Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2008
EF1 tornado, Idalia to Birds Corner, Missouri, January 8, 2008
From Idalia to Birds Corner, this EF1 tornado ran 4.8 miles across Stoddard County on January 8, 2008, touching down at 12:40 PM CST and reaching 120 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $250,000 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 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
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
- EF1
- Date
- January 8, 2008
- Touchdown
- 12:40 PM CST (18:40 UTC)
- Lifted
- 12:45 PM CST (18:45 UTC)
- On the ground
- 5 minutes
- Path length
- 4.8 miles (7.7 km)
- Path width
- 120 yards (110 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $250,000
- County
- Stoddard County
- Touchdown point
- 36.847, -89.836
- Lift-off point
- 36.899, -89.779
- Record number
- 0801081240-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A strengthening warm front over far southern Illinois and western Kentucky became the focus for strong to locally severe thunderstorms. As this warm front moved slowly north, dew points in the upper 50's spread north from Tennessee. Instability was weak, but low-level wind shear was very favorable.
One house was heavily damaged. The roof was partially torn off the house, and debris was thrown 100 to 200 yards. Three outbuildings and an equipment shed were destroyed. A trailer was thrown about 75 yards. Approximately ten power poles were snapped in half. Windows of vehicles were broken by debris. A few large trees were snapped. A pump house was blown into a propane tank, causing a propane leak. There were two eyewitness accounts of a funnel cloud. Peak winds were estimated at 110 mph. The average path width was about 100 yards.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
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 Jan 8, 1:07 AM CST, 11 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 8, 1:07 AM CST, 11 hours 33 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 8, 8:57 AM CST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 857 AM CST TUE JAN 8 2008 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-091100- 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- 857 AM CST TUE JAN 8 2008 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 SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARD. HOWEVER...THERE IS A ALSO A RISK OF SHORT LIVED BRIEF TORNADOES DUE TO THE STRONG WIND SHEAR IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION. THE COLD FRONT THAT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. IT SHOULD CLEAR THE PENNYRILE REGION OF WEST KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA BETWEEN 6 AND 9 PM...BRINGING AN END TO THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER IN SOME POOR DRAINAGE ARE LOW LAND AREAS TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 9:52 AM CST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 952 AM CST TUE JAN 8 2008 MOZ100-107>109-081630- BUTLER MO-CARTER MO-RIPLEY MO-WAYNE MO- 952 AM CST TUE JAN 8 2008 ...STRONG STORMS IMPACTING THE OZARK FOOTHILLS IN MISSOURI... AT 950 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEAST MISSOURI INTO NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BRIAR IN RIPLEY COUNTY. AS THIS CELL MOVES NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH...IT WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH TO LOCATIONS FROM CENTRAL RIPLEY COUNTY TO WILLIAMSVILLE THROUGH 1030 AM.
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 12:21 PM CST, 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1221 PM CST TUE JAN 8 2008 ILZ081-081915- FRANKLIN IL- 1221 PM CST TUE JAN 8 2008 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS THROUGH 115 PM CST... AT 1219 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF VERY STRONG WINDS 45 TO 55 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHRISTOPHER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE BENTON AREA...AND INTO EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY THROUGH 1250 PM CST. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
The surface observations
Cape Girardeau (CGI), 44 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 18:37 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.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of January 8, 2008
22 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 8 | 2:22 AM CST | EF1 | Barry, MO | 4.8 | 100 | $300,000 | ||
| January 8 | 2:31 AM CST | EF1 | Barry, MO | 12.1 | 200 | $2.0 million | ||
| January 8 | 2:37 AM CST | EF1 | Greene, MO | 1.1 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| January 8 | 2:50 AM CST | EF1 | Christian, MO | 5.0 | 100 | $250,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:01 AM CST | EF0 | Taney, MO | 2.9 | 20 | $75,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:16 AM CST | EF0 | Webster, MO | 7.2 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:17 AM CST | EF0 | Douglas, MO | 9.7 | 50 | $75,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:18 AM CST | EF0 | Webster, MO | 4.7 | 150 | $750,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:43 AM CST | EF1 | Douglas, MO | 2.2 | 75 | $125,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:45 AM CST | EF1 | Wright, MO | 11.9 | 150 | $200,000 | ||
| January 8 | 4:20 AM CST | EF0 | Howell, MO | 0.4 | 20 | $1,000 | ||
| January 8 | 4:27 AM CST | EF1 | Shannon, MO | 2.3 | 200 | |||
| January 8 | 4:38 AM CST | EF1 | Shannon, MO | 9.8 | 200 | $75,000 | ||
| January 8 | 4:59 AM CST | EF0 | Oregon, MO | 1.1 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| January 8 | 8:26 AM CST | EF2 | Pope, AR | 20.5 | 440 | 1 | 2 | $5.3 million |
| January 8 | 1:26 PM CST | EF0 | Cross, AR | 10.6 | 150 | $25,000 | ||
| January 8 | 1:52 PM CST | EF1 | Poinsett, AR | 0.1 | 25 | $50,000 | ||
| January 8 | 2:20 PM CST | EF1 | Mississippi, AR | 3.5 | 75 | $100,000 | ||
| January 8 | 2:58 PM CST | EF1 | Dyer, TN | 7.8 | 25 | $270,000 | ||
| January 8 | 3:30 PM CST | EF0 | Jefferson, MS | 4.9 | 50 | |||
| January 8 | 5:37 PM CST | EF1 | Simpson, MS | 19.4 | 125 | $400,000 | ||
| January 8 | 6:11 PM CST | EF0 | Rankin, MS | 0.4 | 50 | $12,000 |
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.