Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2011

EF0 tornado, Yount, Missouri, May 25, 2011

This EF0 tornado ran 0.3 miles across Perry County on May 25, 2011, touching down at 4:51 PM CDT and reaching 60 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $3,000 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.

  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
May 25, 2011
Touchdown
4:51 PM CDT (21:51 UTC)
Lifted
4:52 PM CDT (21:52 UTC)
On the ground
1 minutes
Path length
0.3 miles (0.5 km)
Path width
60 yards (55 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$3,000
County
Perry County
Touchdown point
37.638, -90.097
Lift-off point
37.640, -90.092
Record number
1105251551-01

The damage survey

1 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LSX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 83 mph.

  • Old machine shed damaged. Collapsed of the east, north and western parts of building. Pieces of tin roofing materials were tossed 40 to 60 yards to the northeast. Width of damage path 30 yards.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms occurred in the warm sector of a low pressure system over central Missouri. The air mass in the warm sector was very unstable, with afternoon mixed-layer cape values in the 2500 to 4000 j/kg range. A 65 to 75 knot mid level jet was located across Arkansas, with the nose of the jet moving into western Kentucky. This feature enhanced the lift and strong deep-layer shear already in place, creating an environment very favorable for supercells and tornadoes. A 40 to 55 knot low level jet across eastern Arkansas moved into western Kentucky during the evening, resulting in a long-track strong tornado.

Several trees and tree limbs were blown down along the north side of Highway BB. Peak winds were estimated near 75 mph.

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

The warnings

17 minutes of warning. NWS PAH issued a tornado warning for this county at 21:34 UTC, 17 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 22:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 16:14 UTC and running to 00:56 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
10:48 UTC14:36 UTCTornado WatchPAH
15:00 UTC01:00 UTCLake Wind AdvisoryPAH
16:14 UTC00:56 UTCTornado WatchPAH
21:34 UTC22:15 UTCTornado WarningPAH
22:15 UTC23:00 UTCTornado WarningPAH
22:57 UTC23:45 UTCTornado 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 High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:39 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

9.9 hours before the tornado, 308 km from the path. May 25, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2011-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1832 joules per kilogram, CIN -18, lifted condensation level 561 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 2011-05-25The 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 253 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
1832 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Surface CAPE
736 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
561 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
222 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.6
Supercell composite
10.1
0-3 km lapse rate
5.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:51 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
20:54 UTCHAIL 0.7FarmingtonSt. Francois, MO
20:55 UTCHAIL 1FarmingtonSt. Francois, MO
21:00 UTCHAIL 1FarmingtonSt. Francois, MOAT CITY HALL
21:25 UTCTSTM WND DMG8 Ne LestervilleIron, MOTREES DOWN BETWEEN JOHNSON SHUT-INS AND IRONTON.
21:30 UTCTORNADOFredericktownMadison, MODEBRIS REPORTED FLYING THROUGH THE AIR IN FREDERICKTOWN.
21:33 UTCTORNADO5 Ssw FredericktownMadison, MOTORNADO NEAR MILL CREEK PICKING UP DEBRIS MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST.
21:50 UTCTORNADO2 Sw FredericktownMadison, MOTWO SEPARATE BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS WITH DIRT AND DEBRIS AIRBORNE.
21:51 UTCTORNADO7 Sw Silver LakePerry, MOAN EF0 TORNADO DOWNED SEVERAL TREES AND TREE LIMBS ALONG HIGHWAY BB ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SILVER LAKE.
22:03 UTCTORNADO3 S PattonBollinger, MOTORNADO OUT OF SIGHT BUT DEBRIS FALLING ALONG MISSOURI HWY YY AND A.
22:13 UTCTSTM WND GST 70FarmingtonSt. Francois, MO
22:48 UTCTSTM WND GST 80Marble HillBollinger, MOWINDS ESTIMATED 70 TO 80 MPH COUNTYWIDE. TREES REPORTED DOWN ON SEVERAL ROADWAYS. ONE TREE ON HOME ALONG HWY 72. MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
23:18 UTCTORNADO8 Ne FruitlandCape Girardeau, MOSTORM SURVEY REVEALED AN EF1 TORNADO. SEE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT FOR DETAILS.
23:25 UTCTSTM WND DMGGordonvilleCape Girardeau, MOROOF BLOWN OFF OF BARN. WALL CLOUD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM.
23:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGFruitlandCape Girardeau, MOLATE REPORT...DESTROYED WOODEN BARN.
23:33 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDGlenallenBollinger, MOFUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2011 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 25, 2011

