Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2008

EF1 tornado, Liberty, Illinois, December 27, 2008

This EF1 tornado ran 0.9 miles across Adams County on December 27, 2008, touching down at 10:30 AM CST and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
December 27, 2008
Touchdown
10:30 AM CST (16:30 UTC)
Lifted
10:33 AM CST (16:33 UTC)
On the ground
3 minutes
Path length
0.9 miles (1.5 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Adams County
Touchdown point
39.908, -91.133
Lift-off point
39.914, -91.117
Record number
0812271030-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A strong cold front moved through the region...triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the thunderstorms became severe with large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes and flash flooding reported.

A tornado touched down in an open field west of Illinois Route 104. It damaged several trees in this location. The tornado travelled to the east northeast. It damaged the roof of one home just east of Illinois Route 104. It then destroyed a large barn just south of County Road 1050N. The debris field extended for a mile to the north northeast of the barn.

A tornado touched down just west of County Road 2250th Street, north of N1025th Avenue. It damaged a machine shed and a mobile home in this location. It travelled to the northeast and caused some additional tree damage before lifting and dissipating.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 15:57 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Dec 27, 7:12 AM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 27, 7:12 AM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED AVIATION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
712 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

.DISCUSSION...
/525 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008/

TONS OF WX...AND ALL OF THE FOCUS WILL BE ON THE NEXT 24HRS.
MOST OF THE MOS TEMPS ARE VERY INADEQUATELY HANDLING THE TEMPS
OVER THE AREA ATTM AS WELL AS MAX TEMPS TODAY...BEING TOO COOL.
GIVEN THAT TEMPS ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S EVERYWHERE...EXCEPT
WHERE IT IS RAINING IN THE NRN FA...WOULD EXPECT A SMALL DIURNAL
SWING TODAY UNDER THICK CLOUD COVER BEFORE THE RAIN HITS
EVERYWHERE BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WOULD PLACE STL METRO
TEMPS NEAR RECORD LEVELS...WITH THE RECORD AT KSTL BEING 72F SET
IN 1971. LESS SO IN CNTRL MO...WHERE THE RECORD IS 71F SET IN
1946...BUT EARLIER EXPECTED ARRIVAL OF RAIN WILL PREVENT IT FROM
WARMING TOO MUCH. FOR FORECAST TEMPS TODAY...WENT ABOVE THE WARMEST
MET MOS FOR KUIN/KCOU AREAS AND NEAR WARMEST MET MOS FOR
ELSEWHERE. TEMPS WILL THEN PLUMMET BEHIND FRONT...BY AS MUCH AS
30F IN JUST A FEW HOURS.

PLENTY OF ENERGY TO WORK OFF OF...BUT MAIN SHOW WILL TAKE PLACE
NEAR CDFNT ITSELF. LOOK FOR MUCH OF WHAT WE SEE NOW TO CONTINUE...
WITH SMALLER AREAS OF TSRA/SHRA TO PASS THRU UNTIL MIDDAY HOURS
WHEN MORE SUBSTANTIAL TSRA ASSOCIATED WITH FRONT WILL APPROACH
THE WRN FA AND STRONG DIVERGENCE AT H300 FROM RIGHT ENTRANCE
REGION OF JET PASSES OVERHEAD TO INCREASE COVERAGE OF TSRA
DEVELOPMENT OUT AHEAD OF FRONT AS WELL. SHEAR LARGELY POINTS TO A
DAMAGING WIND EVENT...ALTHOUGH EARLY IN THE LIFESPAN...COULD SEE
SUPERCELLS AS WELL. RAW SPEED AT WHICH CELLS ARE MOVING WILL MAKE
IT PRETTY EASY TO ATTAIN DAMAGING WINDS IN A WELL MIXED
ATMOSPHERE. CDFNT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THRU THE WRN HALF OF THE FA
BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND THEN THRU THE REST BY EARLY THIS
EVENING.

HIGH PWAT AIR ON THE ORDER OF 400PCT OF NORMAL WILL CONTINUE TO
RESIDE UNTIL FROPA...AND ALLOW FOR VERY EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCING
STORMS. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES SHOULD BE COMMON...AND
FALLING ON SATURATED OR FROZEN GROUND WILL RESULT IN HIGH RATES OF
RUNOFF. HAVE MAINTAIND FFA THRU LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

WINDS WILL BE WINDY DUE TO TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND 40-50KT
WINDS JUST A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET OFF THE GROUND...BUT MEAGER
MIXING HEIGHTS WILL ONLY ALLOW THIS RESERVE OF WIND TO BE TAPPED
SELDOMLY BEFORE FROPA. ONCE FROPA OCCURS...WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE
WEST...AND THIS WILL MAKE IT MUCH MORE FAVORABLE TO TAP INTO WINDS
ALOFT. IN ADDITION...THERE WILL BE A SMALL WINDOW OF 2-3 HOURS
WHEN THERE WILL STILL BE A LOT OF WIND TO TAP INTO ALOFT...AND FOR
THESE REASONS HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING. GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50MPH ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY
AFTER FROPA LATE THIS AFTN AND EVNG.

