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:

      The Storm Prediction Center

      NCDC Storm Events Database

      December 1956 Climatological Data National Summary

      newspapers.com

      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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      Newspaper clips are embedded via newspapers.com. Please see their terms and conditions.

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