Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2025

EF1 tornado, Lowry City to Chloe, Missouri, May 19, 2025

From Lowry City to Chloe, this EF1 tornado ran 4.6 miles across St. Clair, Washington and Adair counties on May 19, 2025, touching down at 6:55 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $150,000 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 19, 2025
Touchdown
6:55 PM CDT (23:55 UTC)
Lifted
7:04 PM CDT (00:04 UTC)
On the ground
9 minutes
Path length
4.6 miles (7.4 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$150,000
Counties
St. Clair, Washington and Adair counties
Touchdown point
38.120, -93.740
Lift-off point
38.180, -93.700
Record number
2505191755-04

The damage survey

5 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 100 mph.

  • Tree uprooted at Lowry City Baptist Church
  • Roof ripped off abandoned motel
  • Outbuilding destroyed, power poles snapped.
  • Portion of roof ripped off mobile home. Tree uprooted.

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 storm system pushed into the area during the afternoon of May 19, 2025 and persisted into the evening and overnight hours.�� This system produced 8 tornadoes across the area, along with widespread wind damage and between 1 and 5 inches of rainfall.�� The intense rainfall led to some localized flash flooding, areal flooding and river flooding.

A NWS storm survey determined that a tornado touched down south-southwest of Lowry City, continued through the city, and then caused the worst damage along NE 1000 Rd northeast of Lowry City, ending north of the intersection of NE 1000 Rd and NE 401 Rd. In addition to a roof torn off a mobile home, this tornado destroyed several barns and outbuildings, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Maximum wind speeds of 110 mph were determined.

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

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:52 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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at May 19, 6:28 PM CDT, 27 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Enhanced (3 of 5) to Moderate (4 of 5) Risk today and tonight. Confidence and concern is increasing for multiple rounds of strong to severe storms this afternoon through the overnight hours. Hazards include tornadoes, some potentially strong, tennis ball sized hail, and wind gusts up to 70-80 mph.
  • A Tornado Watch is in effect until 9 PM this evening for areas along and west of Highway 65.
  • Many areas to see 1 to 3 inches of rain through Tuesday. A Flood Watch is in effect until 7 AM Tuesday. Localized areas could see rain amounts as high as 5-7 inches.
  • Active pattern is forecast to end after Tuesday, with mostly dry and cooler temperatures late this week.
  • 40-60% rain chances return for Memorial Day Weekend.
Area forecast discussion, May 19, 6:28 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Springfield MO
628 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Enhanced (3 of 5) to Moderate (4 of 5) Risk today and tonight.
  Confidence and concern is increasing for multiple rounds of
  strong to severe storms this afternoon through the overnight
  hours. Hazards include tornadoes, some potentially strong,
  tennis ball sized hail, and wind gusts up to 70-80 mph.

- A Tornado Watch is in effect until 9 PM this evening for areas
 along and west of Highway 65.

- Many areas to see 1 to 3 inches of rain through Tuesday. A
  Flood Watch is in effect until 7 AM Tuesday. Localized areas
  could see rain amounts as high as 5-7 inches.

- Active pattern is forecast to end after Tuesday, with mostly  dry
  and cooler temperatures late this week.

- 40-60% rain chances return for Memorial Day Weekend.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Issued at 205 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

Synoptic analysis shows a large amplified upper level trough over
the Rockies shifting east throughout the day and becoming negatively
tilted as it pivots towards the area. A surface low is currently
located over Kansas, with a dryline extending southward through
OK/TX and a warm front extending eastward located across the
forecast area. As the morning/early afternoon has progressed, the
system has lifted north/northeast, lifting the warm front into the
area.

Since the previous forecast, the Storm Prediction Center has
expanded the Moderate Risk (level 4 of 5) further north and east,
with all modes (potentially significant) possible. Storm set-up will
be pretty tricky, with likely a mixture of storm modes.

As of 1230PM, storms began to develop in eastern/southern OK, which
are expected to spread northeast into southwest MO beginning within
the next hour. Across the region, dewpoints are in the upper 60s/low
70s, showing an ample amount of moisture, with satellite imagery
showing slowly clearing skies across eastern Kansas as the cap
begins to erode. As daytime heating continues and large- scale
ascent begins to overspread the region, additional thunderstorm
development is expected along the dryline, beginning around 2-4PM.
Current guidance shows a highly unstable atmosphere, with MLCAPE >
2500 J/kg and deep layer shear between 40-50kts. With the 0-6kt bulk
shear vectors oriented from the west, supercells are the likely
storm mode towards the beginning of this event, which will allow for
all hazards, including large hail up to tennis balls, damaging wind
gusts between 70-80mph, and tornadoes, some potentially strong. The
tornado threat will increase as the afternoon progresses into the
evening, with the RAP STP showing values of 2-4 west of Hwy 65.
Latest CAM guidance shows clusters of supercells pushing through,
translating east- northeast and becoming widespread through the
evening and overnight.

