Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2017

EF0 tornado, W B Jct to Standish, Missouri, March 6, 2017

From W B Jct to Standish, this EF0 tornado ran 6.0 miles across Carroll County on March 6, 2017, touching down at 8:40 PM CST and reaching 100 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 6, 2017
Touchdown
8:40 PM CST (02:40 UTC)
Lifted
8:46 PM CST (02:46 UTC)
On the ground
6 minutes
Path length
6.0 miles (9.6 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Carroll County
Touchdown point
39.338, -93.515
Lift-off point
39.368, -93.411
Record number
1703062040-01

The damage survey

7 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS EAX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 110 mph.

  • Centerpoint irrigation system overturned.

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

On the evening of March 6, 2017 a line of severe thunderstorms formed, then moved into eastern Kansas and western and central Missouri. Ahead of and along this line of storms supercells formed and produced large hail, damaging winds, and several tornadoes. Officially there were 11 tornadoes recorded in the EAX portion of Missouri, with a 12th tornado recorded in Leawood, Kansas, on the Kansas side of the EAX CWA. The most notable of the tornadoes were the EF-2 and EF-3 tornadoes that impacted Smithville, Missouri and Oak Grove, Missouri respectively. According to news reports there were 12 injuries associated with the Oak Grove tornado, but despite the widespread significant damage there were no fatalities. As the line of storms moved eastward several embedded supercells and mesovortices produced several more tornadoes across northern and central Missouri. By the end of the event, officially there were four EF-1 tornadoes, one EF-2 tornado (Smithville, MO), one EF-3 (Oak Grove, MO), and five EF-0 tornadoes in Missouri. The Leawood Kansas tornado was rated EF-0 as well, rounding out the 12 confirmed tornadoes in the EAX CWA from that evening.

A squall line with embedded supercells and mesovortices moved through western Missouri and eastern Missouri on the evening of March 6. The storm took out a center point irrigation system just southwest of Carrolton; however, in the city of Carrolton several structures on the south side of the city were heavily damaged by tornadic winds. Along Main Street windows were completely blown out of several businesses and a couple buildings along Main Street even had some partial roof and external wall failure. The tornado moved east of town and did some external damage to a metal building. The tornado crossed HWY 65 and paralleled HWY 24 for a mile or two, causing damage to outbuildings along the route. About 2-3 miles east of Carrolton it crossed HWY 24 and dissipated north of HWY 24.

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

The warnings

7 minutes of warning. NWS EAX issued a tornado warning for this county at 02:33 UTC, 7 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 03:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 20:52 UTC and running to 04:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
16:00 UTC03:00 UTCWind AdvisoryEAX
20:52 UTC04:00 UTCTornado WatchEAX
02:06 UTC02:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAX
02:15 UTC03:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAX
02:32 UTC03:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAX
02:33 UTC03:00 UTCTornado WarningEAX
02:55 UTC03:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAX
17:00 UTC20:21 UTCFire Weather WatchEAX
17:00 UTC00:00 UTCRed Flag WarningEAX
17:07 UTC21:46 UTCWind AdvisoryEAX

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 Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:54 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.

Topeka, KS (KFOE), 00:00Z

2.7 hours before the tornado, 192 km from the path. March 7, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2017-03-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 707 joules per kilogram, CIN -62, lifted condensation level 1970 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2017-03-07The 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 333 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 64 knots.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
707 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-62 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1361 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1970 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
333 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
349 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
9.4
0-3 km lapse rate
8.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Topeka, KS (KFOE), 12:00Z

9.3 hours after it, 192 km from the path. March 7, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2017-03-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -98509, lifted condensation level 1901 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2017-03-07The 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 -281 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 119 knots.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-98509 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1901 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
119 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-281 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-229 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
6.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Marshall (MHL), 36 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:55 UTC73.457.2180° 20 kt25999.7
01:15 UTC73.459180° 21 kt27999.7
01:35 UTC73.459180° 24 kt34999
01:55 UTC73.459170° 28 kt35997.6
02:15 UTC73.459180° 23 kt35997.3VCTS
02:35 UTC73.459180° 29 kt37997.3
02:55 UTC73.459190° 26 kt36998.3
03:15 UTC73.459180° 26 kt38998.6VCTS
03:35 UTC73.459270° 22 kt311001.7VCTS
03:55 UTC55.451.8270° 18 kt311004.4+TSRA
04:15 UTC51.850270° 9 kt181003.4-TSRA
04:35 UTC53.646.4270° 9 kt181005.1-VCTSRA

