SPC Stats
Path length: 11.1 miles
Width: 400 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Rating: F2
County: Boone, Audrain
Six tornadoes are found in the Storm Prediction Center Database for December 4, 1956. Two were in Kansas (both given a rating of F0), the rest in the state of Missouri (all rated F2). We look at one of these Missouri tornadoes in this summary.
Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, this twister passed two miles south of Centralia. Three barns were destroyed and at least one home was unroofed. Eight other homes were damaged. There were no fatalities or injuries reported. Newspapers reported that a family was trapped in a damaged home but managed to escape without injury.
Tornado Path
SPC coordinates: Start: 39.12 / -92.17 End: 39.22 / -92
Corrected Coordinates based on Significant Tornadoes:
Start: 39.158606/-92.197298 End: 39.238982/-92.020957
Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.
Newspaper Clippings
Discrepancies:
We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the December 1956 Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:
Path Length:
- SPC/NCDC have an 11.1 mile path length.
- CDNS has an 8 mile path.
- Grazulis lists a 10 mile path.
Counties in Path:
- SPC and Grazulis have Boone and Audrain Counties in the path.
- NCDC and NCDC only list Boone County.
Sources:
December 1956 Climatological Data National Summary
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Page 999.
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