A Tornado Watch is currently in effect for areas along and west of
Highway 65 until 9PM this evening. We'll continue to monitor how
things progress in order to determine any spatial or temporal
expansions in the future.

The cold front is progged to enter the western CWA later tonight,
pushing eastward overnight before exiting the area Tuesday
afternoon. CAMs show additional thunderstorm development west of I-
49 after midnight translating eastward into the early morning hours
before sunrise. As the nocturnal low level jet increases, 20-25kt 0-
1km shear and 100-200 m2/s2 SRH will allow for the tornado threat to
continue overnight in addition to large hail and damaging winds.

Slight (2 of 5) Risk for Severe Thunderstorms Tuesday:

Dissipating showers and thunderstorms may linger into the morning
hours after sunrise on Tuesday ahead of the sweeping cold front,
primarily east of Highway 65. We could see some destabilization
occur during the early afternoon, leading to 20-40% probability of
shower/thunderstorm redevelopment in the eastern Ozarks, however
latest guidance seems less keen on the western extent of this
occurrence, so confidence in any afternoon activity is fairly low.
If this can occur, 30-40kt deep layer shear will still be supportive
of supercells. We'll need to see if this would be more surface based
or elevated in nature, which would determine the primary hazards. If
they're more surface based, then tornadoes would be possible,
however more elevated storms would lead to large hail up to golf
balls as the primary hazard.

Flood Watch In Effect from until 7AM Tuesday:

With several rounds of showers/thunderstorms pushing through the
area today into tomorrow, a CWA-wide Flood Watch is in effect
through 7AM Tuesday. Over the past couple days, areas across east KS
and west-central MO have already seen 0.5-2.0 inches of rainfall,
with localized areas of 2-4 inches. HREF LPMM shows two primary
corridors for the heavy rainfall potential, with one over west-
central MO, and another across portions of the eastern Ozarks. Both
of these locations could see between 2-3 inches of additional
rainfall, with the LPMM showing the potential for pockets of up to 4-
6 inches. The WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlook highlights portions of
south-central MO in a Moderate risk (Level 3 of 4) to account for
this potential.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
Issued at 205 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

Once this system pushes through, cooler and drier weather will enter
the region, with afternoon highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s
Wednesday, and the mid to upper 60s Thursday and Friday. Towards the
end of the forecast period, a gradual warming trend is expected,
with highs warming into the 70s through the weekend.

For Memorial Day weekend, 40-60% rain chances return as moisture
builds beneath northwesterly flow, however uncertainty remains high.
We'll continue monitoring how things progress as we get closer to
this timeframe.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 625 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

For the 00z TAFS, several rounds of strong to severe
thunderstorms will be possible this evening into the first part
of the overnight hours. All modes of severe storms will be
possible with large hail, damaging wind and tornadoes. Storms
should diminish by 06z at JLN and by 08z at SGF/BBG. MVFR
conditions are expected through the event but could see some
brief IFR during the most intense storms. Variable storm winds
gusting over 50 kts will be possible. Winds will eventually
switch from southeast to west-northwest as a front moves through
towards morning.

&&

.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for KSZ073-097-101.
MO...Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for MOZ055>058-066>071-
     077>083-088>098-101>106.

&&

SHORT TERM...Melto
LONG TERM...Melto
AVIATION...Lindenberg
Hazardous weather outlook, May 19, 2:24 PM CDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Springfield MO
224 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-201930-
Bourbon-Crawford-Cherokee-Benton-Morgan-Miller-Maries-Vernon-
St. Clair-Hickory-Camden-Pulaski-Phelps-Barton-Cedar-Polk-Dallas-
Laclede-Texas-Dent-Jasper-Dade-Greene-Webster-Wright-Newton-
Lawrence-Christian-Douglas-Howell-Shannon-McDonald-Barry-Stone-
Taney-Ozark-Oregon-
224 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri
Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Weather hazards expected...

  Moderate tornado risk.
  Moderate hail risk.
  Moderate thunderstorm wind damage risk.
  Significant lightning risk.
  Significant excessive rainfall risk
  Limited non thunderstorm wind risk.

DISCUSSION...

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected this afternoon into
tonight with a severe risk present with any storm that develops.
All hazards will be possible, including hail up to the size of
tennis balls, damaging winds up to 70 to 80 mph, and tornadoes,
some potentially strong. A Tornado Watch is in effect until 9 PM
this evening for areas along and west of Highway 65.

