Potosi-Hopewell, MO F3 Tornado – December 8, 1966

Published by Jen Narramore on

SPC Stats

Path length: 1.3 miles

Width:  200 yards

Fatalities:  0

Injuries:  2

Rating:  F3

County:  Washington

9 tornadoes were confirmed on December 8, 1966.  All but two were in the state of Missouri.  One that traveled through parts of Washington County was given a rating of F3.  The SPC path length is recorded at 1.3 miles.  That doesn’t appear to be correct.  The Storm Data entry states a 6 mile path. Newspaper reports back up a longer path length.  There were 2 injuries recorded but there could have been a few more.  

Fri, Dec 9, 1966 – 18 · Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) · Newspapers.com
The tornado developed about 4 miles out of Potosi, moved ENE passing 1 mile north of Hopewell.  Four homes and 26 outbuildings were destroyed.

Storm Data Entry

A tornado touched down in the Furnace Creek area, 4 miles south of Potosi and moved ENE for 6 miles crossing State Highways 21 and U, passing 1 mile north of Hopewell and finally lifting just east of Highway 8, 5.5 miles SE of Potosi.  Four homes destroyed, 2 badly damaged, 20 minor damage, 26 outbuildings destroyed and 21 damaged.  Two people were hospitalized.

Tornado Path

SPC coordinates:  Start: 37.85 / -90.78      End: 37.88 / -90.73

The official SPC coordinates didn’t jibe with the Storm Data entry.  I extended the end point to be about 1 mile north of Hopewell per Storm Data.

Note:  Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.

Newspaper Clippings

Fri, Dec 9, 1966 – Page 2 · The Minneapolis Star (Minneapolis, Minnesota) · Newspapers.com
Fri, Dec 9, 1966 – Page 10 · Daily World (Opelousas, Louisiana) · Newspapers.com

Discrepancies:

We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the December 1966 Storm Data Publication and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:

Path Length:

  • SPC/NCDC have a 1.3mile path length.
  • Grazulis and Storm Data have a length at 6 miles.

      Sources:

      The Storm Prediction Center

      NCDC Storm Events Database

      December 1966 Storm Data Publication

      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 1086.

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      Categories: DecemberF3/EF3MissouriTornado History
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