93 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 251:30 AM CDTEF1Webster, MO9.3100$20,000
May 257:35 AM CDTEF1Macon, IL1.075$165,000
May 257:39 AM CDTEF1Macon, IL1.575$100,000
May 259:04 AM CDTEF1Kankakee, IL5.850$250,000
May 259:13 AM CDTEF0Newton, IN0.120$25,000
May 259:19 AM CDTEF2Newton, IN1.9300$50,000
May 259:24 AM CDTEF1Jasper, IN2.9100$500
May 259:26 AM CDTEF1Jasper, IN1.9100$50,000
May 2510:45 AM EDTEF0Pulaski, IN0.850
May 2510:45 AM CDTEF0Miami, KS0.140$5,000
May 2511:10 AM CDTEF0Johnson, KS0.760$10,000
May 2511:22 AM CDTEF0Johnson, KS0.140
May 2511:35 AM CDTEF0Cass, MO0.140
May 2511:38 AM CDTEF0Johnson, KS0.140
May 2512:22 PM CDTEF2Pettis, MO2.150020$4.0 million
May 2512:33 PM CDTEF0Clay, MO0.140
May 2512:45 PM CDTEF0Clay, MO0.140
May 2512:52 PM CDTEF0Pettis, MO0.140
May 251:04 PM CDTEF0Cooper, MO0.140
May 251:07 PM CDTEF0Lafayette, MO0.140
May 252:15 PM CDTEF1Montgomery, MO7.1100
May 253:26 PM EDTEF0Van Wert, OH0.140
May 252:56 PM CDTEF1Oregon, MO2.5100$20,000
May 253:49 PM CDTEF3Carter, MO47.41,2002$800,000
May 254:13 PM CDTEF1Jackson, AR5.5500$40,000
May 255:15 PM EDTEF1Decatur, IN0.8600$500,000
May 255:20 PM EDTEF1Decatur, IN0.1400$250,000
May 254:35 PM CDTEF1Madison, MO5.540
May 254:37 PM CDTEF1Wayne, MO17.8150$70,000
May 254:44 PM CDTEF0Carter, MO0.550$2,000
May 254:45 PM CDTEF1Des Moines, IA4.8100$250,000
May 254:46 PM CDTEF1Madison, MO5.3440
May 254:47 PM CDTEF1Madison, MO4.3580
May 254:58 PM CDTEF0Ripley, MO0.750
May 256:00 PM EDTEF1Huron, OH8.050$250,000
May 255:00 PM CDTEF1Des Moines, IA3.650$50,000
May 255:14 PM CDTEF0Butler, MO0.740
May 256:14 PM EDTEF0Hardin, OH0.225
May 255:26 PM CDTEF1Bollinger, MO13.0250$30,000
May 256:06 PM CDTEF0McLean, IL0.925$8,000
May 256:09 PM CDTEF1McLean, IL10.375$10,000
May 257:10 PM EDTEF0Montgomery, OH0.125$5,000
May 256:18 PM CDTEF1Cape Girardeau, MO2.1250$20,000
May 256:18 PM CDTEF0St. Francis, AR1.1100
May 256:28 PM CDTEF2Jefferson, IL13.5250$4.0 million
May 256:30 PM CDTEF0Scott, MO0.450$1,000
May 257:30 PM EDTEF0Summit, OH4.250$200,000
May 256:39 PM CDTEF1Union, IL2.0125$150,000
May 256:40 PM CDTEF1Pulaski, IL5.5250$50,000
May 256:45 PM CDTEF1Pulaski, IL10.0120$40,000
May 256:48 PM CDTEF1Crittenden, AR2.5100$500,000
May 256:55 PM CDTEF2Pulaski, IL19.9325$255,000
May 256:58 PM CDTEF0Champaign, IL0.215$5,000
May 257:58 PM EDTEF3Lawrence, IN6.8300$150,000
May 255:08 PM PDTEF1Glenn, CA21.6120$200,000
May 255:12 PM PDTEF1Glenn, CA26.4120$150,000
May 257:18 PM CDTEF1Clay, IL1.075$510,000
May 257:35 PM CDTEF0Richland, IL0.210
May 257:57 PM CDTEF2Crawford, IL5.5200$920,000
May 257:58 PM CDTEF0Union Parish, LA5.5150

All 94 of them

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.