Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2008

EF0 tornado, Licking, Missouri, March 27, 2008

This EF0 tornado ran 0.1 miles across Texas County on March 27, 2008, touching down at 8:00 PM CDT 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 mphthis tornado

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    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
EF0
Date
March 27, 2008
Touchdown
8:00 PM CDT (01:00 UTC)
Lifted
8:01 PM CDT (01:01 UTC)
On the ground
1 minutes
Path length
0.1 miles (0.1 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Texas County
Touchdown point
37.475, -91.861
Lift-off point
37.476, -91.859
Record number
0803271900-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Severe thunderstorms containing large hail impacted numerous locations across the Missouri Ozarks Region.

A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that a weak tornado briefly touched down in an open field south of Licking. No damage occurred from the tornado.

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

The warnings

38 minutes of warning. NWS SGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 00:22 UTC, 38 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 01:00 UTC.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 21:43 UTC and running to 06:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
21:43 UTC06:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchSGF
23:54 UTC00:35 UTCTornado WarningSGF
00:22 UTC01:00 UTCTornado WarningSGF
00:54 UTC01:22 UTCTornado WarningSGF

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 Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:28 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.

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 00:00Z

1.0 hours before the tornado, 183 km from the path. March 28, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2008-03-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1283 joules per kilogram, CIN -25, lifted condensation level 1560 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2008-03-28The 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 102 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 40 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
1283 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1689 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1560 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
204 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
5.1
0-3 km lapse rate
7.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 12:00Z

11.0 hours after it, 183 km from the path. March 28, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2008-03-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 4 joules per kilogram, CIN 0, lifted condensation level 499 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2008-03-28The 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 -71 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 57 knots.1939587897Sfc1 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Surface CAPE
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
499 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-71 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
125 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
1.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 139 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:01 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
23:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGLaqueyPulaski, MOTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED.
23:39 UTCTORNADO1 S WaynesvillePulaski, MOBRIEF TOUCHDOWN OF TORNADO REPORTED NEAR HWY H AND POLLA RD BY 911 CALL.
23:40 UTCHAIL 2.75LaqueyPulaski, MOBASEBALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED
23:43 UTCTSTM WND GST 06 Se StoutlandLaclede, MO70-80 MPH WINDS REPORTED WITH DAMAGE TO SEVERAL SMALL STRUCTURES.
23:43 UTCTSTM WND GST 806 Se StoutlandLaclede, MO70-80 MPH WINDS REPORTED WITH DAMAGE TO SEVERAL SMALL STRUCTURES.
23:44 UTCTSTM WND GST 70WaynesvillePulaski, MO
23:44 UTCHAIL 0.75WaynesvillePulaski, MO
23:49 UTCHAIL 11 Wnw NorthwyePhelps, MOTIME ESTIMATED
23:50 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD1 E RollaPhelps, MOFUNNEL CLOUD NEAR INTERSTATE 44.
23:50 UTCHAIL 0.751 E RollaPhelps, MOPENNY SIZE HAIL ON INTERSTATE 44.
23:53 UTCTSTM WND DMGLaqueyPulaski, MOESTIMATED 70 MPH WIND. POWER LINES DOWN.
23:55 UTCHAIL 0.88St. RobertPulaski, MONICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED
23:56 UTCHAIL 1.75Fort Leonard WoodPulaski, MOREPORTED AT THE BASE
00:08 UTCHAIL 1.753 Nw BeulahPhelps, MOHAIL COVERING THE GROUND RANGING FROM PEA TO GOLF BALL SIZE IN THE TOWN OF DUKE.
00:10 UTCHAIL 11 W Edgar SpringsPhelps, MOTIME ESTIMATED
00:10 UTCHAIL 1.75CompetitionLaclede, MO
00:20 UTCHAIL 1.75LenoxDent, MO
00:20 UTCTORNADOEdgar SpringsPhelps, MOTORNADO REPORTED NEAR EDGAR SPRINGS. TIME ESTIMATED.
00:27 UTCHAIL 1.255 N LynchburgLaclede, MODIME TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL
00:30 UTCHAIL 17 N LickingPhelps, MO
00:30 UTCHAIL 18 N LickingPhelps, MOTIME AND LOCATION ESTIMATED.
00:30 UTCHAIL 1.75LenoxDent, MOGOLFBALL SIZE COVERING THE GROUND.
00:36 UTCHAIL 1.25FalconLaclede, MO
00:40 UTCHAIL 1SalemDent, MOQUARTER SIZE HAIL AT JUNCTION OF J AND 32 HIGHWAY.
00:42 UTCHAIL 1.255 N LynchburgLaclede, MO
00:44 UTCHAIL 1SalemDent, MO
00:50 UTCHAIL 1SalemDent, MO
00:51 UTCTSTM WND DMG7 Se SalemDent, MOPOLE BARN FLATTENED.
01:00 UTCHAIL 1.75LickingTexas, MO60MPH WIND DRIVEN GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL DAMAGED SIDING...CARS AND A TRAILER.
01:00 UTCTORNADO 01 S LickingTexas, MOA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICIAL CONDUCTING A STORM SURVEY IN NORTHERN TEXAS COUNTY DETERMINED THAT AN EF0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BREIFLY APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE SOUTH OF LICKING. THE TORNADO TRAVELED ALONG A 30 YARD WID
01:01 UTCHAIL 1.75LickingTexas, MOHAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZED. DAMAGE TO SIDING AND SCREENS ON A TRAILER AND OUTBUILDING.
01:02 UTCHAIL 0.7LickingTexas, MO
01:02 UTCHAIL 0.751 W LickingTexas, MO
01:05 UTCHAIL 1.53 N MontaukDent, MOTIME ESTIMATED
01:05 UTCTORNADO2 N GladdenDent, MOTORNADO NEAR HIGHWAY 19 HEADING TOWARDS TOWN OF BUNKER. TIME AND LOCATION ESTIMATED.
01:06 UTCHAIL 1LickingTexas, MO
01:06 UTCWALL CLOUDLickingTexas, MOROTATING WALL CLOUD.
01:15 UTCHAIL 1.75MontaukDent, MO
01:20 UTCHAIL 2.510 Se TurtleDent, MOTENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL NEAR TOWN OF BUNKER. TIME ESTIMATED.
01:25 UTCHAIL 1JadwinDent, MO

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

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 March 27, 2008

2 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 276:32 PM CDTEF0Muskogee, OK0.1100$125,000
March 276:32 PM CDTEF0McIntosh, OK0.9100$5,000

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.