Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2013
EF1 tornado, St Albans, Missouri, April 10, 2013
This EF1 tornado ran 1.3 miles across Franklin County on April 10, 2013, touching down at 7:38 PM CDT and reaching 200 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.
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
- April 10, 2013
- Touchdown
- 7:38 PM CDT (00:38 UTC)
- Lifted
- 7:39 PM CDT (00:39 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 1.3 miles (2.1 km)
- Path width
- 200 yards (183 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Franklin County
- Touchdown point
- 38.588, -90.787
- Lift-off point
- 38.596, -90.765
- Record number
- 1304101838-01
The damage survey
19 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LSX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 100 mph.
- First Baptist church roof peeled off consistent with straight-line winds 60 to 65 mph. Other trees and minor roof damage noted in Union Missouri.
- Part of roof removed from motel
- Many trees twisted and topped with a convergent pattern facing north - northeast.
- Numerous soft wood trees snapped and thrown in convergent pattern north of levee road.
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
A strong weather system moved through the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms. There were numerous reports of large hail, as well as damaging winds and three tornadoes.
A tornado touched down in the Labadie Bottoms, north of St. Albans and lifted after traversing, on a slightly curved path, for 1.5 miles east northeast across St. Albans Island. Extensive tree damage was noted along the track. The overall damage was rated EF1. The path length was 1.5 miles and the max damage width was 200 yards.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
21 minutes of warning. NWS LSX issued a tornado warning for this county at 00:17 UTC, 21 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 00:45 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:46 UTC and running to 02:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:46 UTC | 02:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | LSX |
| 19:43 UTC | 20:10 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 22:17 UTC | 23:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 23:46 UTC | 00:07 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 23:54 UTC | 00:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 00:11 UTC | 01:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 00:13 UTC | 06:00 UTC | Flood Advisory | LSX |
| 00:17 UTC | 00:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | LSX |
| 00:21 UTC | 00:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | LSX |
| 00:25 UTC | 00:56 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 00:32 UTC | 00:46 UTC | Tornado Warning | LSX |
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 19:36 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), 00:00Z
0.6 hours before the tornado, 255 km from the path. April 11, 2013.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -76060 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 587 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 76 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 140 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 218 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.2
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 1.9 K/km
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z
11.4 hours after it, 255 km from the path. April 11, 2013.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -66775 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 497 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 85 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 118 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 196 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.0 K/km
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:37 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:20 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | 3 Sw Wentzville | St. Charles, MO | |
| 23:47 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | 3 S Robertsville | Franklin, MO | |
| 23:52 UTC | HAIL 1 | 2 S Catawissa | Franklin, MO | |
| 23:54 UTC | HAIL 0.7 | Pacific | Franklin, MO | HEAVY RAIN. |
| 23:55 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 2 Nne Pacific | St. Louis, MO | |
| 23:55 UTC | HAIL 2 | Pacific | Franklin, MO | |
| 23:59 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 1 N Pacific | Franklin, MO | ALSO HAD A WIND GUST UP TO 55MPH. |
| 00:10 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Sullivan | Franklin, MO | |
| 00:15 UTC | TSTM WND GST 101 | 1 Nne Sullivan | Franklin, MO | |
| 00:20 UTC | TSTM WND GST 50 | Sullivan | Franklin, MO | |
| 00:23 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Union | Franklin, MO | LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN...BLOCKING INDEPENDENCE DRIVE ON WEST SIDE OF TOWN. |
| 00:24 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Villa Ridge | Franklin, MO | MULTIPLE LARGE TREES BLOCKING COLEMAN ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. |
| 00:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Union | Franklin, MO | 5 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWN. |
