Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2025
EF1 tornado, Worchester, Missouri, April 20, 2025
This EF1 tornado ran 0.3 miles across Audrain County on April 20, 2025, touching down at 5:56 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $60,000 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.
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 20, 2025
- Touchdown
- 5:56 PM CDT (22:56 UTC)
- Lifted
- 5:57 PM CDT (22:57 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
- Path width
- 50 yards (46 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $60,000
- County
- Audrain County
- Touchdown point
- 39.290, -91.818
- Lift-off point
- 39.294, -91.817
- Record number
- 2504201656-01
The damage survey
3 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 94 mph.
- small grain bins rolled approximately 120 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
During the early afternoon on Sunday, April 20, 2025 (Easter Sunday) a severe thunderstorm developed in Miller County, Missouri and moved northward through Cole County and into Callaway County. The thunderstorm produced one EF-2 tornado near New Bloomfield, MO. This occurred ahead of a line of severe thunderstorms that formed in southwest Missouri and extended northward as it moved east. The line moved into mid-Missouri during the late afternoon hours and marched into eastern Missouri. It produced 4 tornadoes in Missouri and damaging wind reports across the region.
A brief tornado tracked south to north just west of Highway MM in north-central Audrain County, destroying a couple of outbuildings and rolling two smaller grain bins. Debris was generally thrown northward and strewn widely, likely due to a downburst immediately following the tornado. The tornado was rated EF-1 with a path length of 0.32 miles and a maximum path width of 50 yards.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
31 minutes of warning. NWS LSX issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:25 UTC, 31 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:04 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:47 UTC and running to 23:51 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:47 UTC | 23:51 UTC | Tornado Watch | LSX |
| 22:25 UTC | 23:04 UTC | Tornado Warning | LSX |
| 22:30 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX |
| 22:34 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm 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 Enhanced 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 19:53 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.
Davenport, (KDVN), 12:00Z
10.9 hours before the tornado, 282 km from the path. April 20, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -104167 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1408 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 16 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 134 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 125 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 2.7 K/km
Davenport, (KDVN), 00:00Z
1.1 hours after it, 282 km from the path. April 21, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -89205 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 716 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 63 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 628 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 711 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.1 K/km
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:09 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne Columbia | Boone, MO | Multiple tree trunks snapped. |
| 22:14 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Higbee | Randolph, MO | Delayed report from 4/20. Downed tree and wires near Jefferson Street. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:18 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nnw Columbia | Boone, MO | Roof damage to Parkade Baptist Church. |
| 22:18 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nnw Columbia | Boone, MO | Tree damage varying from downed limbs to uprooted trees. |
| 22:18 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Wsw Murry | Boone, MO | Corrects previous tornado report from 5 WSW Murry. An NWS survey team found high-end EF1 tornado damage along a path extending from Highway 763 and northeast through Columbia, MO. This tornado was on the ground from 5:18 |
| 22:19 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ne Columbia | Boone, MO | Small outbuildings damaged. |
| 22:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Wsw Murry | Boone, MO | An outbuilding and a warehouse were significantly damaged, per images. |
| 22:26 UTC | TSTM WND GST 66 | 7 Ese Columbia | Boone, MO | Corrects previous tstm wnd gst report from 7 ESE Columbia. At Columbia-Bradford MO Ag site. |
| 22:31 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Wnw Kingdom City | Callaway, MO | The NWS surveyed straight line wind damage at a farm north-northwest of Kingdom City. Photos provided by county law enforcement show extensive damage to multiple farm outbuildings. Large, healthy tree branches were also |
| 22:33 UTC | TSTM WND GST 66 | 7 Ese Columbia | Boone, MO | At Columbia-Bradford MO Ag site. |
