills Parkway in Creve Coeur.

A four to five inch diameter tree was snapped off at the base at the National Weather Service office.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines in town.

Several trees were blown down in Ballwin.

The thunderstorm winds blew down several large power poles along Fee Fee Road just south of McDonnell Douglas Blvd.

Thunderstorm winds blew down the sign for Ronnies 20 Cinema, as well as street signs on Lindbergh Blvd. Also, several interstate signs on I-270 were bent and twisted by the winds.

Numerous large power poles and street lights were blown down along a two block section of Big Bend Blvd near intersection with Ethel Avenue.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several large power lines onto Interstate 44 closing traffic in both directions for a number of hours.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree partially blocking Christopher Drive. Also, a carport was blown over and a large pine tree was uprooted.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a couple of power lines, snapped off a large tree and blew the roof off of a barn.