Mussel Fork-Callao, MO F4 Tornado – June 12, 1970

An intense tornado cut a swath of near total destruction across more than a dozen farms from the Mussel Fork Community at the junctions of Routes DD and O, 7 miles southwest of Bynumville to a point 1-1/2 miles east and 1 mile south of Bynumville.  

Three homes, one mobile trailer, and barns were totally destroyed.  Five homes and ten barns suffered extensive damage.  Some observers in this area reported sighting 2 and 3 funnel clouds at one time appearing at times to be moving in line and at other times abreast.  Hailstones 3 to 4 inches in diameter fell.

From this point, the apparent damage path crossed the open fields of the Chariton River Bottoms as it turned north-northeastward to Buster’s Bridge on the Chariton-Macon County line, 3 miles north of the southwest corner of Macon County.  

Buster’s Bridge, a single span of steel girder construction built in 1927, was lifted bodily and dropped into the river northward (upstream) one span length from its original location.  North northeast of the bridge, extensive damage or destruction of outbuildings, barns and farm machinery occurred on three farms with lesser damage on five others, ending just west of Missouri Highway 3, four miles south of US 36 (5 miles SSW of Callao).