Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2022
EF0 tornado, Saint Clair County, Illinois, May 19, 2022
This EF0 tornado ran 0.2 miles across Saint Clair County on May 19, 2022, touching down at 5:44 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $10,000 of property damage.
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.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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
- EF0
- Date
- May 19, 2022
- Touchdown
- 5:44 PM CDT (22:44 UTC)
- Lifted
- 5:45 PM CDT (22:45 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.2 miles (0.4 km)
- Path width
- 50 yards (46 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $10,000
- County
- Saint Clair County
- Touchdown point
- 38.614, -89.751
- Lift-off point
- 38.617, -89.749
- Record number
- 2205191644-01
The damage survey
35 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LSX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 110 mph.
- Up to 200 yards wide. Widespread snapped trees
- Path through field to trees on other side
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 21:39 UTC and running to 00:10 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:37 UTC | 17:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 21:38 UTC | 22:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 21:39 UTC | 00:10 UTC | Tornado Watch | LSX |
| 22:06 UTC | 22:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 22:16 UTC | 22:35 UTC | Tornado Warning | LSX |
| 22:27 UTC | 23:02 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 22:44 UTC | 01:45 UTC | Flood Advisory | LSX |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 20:00 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.
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.
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z
10.7 hours before the tornado, 197 km from the path. May 19, 2022.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -92563 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1850 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 68 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 56 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.4 K/km
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z
1.3 hours after it, 197 km from the path. May 20, 2022.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 555 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -141 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1110 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1519 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 36 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 114 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.2 K/km
The surface observations
Belleville - Scott AFB (BLV), 12 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:56 UTC | 80.6 | 73 | 130° 10 kt | 1000 | ||
| 21:40 UTC | 78.8 | 71.6 | 110° 6 kt | 1000 | -DZ | |
| 21:49 UTC | 78.8 | 71.6 | 100° 7 kt | 999.7 | ||
| 21:56 UTC | 77.5 | 72 | 100° 8 kt | 999 | ||
| 22:22 UTC | 77 | 71.6 | 100° 8 kt | 998.3 | -RA | |
| 22:37 UTC | 77 | 71.6 | 130° 8 kt | 998.3 | VCTS | |
| 22:42 UTC | 77 | 71.6 | 160° 16 kt | 41 | 999 | VCTS -RA SQ |
| 22:44 UTC | 75.2 | 68 | 180° 20 kt | 41 | 1000 | +RA SQ |
| 22:45 UTC | 71.6 | 66.2 | 210° 16 kt | 41 | 1000.7 | +TSRA SQ |
| 22:59 UTC | 67 | 63 | 180° 9 kt | 23 | 1000 | -TSRA |
| 23:01 UTC | 66.2 | 62.6 | 180° 12 kt | 26 | 1000 | -TSRA |
| 23:14 UTC | 66.2 | 62.6 | 200° 5 kt | 999 | VCTS -RA | |
| 23:19 UTC | 66.2 | 62.6 | 200° 7 kt | 999 | -TSRA | |
| 23:56 UTC | 66.2 | 63.5 | 170° 13 kt | 25 | 998.6 | -RA |
| 00:02 UTC | 66.2 | 64.4 | 180° 9 kt | 24 | 998.6 | |
| 00:12 UTC | 66.2 | 64.4 | 180° 10 kt | 21 | 999.3 | |
| 00:42 UTC | 68 | 66.2 | 190° 7 kt | 999.3 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:44 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Ruma | Randolph, IL | TREES FALLEN OVER RTE 155, POWER LINES DOWN AND POWER OUTAGE. |
| 22:26 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Baldwin | Randolph, IL | REPORT OF LARGE LIMBS DOWN. |
| 22:28 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ssw Freeburg | St. Clair, IL | PHOTOS SHOW A MACHINE SHED MOSTLY DESTROYED ON PRESS RD. |
| 22:29 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Sw Freeburg | St. Clair, IL | ROOF DAMAGE ON MULTIPLE HOMES. |
| 22:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Wsw Freeburg | St. Clair, IL | DOWNED TREES ON HOMES ON WEST END OF FREEBURG. |
| 22:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Freeburg | St. Clair, IL | NUMEROUS 12 INCH DIAMETER TREE LIMBS DOWN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF FREEBURG. SECTIONS OF CITY WITHOUT POWER DUE TO DOWNED LINES BY LARGE TREE LIMBS. |
| 22:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Se Belleville | St. Clair, IL | ROOF BLOWN OFF OF A BUILDING ON E. MAIN STREET JUST WEST OF INTERSECTION WITH WALNUT STREET. DEBRIS WAS THROWN TO THE NORTH CAUSING ROOF DAMAGE TO BUILDING AT CORNER OF EAST A STREET AND WALNUT STREET. VIA VIDEO FROM KMO |
| 22:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Belleville | St. Clair, IL | NUMEROUS 4 INCH DIAMETER TREE LIMBS DOWN. TWITTER REPORT. |
