SPC Stats

Path length: 1.3 miles

Width:  200 yards

Fatalities:  0

Injuries:  2

Rating:  F3

County:  Washington

Nine 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 Storm Prediction Center 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 two injuries recorded but there could have been a few more.  

The tornado developed about four miles south of Potosi in the Furnace Creek area. It moved to the ENE over State Highway 21 and U and passed just north of Hopewell.  It ended 5.5 mile SE of Potosi.  Four homes were destroyed and two others had significant damage. Twenty other homes had minor damage. Twenty-six outbuildings were destroyed and 21 others damaged. 

Tornado Path

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

Corrected Coordinates based on Storm Data:

37.876096/-90.780412      End: 37.911011/-90.680200

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 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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