Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2008

EF1 tornado, Kendricktown to Avilla, Missouri, May 10, 2008

Name: EF1 tornado, Kendricktown to Avilla, Missouri, May 10, 2008
Start: 2008-05-10T23:08:00.000Z
End: 2008-05-10T23:13:00.000Z
Location: Kendricktown to Avilla, Missouri

From Kendricktown to Avilla, this EF1 tornado ran 3.0 miles across Jasper County on May 10, 2008, touching down at 6:08 PM CDT and reaching 440 yards wide. It killed 1 person and injured 10, and did $1.0 million 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: May 10, 2008
Touchdown: 6:08 PM CDT (23:08 UTC)
Lifted: 6:13 PM CDT (23:13 UTC)
On the ground: 5 minutes
Path length: 3.0 miles (4.9 km)
Path width: 440 yards (402 m)
Deaths: 1
Injuries: 10
Property damage: $1.0 million
County: Jasper County
Touchdown point: 37.183, -94.219
Lift-off point: 37.182, -94.164
Record number: 0805101708-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Three tornadoes were spawned from supercell thunderstorms that developed over southeast Kansas. These storms quickly moved into southwest Missouri causing devestating damage to homes, businesses, and trees in Newton, Barry, and Jasper counties. One tornado, with an intensity that ranged from EF-4 to EF-1, killed 15 people as it tracked through Newton and Barry counties, while another tornado killed one person in Jasper County.

A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado impacted rural areas east of Carthage. One fatality occurred from a large tree falling on a mobile home. A 17 year old female was struck by the tree when taking cover. Five other homes had moderate damage while numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Several outbuildings were also destroyed.

The deaths

1 direct deaths are recorded for this tornado, each with what Storm Data knows of it.

Age	Sex	Where	Kind
17	F	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct

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

The warnings

33 minutes of warning. NWS SGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:35 UTC, 33 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 16:29 UTC and running to 00:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)	Expired	Product	Office
16:29 UTC	00:00 UTC	Tornado Watch	SGF
22:28 UTC	23:30 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF
22:35 UTC	23:15 UTC	Tornado Warning	SGF
23:16 UTC	23:50 UTC	Tornado Warning	SGF
23:23 UTC	02:58 UTC	Flood Advisory	SGF
01:04 UTC	15:50 UTC	Wind Advisory	SGF

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 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 20:09 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), 12:00Z

11.1 hours before the tornado, 47 km from the path. May 10, 2008.

Skew-T log-p

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.

Hodograph

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: -84997 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1161 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0
0-3 km lapse rate: 3.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 00:00Z

0.9 hours after it, 47 km from the path. May 11, 2008.

Skew-T log-p

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.