| 00:28 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 N Union | Franklin, MO | STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO WASHINGTON METAL FABRICATORS BUILDING AT MEYER ROAD AND STATE HWY A NORTH OF UNION. |
| 00:28 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 2 N Union | Franklin, MO | HEAVY RAIN AND 50-60 MPH WINDS AT STATE HWY A AND MEYER DRIVE. |
| 00:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Gray Summit | Franklin, MO | TREE BLOCKING COLEMAN ROAD AT HIGHWAY 100 NEAR COLEMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. |
| 00:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nw Villa Ridge | Franklin, MO | SEVERAL LARGE TREES SNAPPED AT THE BASE AT THE WOLF HOLLOW GOLF CLUB OFF HIGHWAY 100. |
| 00:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Villa Ridge | Franklin, MO | NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER POLES SNAPPED NEAR THE BASE. |
| 00:31 UTC | TSTM WND GST 65 | 4 E Washington | St. Charles, MO | |
| 00:34 UTC | WALL CLOUD | 1 W Pacific | Franklin, MO | ROTATING WALL CLOUD AT LAMAR ROAD AND OLD GRAY SUMMIT RROAD |
| 00:36 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | Pacific | Franklin, MO | |
| 00:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 N Union | Franklin, MO | STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO WASHINGTON METAL FABRICATORS BUILDING AT MEYER ROAD AND STATE HWY A NORTH OF UNION. |
| 00:45 UTC | TSTM WND GST 65 | Wentzville | St. Charles, MO | CLOUD ROTATION NOTED. |
| 00:47 UTC | TSTM WND GST 40 | O'Fallon | St. Charles, MO | 40 MPH WIND GUST AT HIGHWAY K AND FEISE ROAD. |
| 00:48 UTC | TSTM WND GST 70 | O'Fallon | St. Charles, MO | ESTIMATED 60-70MPH WIND GUSTS AT PIN OAK PARK. |
| 00:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 W Lake St. Louis | St. Charles, MO | POWER POLE SNAPPED ON EAST OUTER ROAD...JUST NORTH OF DAUPHINE DRIVE. |
| 00:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | O'Fallon | St. Charles, MO | SIDING TAKEN OFF SIDE OF HOUSE AND DEPOSITED IN FRONT YARD NEAR BRYAN ROAD AND I-70. |
| 00:50 UTC | TSTM WND GST 50 | O'Fallon | St. Charles, MO | WINDS INCREASING AT INTERSECTION OF SALT LICK ROAD HWY 79 AND I-70. |
| 00:51 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | O'Fallon | St. Charles, MO | POWER FLASH REPORTED AT INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 79 AND I-70. |
| 00:53 UTC | TSTM WND GST 55 | 3 W Chesterfield | St. Louis, MO | |
| 00:53 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | St. Peters | St. Charles, MO | AT MID RIVERS MALL DRIVE AND THE NORTH SERVICE ROAD AT I-70... WINDS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH. |
| 00:54 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | St. Peters | St. Charles, MO | BETWEEN MID RIVERS MALL DRIVE AND HIGHWAY 79... POWER FLASHES OBSERVED. |
| 00:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 E Cottleville | St. Charles, MO | 2 MID-SIZED 20 FT TALL TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY N BETWEEN COTTLEVILLE AND MID RIVERS MALL DRIVE BEHIND SCHNUCKS. |
| 00:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Sw Cottleville | St. Charles, MO | 10-INCH BRANCH OFF TREE AT INTERSECTION OF NE END OF OLD GUTERMUTH BYPASS AND NEW GUTERMUTH ROADS. |
| 00:57 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ese Kampville | St. Charles, MO | SIDING DAMAGE TO TWO HOMES IN NEW TOWN SUBDIVISION. |
| 00:57 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.25 | Augusta | St. Charles, MO | 1.25 INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR. |
| 01:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 12 Wsw De Soto | Washington, MO | MOBILE HOME BLOWN OFF ITS FOUNDATION. NO INJURIES. NEAR INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 21 AND HIGHWAY 47 NEAR KINGSTON. |
| 01:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Ese Orchard Farms | St. Charles, MO | TOPS OF SEVERAL TREES SHEARED OFF NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY H AND ISLAND ROAD. |
| 01:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Hazelwood | St. Louis, MO | SHINGLES BLOWN FROM ROOFS. SIDING STRIPPED FROM HOMES. SCATTERED DEBRIS. POWER OUTAGE AFFECTS THE AREA. NO INJURIES REPORTED. |
| 01:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Portage Des Sioux | St. Charles, MO | UTILITY POLES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN ALONG HWY 94 BETWEEN PORTAGE DES SIOUX AND WEST ALTON. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2013 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 10, 2013
8 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | 4:20 PM CDT | EF2 | Van Buren, AR | 17.3 | 800 | 5 | $3.5 million | |
| April 10 | 5:07 PM CDT | EF1 | Stone, AR | 4.1 | 300 | $200,000 | ||
| April 10 | 5:44 PM CDT | EF2 | Izard, AR | 1.2 | 100 | $350,000 | ||
| April 10 | 8:00 PM CDT | EF2 | Saint Louis, MO | 6.8 | 500 | 2 | $4.0 million | |
| April 10 | 8:10 PM CDT | EF0 | City of Saint Louis, MO | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| April 10 | 8:26 PM CDT | EF1 | Lincoln, AR | 6.7 | 400 | $500,000 | ||
| April 10 | 8:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Butler, MO | 1.7 | 75 | $20,000 | ||
| April 10 | 9:05 PM CDT | EF0 | Stoddard, MO | 1.5 | 50 | $40,000 |
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.