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:38 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
00:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGGrand PassSaline, MOTREE DOWN THE SIZE OF A TELEPHONE POLE.
01:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ene LawsonRay, MO6 INCH LIMBS DOWN.
01:13 UTCTSTM WND DMGBraymerCaldwell, MODAMAGE TO OUTBUILDINGS.
01:15 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Wsw RichmondRay, MOA SWATH OF WIND AROUND 80 TO 90 MPH AFFECTED AREAS AROUND AND IN RICHMOND. A CENTER POINT IRRIGATION SYSTEM WAS TOPPLED OVER SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY. INSIDE OF RICHMOND SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AS WELL AS POWER POLES. AL
01:26 UTCTSTM WND GST 65ChillicotheLivingston, MO.
01:26 UTCHAIL 1ChillicotheLivingston, MO.
01:27 UTCTSTM WND DMGLexingtonLafayette, MOCITY EM REPORTED CAR PORT BLOWN INTO A ROADWAY.
01:29 UTCTSTM WND DMGOdessaLafayette, MOTWO HOMES COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS OTHERS DAMAGED...ROOF OFF WATER PLANT AND DAMAGES TO THE POWER GRID. NO REPORTED INJURIES OR TRANSPORTS.
01:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGLexingtonLafayette, MOCAR PORT BLOWN INTO ROADWAY.
01:40 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Nnw CarrolltonCarroll, MOMAJOR DAMAGE. 1 POWER POLE FELL ON A VEHICLE WITH PEOPLE IN IT. THEY WERE RESCUED AND UNHARMED. THERE ARE ALSO POWER LINES OVER THE RAILROAD.
01:40 UTCTORNADOCarrolltonCarroll, MOMAJOR DAMAGE. 1 POWER POLE FELL ON A VEHICLE WITH PEOPLE IN IT. THEY WERE RESCUED AND UNHARMED. THERE ARE ALSO POWER LINES OVER THE RAILROAD.
01:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGGrand PassSaline, MOTREE DOWN THE SIZE OF A TELEPHONE POLE.
01:52 UTCHAIL 1.5WaverlyLafayette, MO
01:55 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sse MendonChariton, MOPOWER POLES SNAPPED...2 BY 4S SCATTERED ACROSS THE ROAD.
01:57 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S MendonChariton, MOEM RELAYED REPORT 2X4S ACROSS THE ROAD, HOUSE ROOF BLOWN OFF, POWER POLES SNAPPED.
01:57 UTCTSTM WND DMGMendonChariton, MOREPORT FROM RAILROAD EMPLOYEE OF TRAIN ROCKING BACK AND FORTH, CAUSING A POSSIBLE MINOR TRAIN DERAILMENT AND FORCING TRAINS TO STOP MOVING IN THE AREA.
02:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ene LawsonRay, MO6 INCH LIMBS DOWN
02:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ene LawsonRay, MO6 INCH LIMBS DOWN.
02:08 UTCTSTM WND GST 60MarcelineLinn, MO
02:13 UTCTSTM WND DMGBraymerCaldwell, MODAMAGE TO OUTBUILDINGS
02:13 UTCTSTM WND DMGBraymerCaldwell, MODAMAGE TO OUTBUILDINGS.
02:23 UTCHAIL 0.25MarshallSaline, MO.
02:25 UTCHAIL 0.88MarcelineLinn, MO.
02:26 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 N HardinRay, MODELAYED REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. MULTIPLE BARNS DOWN AND TREES UPROOTED. TIME MATCHED TO RADAR.
02:26 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 S RussellvilleRay, MODELAYED REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. MULTIPLE BARNS DOWN AND TREES UPROOTED. TIME MATCHED TO RADAR.
02:26 UTCTSTM WND GST 65ChillicotheLivingston, MO.
02:26 UTCHAIL 1ChillicotheLivingston, MO.
02:27 UTCTSTM WND DMGLexingtonLafayette, MOCITY EM REPORTED CAR PORT BLOWN INTO A ROADWAY.
02:29 UTCTSTM WND DMGOdessaLafayette, MOTWO HOMES COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS OTHERS DAMAGED...ROOF OFF WATER PLANT AND DAMAGES TO THE POWER GRID. NO REPORTED INJURIES OR TRANSPORTS.
02:29 UTCTSTM WND DMGOdessaLafayette, MODELAYED REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN ON HOME. TIME MATCHED TO RADAR.
02:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGLexingtonLafayette, MOCAR PORT BLOWN INTO ROADWAY
02:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGLexingtonLafayette, MOCAR PORT BLOWN INTO ROADWAY.
02:40 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Nnw CarrolltonCarroll, MOMAJOR DAMAGE. 1 POWER POLE FELL ON A VEHICLE WITH PEOPLE IN IT. THEY WERE RESCUED AND UNHARMED. THERE ARE ALSO POWER LINES OVER THE RAILROAD.
02:40 UTCTSTM WND DMGCarrolltonCarroll, MOMAJOR DAMAGE. 1 POWER POLE FELL ON A VEHICLE WITH PEOPLE IN IT. THEY WERE RESCUED AND UNHARMED. THERE ARE ALSO POWER LINES OVER THE RAILROAD.
02:40 UTCTORNADOCarrolltonCarroll, MOMAJOR DAMAGE. 1 POWER POLE FELL ON A VEHICLE WITH PEOPLE IN IT. THEY WERE RESCUED AND UNHARMED. THERE ARE ALSO POWER LINES OVER THE RAILROAD.
02:40 UTCTORNADOCarrolltonCarroll, MOPOSSIBLE TORNADO IN CARROLLTON.
02:52 UTCHAIL 1.5WaverlyLafayette, MO
02:55 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S MendonChariton, MOPOWER POLES SNAPPED...2 BY 4S SCATTERED ACROSS THE ROAD
02:55 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sse MendonChariton, MOPOWER POLES SNAPPED...2 BY 4S SCATTERED ACROSS THE ROAD.
02:57 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S MendonChariton, MOEM RELAYED REPORT 2X4S ACROSS THE ROAD, HOUSE ROOF BLOWN OFF, POWER POLES SNAPPED.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2017 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of March 6, 2017