Hodograph

Mixed-layer CAPE: 1049 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -94 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 170 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 590 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 76 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 354 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 343 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 6.1
0-3 km lapse rate: 5.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:06 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
22:30 UTC	HAIL 1.5	1 Se Shoal Creek Drive	Newton, MO
22:50 UTC	HAIL 1.75	3 W Leawood	Newton, MO	GOLFBALL HAIL AT MILE MARKER 1 ON I-44.
22:53 UTC	HAIL 1	N Joplin	Jasper, MO
22:55 UTC	HAIL 1.25	Joplin	Jasper, MO	32ND STREET AT REEDS LINE ROAD
22:55 UTC	HAIL 2.75	Joplin	Jasper, MO	BASEBALL SIZE HAIL 22ND STREET AND WINDFIELD.
22:58 UTC	HAIL 1.75	Joplin	Jasper, MO
22:59 UTC	TORNADO 4	6 N Seneca	Newton, MO	* 13 FATAL, 200 INJ * AT 559 PM...A TORNADO CROSSED THE MISSOURI OKLAHOMA BORDER JUST NORTH OF IRIS ROAD IN NEWTON COUNTY. THIS TORNADO TRACKED EAST SOUTHEAST CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY
22:59 UTC	TORNADO	1 W Redings Mill	Newton, MO	TORNADO AT INTERSECTION OF BETHEL AND IRIS ROAD WEST OF REDINGSMILL.
23:00 UTC	LIGHTNING	Lockwood	Dade, MO	LIGHTNING STRUCK A HOME CAUSING IT TO CATCH FIRE. TIME ESTIMATED.
23:03 UTC	TORNADO	2 Nw Racine	Newton, MO	* 10 FATAL * TORNADO DAMAGED OR DESTROYED NUMEROUS BUILDINGS. PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE 10 FATALITIES...EIGHT NORTHWEST OF RACINE AND TWO NORTH OF RACINE. NWS STORM SURVEY WILL BE DONE TOMORROW.
23:03 UTC	TORNADO	5 Nne Seneca	Newton, MO	TORNADO HAS STRUCK NUMEROUS RESIDENCES BETWEEN SENECA AND NEOSHO. INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.
23:05 UTC	TORNADO	3 Nnw Neosho	Newton, MO	SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE ALONG HIGHAY 71. HIGHWAY CLOSED. INJRIES POSSIBLE. UNKNOWN NUMBER.
23:05 UTC	TORNADO	4 Wnw Neosho	Newton, MO
23:07 UTC	TSTM WND GST 65	2 E Joplin	Jasper, MO	ESTIMATED GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 65 MPH.
23:14 UTC	TORNADO	2 N Neosho	Newton, MO	STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NORTH OF NEOSHO.
23:15 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sw Granby	Newton, MO	EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE INCLUDING A 30 BY 40 FOOT BUILDING DESTROYED.
23:15 UTC	HAIL 1	Monett	Barry, MO	QUATER SIZE HAIL FALLING. SHEET METAL IS ALSO FALLING FROM THE SKY.
23:16 UTC	TORNADO	1 S Sarcoxie	Newton, MO	TORNADO ON THE GROUND AT HIGHWAY 37 AND UNICORN.
23:20 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	4 E Carthage	Jasper, MO	* 1 FATAL * TREE LANDED ON TRAILER HOUSE APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES EAST OF CARTHAGE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 96 NEAR COUNTY ROAD 80. DAMAGE PATH FROM COUNTY ROAD 80 TO COUNTY ROAD 130.
23:20 UTC	HAIL 1	Granby	Newton, MO	QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WINDS IN GRANBY.
23:20 UTC	TORNADO 1	6 Ene Carthage	Jasper, MO	* 1 FATAL, 10 INJ * AN NWS SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT A EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN EAST-NORTHEAST OF CARTHAGE JUST NORTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF IVY ROAD AND 90TH ROAD AND TRACKED EAST TO NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
23:20 UTC	TORNADO	6 Ene Carthage	Jasper, MO	* 1 FATAL * AN NWS SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT A EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN EAST-NORTHEAST OF CARTHAGE JUST NORTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF IVY ROAD AND 90TH ROAD AND TRACKED EAST TO NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF IVY ROAD
23:20 UTC	TORNADO	Newtonia	Newton, MO	SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN NEWTONIA
23:24 UTC	TORNADO	3 Nne Fairview	Barry, MO	* 1 FATAL * THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE TORNADO THAT TRAVERSED NEWTON COUNTY. A TORNADO WITH A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF 200 YARDS CROSSED INTO BARRY COUNTY 3 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF FAIRVIEW. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO
23:29 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 S Neosho	Newton, MO	LARGE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
23:30 UTC	HAIL 0.88	3 Ne Monett	Lawrence, MO
23:37 UTC	TORNADO	2 W Purdy	Barry, MO	TORNADO REPORTED WEST OF PURDY MOVING EAST.
23:38 UTC	HAIL 0.88	2 N Monett	Lawrence, MO	LOTS OF NICKEL SIZE HAIL FALLING.
23:40 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 W Purdy	Barry, MO	STORM DAMAGE REPORTED IN THE AREA OF HWY 97 AND B HWY. 3 BARNS DESTROYED, 3 LARGE TREES UPROOTED, AND THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF OF A HOUSE.
23:40 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Purdy	Barry, MO	LARGE LIMBS DOWN IN PURDY
23:40 UTC	HAIL 1	1 N Monett	Lawrence, MO
23:43 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	5 S Pierce City	Barry, MO	TREES UPROOTED SOUTH OF PIERCE CITY.
23:43 UTC	HAIL 1.75	Monett	Barry, MO	GOLFBALL HAIL AND 60 MPH WINDS IN MONETT
23:50 UTC	HAIL 0.75	Rocky Comfort	Mcdonald, MO
23:58 UTC	TORNADO	2 Wnw Jenkins	Barry, MO	A NWS STORM SURVEY HAS FOUND EVIDENCE OF AN EF1 TORNADO WITH A DAMAGE PATH A HALF MILE WIDE ALONG AND SOUTH OF FLAT CREEK. THE BEGINNING OF THE TORNADO WAS AT 36.813 AND 93.783 EXTENDING TO 36.795 93.745 AND ENDED WITH E
23:59 UTC	LIGHTNING	Lockwood	Dade, MO	HOUSE STRUCK BY LIGHTING AND CAUGHT FIRE. TIME ESTIMATED.
00:00 UTC	HAIL 1	5 Ssw Purdy	Barry, MO
00:10 UTC	TORNADO	1 Ne Purdy	Barry, MO	DAMAGE TO 4 TRAILER HOMES...A CHURCH...HOMES...AND SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS IN THE PURDY AREA.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2008 tornado in Missouri Every tornado in Missouri since 1950 Warnings in force in Missouri now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 10, 2008

