Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2006

F0 tornado, Friedenburg, Missouri, July 21, 2006

This F0 tornado ran 0.2 miles across Perry County on July 21, 2006, touching down at 12:47 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 Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mphthis tornado

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

  2. F173 to 112 mph

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

  3. F2113 to 157 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. F3158 to 206 mph

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

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

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

  6. F5261 to 318 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
F0
Date
July 21, 2006
Touchdown
12:47 PM CDT (17:47 UTC)
Path length
0.2 miles (0.3 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
County
Perry County
Touchdown point
37.680, -89.770
Lift-off point
37.680, -89.770
Record number
752

What the Weather Service recorded

At the southeast corner of an area of straight-line wind damage, a weak tornado briefly developed. Hay bales were tossed into a bean field. Downed trees and tree limbs were tossed in different directions. A porch overhang on a house was lifted enough to dislodge the support columns. Damage to siding and shingles occurred. Peak winds were estimated near 70 MPH.

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

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 severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 14:25 UTC and running to 18:01 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
14:25 UTC18:01 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchPAH
17:24 UTC18:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAH
17:49 UTC18:15 UTCTornado WarningPAH
18:01 UTC20:33 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchPAH
18:25 UTC18:55 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAH

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 Moderate Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:17 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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jul 21, 2:00 AM CDT, 10 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:00 AM CDT, 10 hours 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
200 AM CDT FRI JUL 21 2006

.DISCUSSION...
THE BRIEFING WAS THAT THE GFS WAS SCREAMING CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK BUT
IT SURE IS HANDLING NEAR TERM CONVECTION WELL...BETTER THAN WRF.
MAIN COMPLEX OF TSMS IN VCNTY OF SURFACE LOW...SHOULD CONT ESE SLIDE
AND AFFECT MAINLY NERN PTNS PAH FA EARLY THIS AM. AFTER THAT IS WHEN
MAYBE THE FEEDBACK COMES INTO PLAY AND AS SUCH WELL USE GFS W/
CAUTION AND IN TANDEM W/ WRF. BOTH MODELS DIVE FRONT SOUTH ACROSS FA
BY LATE FRIDAY-FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH CONVECTION DEVELOPING JUST TO THE
WEST DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND EXPANDING EAST OVER ENTIRE QUAD
STATE OVERNIGHT. AS A RESULT WEVE UPPED POPS TO CATEGORICAL FRI
NIGHT W/LOWEST MODEL MOS OUTPUT OF ANY KIND IN THE HIGH LIKELY CATEGORY.

THE FRONT WILL BE DRIVEN THRU BY THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROF
FAIRLY EARLY IN THE DAY SATURDAY...THEREFORE WEVE ELIMINATED POPS
AFT 18Z. GFS IS FASTER THAN WRF BUT BOTH ARE QUICK AND HAVE BEEN
TRENDING FASTER SO WERE REASONABLY COMFORTABLE EXITING PCPN BY
THEN. CERTAINLY NUMERICAL MOS OUTPUT OF ALL MODELS SUPPORTS DOING SO.

AFTER THAT THERE IS LITTLE CHANGE OTHER THAN THE ELIMINATION OF A
SLGT CHANCE TUE. WE CONSIDERED SHIFTING IT TO TUE NIGHT BUT THEN WE
REALLY COULDNT RULE OUT 20 POPS DEFINITIVELY FOR SEVERAL TIME
PERIODS. GIVEN THE DRY POST FRONTAL REGIME IN THE NEAR TERM...WE
DECIDED TO JUST WAIT TIL THE MODELS BEGIN TO OUTPUT A MORE CONDUCIVE
TO PCPN PATTERN. THIS LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE COMING TOGETHER BY DAY
7 BUT WELL FOLLOW THE USUAL ROUTINE AND WAIT FOR SOME CONSISTENCY
ON THIS OUTPUT BEFORE INTRODUCING IT.

NEAR TERM NGM MOS LOOKS GOOD BLENDED INTO MAV/MEX MOS AND THE
COLLABORATIVE PICTURE IN THE MEDIUM-LONG RANGE.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 11:25 AM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1125 AM CDT FRI JUL 21 2006

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-221630-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
1125 AM CDT FRI JUL 21 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE
AREA TODAY. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN
THREATS...WITH SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE LARGE
AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN MOVING INTO THE
AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA. THE THREAT FOR
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA LATER
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A LINGERING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY...
HOWEVER...NO WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS
TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVIATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 12:41 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1241 PM CDT FRI JUL 21 2006

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

1236 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 N WALTONVILLE         38.27N 89.04W
07/21/2006                   JEFFERSON          IL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF A HOUSE. LARGE LIMBS DOWN

1236 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 N WALTONVILLE         38.27N 89.04W
07/21/2006                   JEFFERSON          IL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF A HOUSE. LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN.

&&

RB
Local storm report, Jul 21, 12:45 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1245 PM CDT FRI JUL 21 2006

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

1240 PM     TSTM WND DMG     10 W MOUNT VERNON       38.32N 89.10W
07/21/2006                   JEFFERSON          IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            8 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWN

&&

JG
Local storm report, Jul 21, 12:47 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1247 PM CDT FRI JUL 21 2006

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

1241 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 N WALTONVILLE         38.27N 89.04W
07/21/2006  E60 MPH          JEFFERSON          IL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

JG

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

5.8 hours before the tornado, 293 km from the path. July 21, 2006.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2006-07-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 801 joules per kilogram, CIN -126, lifted condensation level 646 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2006-07-21The 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 -3 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 27 knots.193958Sfc1 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
801 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-126 J/kg
Surface CAPE
895 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
646 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
3 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.3
0-3 km lapse rate
3.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z

6.2 hours after it, 293 km from the path. July 22, 2006.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2006-07-22Temperature 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 -70378, lifted condensation level 554 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2006-07-22The 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 -128 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 43 knots.19395878Sfc1 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
-70378 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
554 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-128 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Carbondale/Murph (MDH), 47 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
15:54 UTC8976300° 6 kt1013.5HZ
16:54 UTC9077 5 kt1013.2
17:54 UTC817110° 25 kt391013.2HZ
18:03 UTC75.26820° 24 kt341013.5
18:08 UTC73.46810° 17 kt321014.9TS
18:12 UTC73.469.8330° 12 kt301015.6+TSRA BR
18:15 UTC71.669.8360° 16 kt301014.9+TSRA BR
18:19 UTC71.669.820° 21 kt1013.9+TSRA FG
18:27 UTC71.669.810° 15 kt251014.6+TSRA FG
18:33 UTC71.669.8300° 10 kt231015.6+TSRA BR
18:42 UTC71.669.8270° 8 kt1016.6+TSRA BR
18:54 UTC7269 5 kt1016.3+TSRA BR
19:17 UTC71.669.8100° 10 kt1013.5-TSRA BR

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

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 17:47 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
18:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGDaisyCape Girardeau, MO3 FOOT DIAMETER TREES DOWN
18:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGDaisyCape Girardeau, MO3 INCH DIAMETER TREES DOWN
18:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGSedgewickvilleBollinger, MOTREES DOWN ACROSS HWY.
18:45 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 N PerryvillePerry, MOSHERIFF OFFICE REPORTED TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 5...ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF PERRYVILLE

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2006 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 21, 2006

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 2111:37 AM CDTF0Madison, IL4.050
July 2111:38 AM CDTF0Madison, IL5.550
July 2111:42 AM CDTF0Saint Clair, IL6.060
July 2111:55 AM CDTF1Clinton, IL2.560
July 2112:05 PM CDTF0Washington, IL7.0100

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.