53 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 65:04 PM CSTEF1Faribault, MN9.3200
March 65:23 PM CSTEF0Webster, IA2.430
March 65:28 PM CSTEF1Webster, IA2.950$70,000
March 65:35 PM CSTEF0Geary, KS0.150
March 65:36 PM CSTEF0Wabaunsee, KS16.150
March 65:37 PM CSTEF0Pottawatomie, KS0.025
March 65:37 PM CSTEF0Wabaunsee, KS0.150
March 65:38 PM CSTEF1Freeborn, MN11.9300
March 65:39 PM CSTEF1Sherburne, MN8.8300
March 65:59 PM CSTEF0Wabaunsee, KS1.950
March 66:13 PM CSTEF0Shawnee, KS5.250
March 66:27 PM CSTEF0Boone, IA17.985$125,000
March 66:30 PM CSTEF0Nodaway, MO5.825
March 66:58 PM CSTEF1Hardin, IA6.3300$25,000
March 67:05 PM CSTEF0Butler, KS0.150
March 67:19 PM CSTEF1Warren, IA4.8100$80,000
March 67:24 PM CSTEF2Clay, MO19.61,000
March 67:29 PM CSTEF1Marion, IA5.3120$50,000
March 67:35 PM CSTEF1Marion, IA6.880$20,000
March 67:38 PM CSTEF1Franklin, KS3.050
March 67:40 PM CSTEF1Mercer, MO10.3100
March 67:47 PM CSTEF0Marion, IA5.565$25,000
March 67:51 PM CSTEF0Johnson, KS0.3100
March 68:03 PM CSTEF0Jackson, MO2.325
March 68:11 PM CSTEF3Jackson, MO17.740012
March 68:16 PM CSTEF2Wayne, IA14.9250$2.0 million
March 68:30 PM CSTEF1Appanoose, IA8.060$40,000
March 68:33 PM CSTEF2Appanoose, IA9.790$750,000
March 68:34 PM CSTEF1Lafayette, MO1.850
March 68:46 PM CSTEF1La Crosse, WI2.6200$290,000
March 68:56 PM CSTEF1Chariton, MO19.8100
March 69:10 PM CSTEF0Pettis, MO3.925
March 69:17 PM CSTEF0Henry, MO7.825
March 69:40 PM CSTEF0Cooper, MO17.4400
March 69:40 PM CSTEF1Shelby, MO18.51501
March 69:44 PM CSTEF1Adair, OK6.1650$100,000
March 69:50 PM CSTEF0Dubuque, IA5.725$5,000
March 69:56 PM CSTEF2Louisa, IA0.3150
March 610:00 PM CSTEF1Hickory, MO0.8100$5,000
March 610:05 PM CSTEF2Muscatine, IA1.82003$100,000
March 610:13 PM CSTEF2Muscatine, IA25.31,000$52,000
March 610:18 PM CSTEF1Cedar, IA16.6100$110,000
March 610:19 PM CSTEF2Scott, IA34.7200
March 610:24 PM CSTEF1Camden, MO2.04001$100,000
March 610:36 PM CSTEF0Morgan, MO0.350$100,000
March 610:40 PM CSTEF0Clinton, IA4.450
March 610:51 PM CSTEF1Washington, AR6.4400$40,000
March 610:53 PM CSTEF1Whiteside, IL1.510
March 611:03 PM CSTEF1Osage, MO7.375
March 611:17 PM CSTEF1Montgomery, MO20.9150
March 611:38 PM CSTEF2Newton, AR36.67001$400,000
March 611:51 PM CSTEF1Saint Charles, MO3.11003
March 611:52 PM CSTEF1Mason, IL6.8150$150,000

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.