36 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 10	1:28 PM CDT	EF0	Washington, AR	0.1	50
May 10	5:03 PM CDT	EF2	Pittsburg, OK	8.2	200			$500,000
May 10	5:15 PM CDT	EF0	Labette, KS	0.3	50
May 10	5:19 PM CDT	EF0	McIntosh, OK	0.1	50
May 10	5:19 PM CDT	EF0	Labette, KS	1.0	60
May 10	5:19 PM CDT	EF0	Cherokee, KS	2.0	150			$10,000
May 10	5:20 PM CDT	EF4	Picher–Neosho tornado, Oklahoma and Missouri	75.5	1,760	21	350	$61 million
May 10	5:21 PM CDT	EF0	Pittsburg, OK	0.1	50
May 10	5:25 PM CDT	EF0	Pittsburg, OK	0.5	75
May 10	5:25 PM CDT	EF0	Mayes, OK	0.1	50
May 10	5:34 PM CDT	EF0	Latimer, OK	5.5	100
May 10	5:42 PM CDT	EF2	Pittsburg, OK	19.0	580		4	$1.2 million
May 10	5:48 PM CDT	EF1	Ottawa, OK	2.3	200
May 10	6:05 PM CDT	EF2	Pushmataha, OK	3.5	100			$75,000
May 10	6:30 PM CDT	EF1	Pushmataha, OK	1.5	200
May 10	6:35 PM CDT	EF1	Pushmataha, OK	0.5	100
May 10	6:35 PM CDT	EF1	Benton, AR	1.5	100			$100,000
May 10	6:58 PM CDT	EF0	Barry, MO	3.8	800
May 10	7:05 PM CDT	EF0	McCurtain, OK	0.4	50
May 10	7:14 PM CDT	EF1	White, AR	9.2	350			$25,000
May 10	7:42 PM CDT	EF0	White, AR	0.0	8
May 10	7:47 PM CDT	EF1	Lonoke, AR	2.7	400
May 10	7:51 PM CDT	EF0	Franklin, AR	0.1	50
May 10	7:55 PM CDT	EF1	Sevier, AR	1.5	100			$250,000
May 10	7:57 PM CDT	EF1	Woodruff, AR	10.2	500			$90,000
May 10	7:57 PM CDT	EF3	Arkansas, AR	14.1	1,320		9	$75 million
May 10	8:26 PM CDT	EF1	Monroe, AR	4.4	700			$25,000
May 10	9:04 PM CDT	EF0	Hempstead, AR	1.0	50			$5,000
May 10	9:32 PM CDT	EF1	Nevada, AR	2.4	50
May 10	9:33 PM CDT	EF1	Quitman, MS	0.3	30			$25,000
May 10	10:15 PM CDT	EF1	Tallahatchie, MS	8.7	100		2	$185,000
May 10	11:00 PM CDT	EF1	Lauderdale, AL	1.6	250			$100,000
May 10	11:18 PM CDT	EF1	Marion, AL	25.5	400			$100,000
May 10	11:59 PM CDT	EF1	Lauderdale, AL	1.0	250			$5,000
May 10	12:27 AM CDT	EF1	Walker, AL	9.3	400			$20,000
May 10	12:37 AM CDT	EF2	Walker, AL	13.5	330			$155,000

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.