| 22:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 N Reform | Callaway, MO | Time estimated from radar. Metal panels on a farm outbuilding pulled up. |
| 22:51 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nw Mineola | Montgomery, MO | Down tree on State Highway N near Graham Cave State Park. |
| 22:56 UTC | TORNADO | 5 S Santa Fe | Audrain, MO | A brief EF-1 tornado tracked south to north just west of Highway MM in north-central Audrain County, destroying a couple of outbuildings and rolling two smaller grain bins at a farm. Debris was generally thrown northward |
| 22:57 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Wellsville | Montgomery, MO | Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from Wellsville. 2ft diameter tree snapped at the base. |
| 23:06 UTC | TSTM WND GST 63 | 1 Wsw Vandalia | Audrain, MO | Corrects previous tstm wnd gst report from 1 WSW Vandalia. Vandalia MO Ag site. |
| 23:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Wellsville | Montgomery, MO | 2ft diameter tree snapped at the base. |
| 23:10 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Monroe City | Monroe, MO | Estimated with near-zero visibility. |
| 23:10 UTC | TSTM WND GST 63 | 1 Wsw Vandalia | Audrain, MO | Vandalia MO Ag site. |
| 23:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Wnw Curryville | Pike, MO | Damage to sheds. Damage to a support column and the wall of a home. |
| 23:19 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Ne Spencerburg | Pike, MO | A brief EF0 tornado was confirmed by damage survey crews. The most significant damage occurred to a barn, which was largely destroyed. The tornado had an approximate path length of 600 yards and lasted roughly one minute |
| 23:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 W Hannibal | Marion, MO | Multiple reports of damage including trailers destroyed near Hannibal Regional Hospital. |
| 23:38 UTC | TSTM WND GST 70 | 4 W Hannibal | Marion, MO | From two sources west of Hannibal, MO. |
| 00:00 UTC | FLOOD | 2 S Moberly | Randolph, MO | Several social media and mPING reports of flooding in the Moberly area. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2025 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 20, 2025
39 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | 1:24 AM CDT | EF0 | Love, OK | 0.5 | 30 | |||
| April 20 | 1:31 PM CDT | EF2 | Callaway, MO | 2.6 | 100 | 1 | $125,000 | |
| April 20 | 1:57 PM CDT | EF1 | Cherokee, KS to MO | 24.1 | 250 | $1.0 million | ||
| April 20 | 2:29 PM CDT | EF0 | Barton, MO | 19.8 | 300 | $3.4 million | ||
| April 20 | 2:41 PM CDT | EF1 | Washington, AR | 3.0 | 250 | $750,000 | ||
| April 20 | 4:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Christian, MO | 1.3 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| April 20 | 4:30 PM CDT | EF0 | Morgan, MO | 0.7 | 75 | $20,000 | ||
| April 20 | 4:35 PM CDT | EF0 | Douglas, MO | 2.8 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| April 20 | 4:46 PM CDT | EF0 | Webster, MO | 1.1 | 30 | $100,000 | ||
| April 20 | 4:59 PM CDT | EF0 | Wright, MO | 1.8 | 50 | $25,000 | ||
| April 20 | 5:08 PM CDT | EF1 | Wright, MO | 2.1 | 400 | |||
| April 20 | 5:18 PM CDT | EF1 | Boone, MO | 3.3 | 100 | |||
| April 20 | 5:21 PM CDT | EF1 | Perry, AR | 7.7 | 350 | |||
| April 20 | 5:33 PM CDT | EF1 | Boone, MO | 2.3 | 100 | $22,000 | ||
| April 20 | 6:01 PM CDT | EF0 | Shannon, MO | 1.5 | 250 | |||
| April 20 | 6:19 PM CDT | EF0 | Pike, MO | 0.3 | 25 | $15,000 | ||
| April 20 | 6:48 PM CDT | EF0 | Adams, IL | 4.2 | 25 | $20,000 | ||
| April 20 | 6:55 PM CDT | EF1 | Faulkner, AR | 14.2 | 500 | |||
| April 20 | 7:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Adams, IL | 8.2 | 100 | $120,000 | ||
| April 20 | 7:37 PM CDT | EF1 | McDonough, IL | 7.0 | 150 | $6,000 | ||
| April 20 | 7:45 PM CDT | EF0 | Mercer, IL | 0.9 | 25 | |||
| April 20 | 7:47 PM CDT | EF1 | McDonough, IL | 3.0 | 100 | $16,000 | ||
| April 20 | 7:57 PM CDT | EF0 | Warren, IL | 4.0 | 25 | |||
| April 20 | 8:00 PM CDT | EF1 | Monroe, IL | 7.3 | 100 | $75,000 | ||
| April 20 | 8:13 PM CDT | EF1 | Monroe, IL | 0.3 | 100 | $15,000 | ||
| April 20 | 8:14 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair, IL | 0.8 | 100 | $10,000 | ||
| April 20 | 8:25 PM CDT | EF1 | Randolph, IL | 1.3 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| April 20 | 8:35 PM CDT | EF0 | Henry, IL | 2.2 | 75 | $1,000 | ||
| April 20 | 8:39 PM CDT | EF1 | Knox, IL | 16.5 | 150 | |||
| April 20 | 8:41 PM CDT | EF1 | Knox, IL | 4.4 | 120 | |||
| April 20 | 8:49 PM CDT | EF1 | Tazewell, IL | 14.5 | 100 | |||
| April 20 | 8:54 PM CDT | Unrated | Henry, IL | 0.3 | 10 | |||
| April 20 | 8:57 PM CDT | EF0 | Henry, IL | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| April 20 | 8:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Henry, IL | 1.1 | 50 | |||
| April 20 | 8:58 PM CDT | EF1 | Henry, IL | 7.3 | 25 | $1,000 | ||
| April 20 | 8:58 PM CDT | EF1 | Henry, IL | 7.2 | 100 | |||
| April 20 | 9:12 PM CDT | EF0 | Rock Island, IL | 0.7 | 50 | $1,000 | ||
| April 20 | 9:26 PM CDT | EF1 | Bureau, IL | 1.0 | 50 | $8,000 | ||
| April 20 | 9:42 PM CDT | EF1 | Jackson, IL | 1.7 | 25 | $125,000 |
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.