Along with the severe risk, a localized flooding threat is
present for any areas that see multiple heavy thunderstorms.
Localized rainfall amounts up to 5 to 7 inches are possible. A
Flood Watch is in effect until 7 AM Tuesday to cover this threat.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Additional showers and thunderstorms are possible Tuesday (20-40%
chance). Some storms may become strong to severe generally east
of Highway 63 during the afternoon hours. Large hail up to golf
balls, damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, and a low chance for a
tornado will be the main hazards.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

 Spotter activation may be needed today and tonight for the entire
area.

&&

More detailed information can be accessed at:
http://www.weather.gov/sgf/dsspacket

This product in graphical format...along with other weather...
hydrological and climate information...at
http://www.weather.gov/sgf

Melto

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 19, 6:16 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
616 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0607 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 ENE Marmaton          37.85N 94.78W
05/19/2025                   Bourbon            KS   Law Enforcement

            Tree partially blocking the road.

&&

TEO
Local storm report, May 19, 6:21 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
621 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0617 PM     Rain             Nevada                  37.84N 94.36W
05/19/2025  M3.50 Inch       Vernon             MO   Emergency Mngr

            total of 3.50 inches of rain so far.

&&

TEO
Local storm report, May 19, 6:23 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
623 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 NNE Airport Drive     37.16N 94.50W
05/19/2025  M62 MPH          Jasper             MO   ASOS

            Joplin airport ASOS.

&&

TEO
Local storm report, May 19, 6:42 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 19, 6:55 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
655 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0610 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Sarcoxie                37.07N 94.12W
05/19/2025                   Jasper             MO   Public

            Large tree down.

&&

TEO

The surface observations

Clinton (GLY), 23 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

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

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:56 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.

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 May 19, 2025

43 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 192:46 PM CDTEF1Hughes, OK4.4600$30,000
May 192:53 PM CDTEF0Hughes, OK1.840$2,000
May 195:03 PM CDTEF1Cherokee, OK2.6600$20,000
May 195:29 PM CDTEF1Dodge, NE1.770
May 195:37 PM CDTEF1Atoka, OK1.0400
May 195:44 PM CDTEF3Pittsburg, OK16.03,0001$500,000
May 195:50 PM CDTUnratedPawnee, NE2.150
May 196:02 PM CDTUnratedCooke, TX0.130
May 196:14 PM CDTEF1Pittsburg, OK11.11,500$150,000
May 196:22 PM CDTEF1Muskogee, OK9.5900$85,000
May 196:31 PM CDTEF1Pittsburg, OK0.3100
May 196:42 PM CDTEF0Wabaunsee, KS0.440
May 196:44 PM CDTEF1Cherokee, OK12.31,100$50,000
May 196:47 PM CDTEF1Cherokee, OK10.41,300
May 196:55 PM CDTEF1Adair, OK to AR16.72,200$50,000
May 197:11 PM CDTEF1Adair, OK to AR8.21,000
May 197:15 PM CDTEF1Henry, MO3.5200
May 197:20 PM CDTEF1Washington, AR11.6900$100,000
May 197:21 PM CDTEF1Washington, AR1.0500
May 197:21 PM CDTEF1LeFlore, OK11.91,100
May 197:24 PM CDTEF1Benton, MO1.3500$115,000
May 197:28 PM CDTEF1Benton, MO4.3500$148,000
May 197:29 PM CDTEF2Washington, AR13.61,100$1.0 million
May 197:34 PM CDTEF1Sebastian, OK to AR21.41,000$1.5 million
May 197:35 PM CDTEF1Benton, MO4.4300$160,000
May 197:54 PM CDTEF1Madison, AR14.3900$100,000
May 197:56 PM CDTEF1Madison, AR2.4550$60,000
May 198:02 PM CDTUnratedJefferson, MO2.41
May 198:11 PM CDTEF1Carroll, AR7.22,300
May 198:21 PM CDTEF1Carroll, AR4.21,000$30,000
May 198:32 PM CDTEF0Buchanan, MO4.320
May 198:56 PM CDTEF1Washington, MO2.850
May 1910:18 PM CDTEF1Dent, MO6.450$30,000
May 1910:20 PM CDTEF0Dent, MO1.075$80,000
May 1910:20 PM CDTEF0Fannin, TX1.475
May 1910:21 PM CDTEF0Dent, MO4.350$55,000
May 1910:28 PM CDTEF0Dent, MO1.950$25,000
May 1910:39 PM CDTEF0Washington, MO2.2140
May 1910:40 PM CDTEF0Reynolds, MO1.650
May 1910:50 PM CDTEF1Crawford, MO1.0270$60,000
May 1911:31 PM CDTEF1Saint Francois, MO4.2500$30,000
May 1912:02 AM CDTEF0Sainte Genevieve, MO1.325
May 1912:21 AM CDTEF1Randolph, IL0.525$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.