Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2017

EF1 tornado, Gravois Mills Arpt, Missouri, May 27, 2017

This EF1 tornado ran 0.1 miles across Morgan County on May 27, 2017, touching down at 2:38 PM CDT and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $25,000 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 mph

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    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
EF1
Date
May 27, 2017
Touchdown
2:38 PM CDT (19:38 UTC)
Lifted
2:39 PM CDT (19:39 UTC)
On the ground
1 minutes
Path length
0.1 miles (0.1 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
County
Morgan County
Touchdown point
38.192, -92.785
Lift-off point
38.192, -92.784
Record number
1705271338-01

The damage survey

2 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS SGF, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 90 mph.

  • Also had the roof of a large metal building partially removed.

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

Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms brought damaging straight-line winds, large hail, tornadoes, and flooding to the Missouri Ozarks from May 27th into the early morning hours of May 28th. Over 130 reports of severe weather and flooding were received from the Missouri Ozarks.

A NWS storm survey team confirmed an EF-1 tornado briefly touched down approximately 2 miles north-northeast of Sunrise Beach. Numerous trees were uprooted. There was damage to a roof of a metal building. Estimated maximum wind speeds were up to 90 mph.

A NWS storm survey confirmed an EF-1 tornado briefly touched down approximately one mile north of Sunrise Beach. Estimated maximum wind speeds were up to 90 mph. Numerous trees were uprooted.

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

The warnings

15 minutes of warning. NWS SGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 19:23 UTC, 15 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 20:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 17:16 UTC and running to 23:26 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
17:16 UTC23:26 UTCTornado WatchSGF
18:00 UTC03:08 UTCFlash Flood WatchSGF
19:04 UTC19:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGF
19:23 UTC20:00 UTCTornado WarningSGF
19:41 UTC20:04 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGF
23:26 UTC02:28 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchSGF

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 Moderate Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 16:19 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

7.6 hours before the tornado, 169 km from the path. May 27, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2017-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 3187 joules per kilogram, CIN -48, lifted condensation level 766 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 12:00Z on 2017-05-27The 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 127 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 36 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
3187 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1824 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
766 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.8
Supercell composite
9.6
0-3 km lapse rate
4.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:37 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
17:51 UTCHAIL 0.75CaliforniaMoniteau, MO
18:21 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sw BrazitoCole, MOLARGE TREE DOWN IN BRAZITO.
18:50 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Ne WarsawBenton, MOTREES ON RAODWAY IN 3 LOCATIONS. POWER LINES BLOCKING ROADWAY ON HWY BB AND FITZPATRICK, BB AND ALLEN RD. AND MONSEES AVE AND B HWY. VEHICLE WRAPPED UP IN POWER LINES WITH ONE OCCUPANT IN VEHICLE. CORRECT TIME AND DAMAGE
19:00 UTCTSTM WND GST 503 Wnw Cole CampBenton, MO
19:10 UTCHAIL 1OttervilleCooper, MO
19:10 UTCTSTM WND GST 603 Ese RacketBenton, MOTRUMAN STATE PARK REPORTED WINDS GUST 60MPH WITH NICKEL SIZE HAIL.
19:10 UTCHAIL 0.883 Ese RacketBenton, MOTRUMAN STATE PARK REPORTED WINDS GUST 60MPH WITH NICKEL SIZE HAIL.
19:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Nw BrazitoCole, MONUMEROUS TREE LIMBS DOWN ALONG RT D.
19:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 S StoverMorgan, MOPOWER-LINES DOWN NEAR HWY135.
19:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGGravois MillsMorgan, MOROOF OR STRUCTURE DAMAGE. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. MULTIPLE LARGE TREES DOWN.
19:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGLaurieMorgan, MONUMEROUS TREES DOWN NEAR HWY 5.
19:38 UTCTORNADO1 N Sunrise BeachMorgan, MONWS STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO THAT BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH OF SUNRISE BEACH. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH WIDTH OF 50 YARDS. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 90 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES W
19:38 UTCTORNADO1 N Sunrise BeachMorgan, MONWS STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO THAT BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH OF SUNRISE BEACH. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH WIDTH OF 50 YARDS. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 90 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES W
19:38 UTCTORNADO2 Nne Sunrise BeachMorgan, MONWS STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO THAT BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 2 MILE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF SUNRISE BEACH. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH WIDTH OF 300 YARDS. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 90 MPH. NUMER
19:38 UTCTORNADO2 Nne Sunrise BeachMorgan, MONWS STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO THAT BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 2 MILE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF SUNRISE BEACH. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH WIDTH OF 300 YARDS. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 90 MPH. NUMER
19:42 UTCTSTM WND DMGCaliforniaMoniteau, MOTREES DOWNED AND TRANSFORMER CAUGHT FIRE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
19:45 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Wsw Osage BeachCamden, MO5 DIAMETER TREE ACROSS ROAD, NICHOLS RD NEAR SYCAMORE GOLF COURSE, OSAGE BEACH. TIME BASED ON RADAR.
19:56 UTCTSTM WND GST 72Osage BeachCamden, MOWINDS HAS DOWNED LIMBS IN THE KK AREA.
20:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGEldonMiller, MOLARGE TREE DOWN ROCK ISLAND PARK. VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
20:15 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Ne MetaOsage, MOTREES DOWN ON MO HWY P.
20:15 UTCTSTM WND GST 40MetaOsage, MO
20:17 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Ne WarsawBenton, MOTREES ON RAODWAY IN 3 LOCATIONS. POWER LINES BLOCKING ROADWAY ON HWY BB AND FITZPATRICK, BB AND ALLEN RD. AND MONSEES AVE AND B HWY. VEHICLE WRAPPED UP IN POWER LINES WITH ONE OCCUPANT IN VEHICLE. CORRECT TIME AND DAMAGE
20:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Ne WarsawBenton, MOMULTIPLE TREES BLOCKING ROAD WAYS. POWER LINES DOWN IN BELLE.
22:45 UTCHAIL 11 N CamdentonCamden, MO1.00 INCH HAIL OBSERVED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.

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 May 27, 2017

13 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 272:38 PM CDTEF1Morgan, MO0.150$50,000
May 272:50 PM CDTEF1Laclede, MO9.0100$100,000
May 273:05 PM CDTEF1Laclede, MO5.0400$100,000
May 273:09 PM CDTEF1Laclede, MO2.1100
May 273:25 PM CDTEF1Laclede, MO0.0100
May 274:00 PM CDTEF0Dent, MO0.050
May 278:18 PM CDTEF0Butler, MO1.985$40,000
May 278:20 PM CDTEF0Okfuskee, OK2.1100
May 278:55 PM CDTUnratedOkfuskee, OK0.6100
May 2710:17 PM CDTUnratedMurray, OK2.850
May 2710:39 PM CDTUnratedJohnston, OK1.550
May 2711:06 PM CDTUnratedJefferson, OK2.5100
May 2711:45 PM CDTEF1Crawford, OK to AR11.2700$30,000

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.