COLD AIR WILL RUSH IN BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT EXPECTED POSN OF DRY
SLOT WILL SHUT OF THE PCPN OFF BEFORE THE AIR IS COLD ENOUGH TO
CHANGE OVER TO SNOW FOR MUCH OF THE FA. AREAS THAT WILL BE ON THE
NW SIDE OF THE DRY SLOT...IN NERN MO...WILL HAVE THE BEST
POTENTIAL FOR SNOW...BUT ANY ACCUMS WILL BE LIGHT...MOST LIKELY
JUST A DUSTING. THERE IS ALSO THE CHANCE FOR A BRIEF OCCURRENCE OF
FZRA OR PL AS WARM WEDGE OF AIR GETS LEFT BEHIND FROM SUDDEN RUSH
OF COLD AIR AT THE B-LYR.

OTHERWISE...ZONAL FLOW PATTERN SETS UP FOR MUCH OF THE WORK WEEK
WITH A SEASONABLE...IF NOT SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...TEMP REGIME TO
TAKE HOLD. GENERALLY DRY WX WILL RESULT.

TES

&&

.AVIATION...
/650 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008/
FOR THE 12Z TAFS...LATEST RADAR TRENDS SHOW CONVECTIVE LINE
EXTENDING FROM EAST OF KANSAS CITY THROUGH NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
CONVECTIVE LINE IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH COU AERA BETWEEN 1400
-1500 UTC AND OVER STL AREA BETWEEN 1600 - 1800 UTC. ESTIMATED
WINDS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 45 TO 55 MPH WITH THE STRONGER LINE
SEGMENTS WITHIN THE LARGER CONVECTIVE LINE. AHEAD OF CONVECTIVE
LINE SCATTERED CONVECTION EXTENDING FROM SE OF STL TO SOUTH-
CENTRAL MO WILL REMAIN WEAK FOR THE NEXT 3 TO 6 HOURS. AFTER
PASSAGE OF THE SQUALL LINE AND COLD FRONT STRONG GRADIENT WINDS
WILL BRING WEST NORTHWEEST WINDS AND GUSTS TO 45 KTS OVER THE
AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING.

RP

&&

.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR AUDRAIN-
     BOONE-CALLAWAY-COLE-CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-GASCONADE-IRON-
     JEFFERSON-KNOX-LEWIS-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARION-MONITEAU-MONROE-
     MONTGOMERY-OSAGE-PIKE-RALLS-REYNOLDS-SHELBY-ST. CHARLES-ST.
     FRANCOIS-ST. LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-STE. GENEVIEVE-WARREN-
     WASHINGTON.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR IRON-
     JEFFERSON-MADISON-REYNOLDS-ST. CHARLES-ST. FRANCOIS-ST.
     LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-STE. GENEVIEVE-WASHINGTON.

IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR ADAMS IL-
     BOND IL-BROWN IL-CALHOUN IL-CLINTON IL-FAYETTE IL-GREENE IL-
     JERSEY IL-MACOUPIN IL-MADISON IL-MARION IL-MONROE IL-
     MONTGOMERY IL-PIKE IL-RANDOLPH IL-ST. CLAIR IL-WASHINGTON
     IL.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR BOND
     IL-CLINTON IL-FAYETTE IL-JERSEY IL-MACOUPIN IL-MADISON IL-
     MARION IL-MONROE IL-MONTGOMERY IL-RANDOLPH IL-ST. CLAIR IL-
     WASHINGTON IL.

&&

WFO LSX
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 27, 7:50 AM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
750 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027-
034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-281200-
GREENE IL-MACOUPIN IL-MONTGOMERY IL-BOND IL-FAYETTE IL-CLINTON IL-
MARION IL-WASHINGTON IL-RANDOLPH IL-ADAMS IL-BROWN IL-PIKE IL-
CALHOUN IL-JERSEY IL-MADISON IL-ST. CLAIR IL-MONROE IL-KNOX-LEWIS-
SHELBY-MARION-MONROE-RALLS-PIKE-BOONE-AUDRAIN-MONITEAU-COLE-OSAGE-
CALLAWAY-MONTGOMERY-LINCOLN-GASCONADE-WARREN-ST. CHARLES-FRANKLIN-
ST. LOUIS-ST. LOUIS CITY-JEFFERSON-CRAWFORD-WASHINGTON-
ST. FRANCOIS-STE. GENEVIEVE-IRON-MADISON-REYNOLDS-
750 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN AND
CENTRAL MISSOURI AS WELL AS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING AHEAD OF A
STRONG COLD FRONT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WITH
THE THREATS INCLUDING LARGE HAIL TO NICKEL SIZE...DAMAGING WINDS
TO 70 MPH...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
CONVECTIVE WATCHES...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST STORM PREDICTION
CENTER WATCH PRODUCTS.

DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THE STORMS...SOME TRAINING IS EXPECTED...
AND THAT HEAVY RAINFALL WILL FALL ON GROUND THAT IS EITHER FROZEN
OR SATURATED...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCT.

VERY WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING...BOTH
AHEAD OF AND BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH
LATER TODAY AND THIS EVENING. EXPECT SOUTH WINDS 25 TO 30 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 40 TO 45 MPH TO SHIFT TO THE WEST WITH PASSAGE OF
THE FRONT...AND GUSTS INCREASING TO 45 TO 50 MPH. A WIND ADVISORY
IS IN EFFECT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO THE
ADVISORY PRODUCT.

PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGEOVER TO A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...
SLEET...AND SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING OVER PARTS
OF NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AS
COLDER AIR SPILLS INTO THE REGION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SNOW ON FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY...ESPECIALLY LATE THIS MORNING AND
THIS AFTERNOON.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE)... HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LSX/?N=HWO1

TES

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 27, 9:55 AM CST, 35 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
955 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

0940 AM     TORNADO          THOMPSON                39.19N 91.98W
12/27/2008                   AUDRAIN            MO   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            PUBLIC REPORTED A BRIEF TORNADO IN A FIELD NEAR THOMPSON.
            NO DAMAGE REPORTED.

&&

JKRAMPER
Local storm report, Dec 27, 10:06 AM CST, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1006 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

1005 AM     HAIL             MEXICO                  39.17N 91.87W
12/27/2008  E0.50 INCH       AUDRAIN            MO   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

JKRAMPER
Local storm report, Dec 27, 10:07 AM CST, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1007 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

1007 AM     HAIL             JEFFERSON CITY          38.57N 92.19W
12/27/2008  E0.25 INCH       COLE               MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JKRAMPER
Local storm report, Dec 27, 10:10 AM CST, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1010 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

1009 AM     HAIL             JEFFERSON CITY          38.57N 92.19W
12/27/2008  E0.25 INCH       COLE               MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WEST SIDE OF JEFFERSON CITY. PEA SIZE HAIL COVERED THE
            GROUND. LIGHT WIND.

&&

JKRAMPER
Local storm report, Dec 27, 10:24 AM CST, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1024 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

0920 AM     TSTM WND DMG     EWING                   40.01N 91.71W
12/27/2008                   LEWIS              MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HOUSE NEAR EWING HAD SHINGLES BLOWN OFF AND A DECK
            DAMAGED.

&&

JKRAMPER
Local storm report, Dec 27, 10:25 AM CST, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1025 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

0935 AM     TSTM WND DMG     CANTON                  40.13N 91.52W
12/27/2008                   LEWIS              MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN IN CANTON.

&&

JKRAMPER

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Davenport, (KDVN), 12:00Z

4.5 hours before the tornado, 197 km from the path. December 27, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2008-12-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 6 joules per kilogram, CIN -165, lifted condensation level 851 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2008-12-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 196 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 60 knots.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
6 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-165 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
851 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
196 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
215 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1
0-3 km lapse rate
4.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Davenport, (KDVN), 00:00Z

7.5 hours after it, 197 km from the path. December 28, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2008-12-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN 0, lifted condensation level 441 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2008-12-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 317 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 114 knots.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
441 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
114 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
317 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
1.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Quincy (UIN), 7 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in IllinoisEvery tornado in Illinois since 1950Warnings in force in Illinois nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of December 27, 2008

9 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
December 279:16 AM CSTEF0McDonald, MO0.325
December 279:26 AM CSTEF0Barry, MO0.325$5,000
December 2710:03 AM CSTEF1Audrain, MO3.530
December 2710:03 AM CSTEF0Ralls, MO5.040
December 2710:07 AM CSTEF0Ralls, MO0.930
December 2710:33 AM CSTEF0Adams, IL0.730
December 2711:10 AM CSTEF1Lincoln, MO1.140
December 2711:20 AM CSTEF0McDonough, IL0.350
December 2711:37 AM CSTEF0Franklin, TX1.450$15,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.