| 22:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Se Belleville | St. Clair, IL | VIA TWITTER WITH PICTURE INCLUDED: MODERATE ROOF DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE. DEBRIS SCATTERED OVER ROADWAYS IN TOWN. |
| 22:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 W Eden | Randolph, IL | LARGE TREE DOWN OVER POWERLINES AT BELMONT AND ST. LOUIS ST. MORE TREE DAMAGE AND DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES IN TOWN. |
| 22:37 UTC | TSTM WND GST 49 | 1 Ese Sparta | Randolph, IL | |
| 22:40 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ssw Shiloh | St. Clair, IL | LARGE TREE ON HOUSE. |
| 22:40 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Glen Carbon | Madison, IL | SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED BRANCHES DOWN ON THE GROUND. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. TWITTER REPORT. |
| 22:44 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lebanon | St. Clair, IL | ROOF REMOVED FROM A HOME AND DISPLACED INTO A TREE APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS AWAY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. |
| 22:44 UTC | TORNADO | 1 N Summerfield | St. Clair, IL | BRIEF EF0 TORNADO IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL AREA JUST EAST OF SUMMERFIELD ST/ST. JACOB RD DOING TREE DAMAGE TO THE PROPERTY. THE TORNADO TRACKED NNE THREE-TENTHS OF A MILE, PASSED THROUGH A ROW OF TREES AND LIFTED OVER AN O |
| 22:46 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ene Mascoutah | St. Clair, IL | 3 IN LIMBS BLOWN DOWN. |
| 22:49 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ssw Frogtown | Washington, IL | DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE WITH DOWNSTREAM DEBRIS FIELD. |
| 22:49 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Ssw Frogtown | Washington, IL | CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND DMG REPORT FROM 1 SSW FROGTOWN. DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE WITH DOWNSTREAM DEBRIS FIELD. |
| 22:49 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 8 N Cutler | Perry, IL | TREE REPORTED DOWN ON COLUMBINE RD 2 MILES SW OF SWANWICK. |
| 22:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Albers | Clinton, IL | A 3-FOOT WIDE TREE LIMB DOWNED FROM A 40-FOOT TALL ASH TREE. DAMAGE IN THE AREA WAS RATHER SPORADIC AND NOT CONTINUOUS. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. |
| 22:56 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ene Pocahontas | Bond, IL | MULTIPLE TREES DOWN. POWER LINES DOWN. |
| 22:56 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wnw Nashville | Washington, IL | TREE DAMAGE, A SHED DOWN, AND NO POWER IN THE VICINITY. |
| 22:58 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sw Addieville | Washington, IL | REPORT FROM MPING: TREES UPROOTED OR SNAPPED; ROOF BLOWN OFF. |
| 23:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ene Highland | Madison, IL | HOUSE DAMAGE INCLUDED SHINGLES AND SMALL PIECES OF ROOF MISSING IN ADDITION TO BUCKLED SIDING. A LARGE CAMPER WAS SHIFTED 7 FEET, AND LAWN FURNITURE AND PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT WAS TOSSED. |
| 23:01 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Se Saint Rose | Clinton, IL | WIDESPREAD DAMAGE NORTH OF BREESE ON JAMESTOWN ROAD. SILO TOPS BLOWN OFF. MACHINE SHEDS AND GRAIN BINS DESTROYED. |
| 23:11 UTC | FLOOD | Wood River | Madison, IL | STREET FLOODING. |
| 23:14 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Keyesport | Clinton, IL | VIA TWITTER WITH PICTURE: STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN TOWN. |
| 00:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 2.1 | Beckemeyer | Clinton, IL | RAINFALL BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 7 P.M. TODAY. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2022 tornado in IllinoisEvery tornado in Illinois since 1950Warnings in force in Illinois nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 19, 2022
12 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19 | 2:54 PM CDT | EF1 | Phelps, MO | 3.0 | 200 | $40,000 | ||
| May 19 | 3:19 PM CDT | EF1 | Phelps, MO | 1.0 | 100 | |||
| May 19 | 4:16 PM CDT | EF0 | Franklin, MO | 2.5 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| May 19 | 4:23 PM CDT | EF1 | Franklin, MO | 1.3 | 100 | $30,000 | ||
| May 19 | 4:50 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Louis, MO | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 19 | 4:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Louis, MO | 3.0 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| May 19 | 5:03 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Louis, MO | 1.3 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| May 19 | 5:06 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Louis, MO | 0.8 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| May 19 | 5:53 PM CDT | EF0 | Clinton, IL | 1.6 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| May 19 | 5:57 PM CDT | EF1 | Clinton, IL | 16.6 | 250 | $70,000 | ||
| May 19 | 8:20 PM CDT | EF0 | Monroe, WI | 0.3 | 60 | $90,000 | ||
| May 19 | 9:31 PM CDT | EF2 | Wabash, IL to IN | 26.9 | 300 | $705,000 |
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.