Introduction
Over its history, the St. Louis area has been a tornado hotbed, with numerous funnels making their presence known. Dating back as far as the early 1870s to 2025, many proved deadly and catastrophic, while others were only a footnote in history. In this summary, we discuss the sixteen twisters officially documented within St. Louis proper.
March 8, 1871
Path length: 5 miles
Width: 250 yards
Fatalities: 9
Injuries: 60
Rating: F3
The first documented tornado to strike St. Louis was a deadly F3 that developed along the west bank of the Mississippi River before rapidly moving northeast into Illinois. The tornado struck East St. Louis and the Brooklyn–Venice areas, causing extensive damage along the riverfront. Docks were heavily damaged, ferries and steamers were torn apart, and debris was reportedly carried as far as 30 miles.
The most severe impacts occurred at six railroad depots, where eight of the nine fatalities took place, while another death took place on a bridge. Approximately 30 homes were destroyed, and another 30 sustained severe damage. Several of the rail lines damaged in this storm would be devastated again on May 27, 1896. In total, the tornado caused nine deaths, injured 60 people, and resulted in more than $200,000 in damage.
March 29, 1872
Path length: N/A
Width: N/A
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 8
Rating: F1
A year after the 1871 F3, a small, short-lived tornado was reported on 7th Street. While this twister did not have the same power, a brick building was unroofed, and debris from it damaged a nearby building. The former partially collapsed structure caused the eight injuries. Some reports note that one of the injured people may have died later on.
May 18, 1878
Path length: N/A
Width: N/A
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Rating: F2
This F2 tornado moved northeast across the Cote Brilliante neighborhood of St. Louis. Witnesses said that the air was filled with flying tree limbs. One home was unroofed, and another collapsed.
January 12, 1890
Path length: 1.5 miles
Width: 100 yards
Fatalities: 4
Injuries: 15
Rating: F2
The tornado developed southwest of Washington University and tracked northeast, crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois just south of Venice. Along its path, more than 100 homes and other buildings were unroofed or damaged, while numerous smokestacks, steeples, and chimneys were blown down. All four fatalities occurred in collapsed brick buildings in St. Louis, and at least 15 people were injured.
May 27, 1896
Path length: 12 miles
Width: 800 yards
Fatalities: 255
Injuries: 1000
Rating: F4
The tornado, known by St. Louis as the “Great Cyclone” struck during the afternoon of May 27, 1896. To this day, this twister is the deadliest and most destructive natural disaster in the city’s history. It is also ranked third in the top deadliest U.S. Tornadoes.
The violent F4 swept through densely populated neighborhoods and industrial areas, collapsing or sweeping away houses, factories, saloons, hospitals, mills, railroad yards, and churches. Among the city’s green spaces, the beloved 36-acre Lafayette Park was reduced to what eyewitnesses described as a wasteland of stripped trees, shattered branches, and stumps. In one extraordinary example of the storm’s raw power, a shovel was driven six inches into a tree trunk.
The twister achieved some impressive feats. In rail yards, heavy freight cars were thrown from their tracks. Most famously, the storm tested the Eads Bridge, which was rebuilt with intent to survive the winds after the 1871 tornado. Though its steel span survived intact, a 300-foot section of the bridge’s eastern approach was ripped away. Additionally, a 2×10-inch white pine plank was driven through a 5/16-inch wrought iron plate on the bridge’s eastern end.
Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois, the twister churned up the waters, scattering steamboats and wrecking vessels. Barges and houseboats were capsized, with many occupants drowned and their bodies carried downstream. On the Illinois side, the tornado reached maximum intensity as it struck East St. Louis. There, whole districts were obliterated. Railroads suffered heavily, with as many as 35 fatalities in the Vandalia freight yards alone.
The devastation was overwhelming: 311 buildings were completely destroyed, more than 7,200 were heavily damaged, and another 1,300 sustained significant damage. These included homes, schools, churches, factories, and hospitals. In East St. Louis, entire neighborhoods were flattened, leaving only foundations behind. The city’s industrial base, including warehouses and mills, was heavily hit, and transportation infrastructure was crippled by the loss of rail yards and collapsed bridges.
The overall toll was staggering. The storm killed at least 255 people and injured more than 1,000. The Missouri Weather Bureau estimated property losses at $25 million in 1896 dollars. Later studies, adjusting for wealth and inflation into the late 20th century, estimated the tornado’s true economic cost at up to $2.9 billion, making it arguably the costliest tornado in U.S. history.
Despite the destruction, St. Louis demonstrated remarkable recovery. Reconstruction began swiftly, with debris cleared, homes and businesses rebuilt, and infrastructure repaired. Less than a decade later, the city was able to host the 1904 World’s Fair. Ironically, this was the same year of St. Louis’ next tornado.
August 19, 1904
Path length: 5 miles
Width: 70 yards
Fatalities: 3
Injuries: 10
Rating: F2
The tornado carved a damaging path through roughly 15 city blocks, heavily impacting the northeastern portion of the city, where more than 100 homes were wholly or partially unroofed.
As with several St. Louis tornadoes before it, the circulation crossed the Mississippi River into Venice, where multiple factories were wrecked. In the Venice area, Thomas P. Grazulis noted in Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991 that eyewitnesses described the tornado as resembling “a gigantic twisting cable.” All three fatalities occurred when three separate structures collapsed on their occupants. Damage along the entire path was estimated at $100,000.
September 29, 1927
Path length: 12 miles
Width: 600 yards
Fatalities: 79
Injuries: 550
Rating: F3
At approximately 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 29, 1927, a violent tornado touched down near Manchester Avenue and Kingshighway in Webster Groves, Missouri, and moved east-northeast across the city. Crossing a corner of Forest Park, it carved a destructive path through downtown St. Louis before continuing into Illinois.
As the storm entered the heart of the city, its path widened from 100 yards to as much as 600 yards, with microburst damage spreading out over a mile in some areas. The tornado cut a swath of destruction approximately 12 miles long, devastating more than 200 city blocks. In neighborhoods from Fountain Park to Hyde Park, the storm left widespread ruin. Several multi-story dwellings were destroyed or partly swept away, suggesting F4-level intensity, while non-residential structures were completely obliterated. Debris was later found up to 50 miles away, evidence of the tornado’s immense power.
The tornado reached maximum strength in the Central West End neighborhood, where the worst destruction and loss of life took place. At least 72 people were killed in St. Louis. Central High School, which held more than 1,500 students at the time, sustained damage, and numerous students were among the injured.
Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois, the tornado caused additional fatalities. One person was killed in a home, while six others died tragically when a crucible of molten metal was overturned, underscoring the industrial hazards magnified by the storm. The tornado finally dissipated over Granite City, Illinois.
The financial toll was immense. Property damage was estimated at $50 million in Missouri and $3 million in Illinois, totaling roughly $53 million—a staggering figure for the time. More than homes and businesses, the storm disrupted schools, industries, and transportation networks, leaving St. Louis reeling in the aftermath.
In less than an hour, the September 1927 tornado became one of the city’s most destructive weather disasters of the 20th century, remembered for its devastating force, the large-scale destruction of downtown, and the tragic loss of life.
September 16, 1958
Path length: 0.3 miles
Width: 20 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Rating: F1
A tornado occurred in St. Louis, producing a very short damage path. Several homes were badly damaged, and heavy local flooding was reported in the southern part of the county following intense rainfall. The storm was observed moving northwestward.
February 10, 1959
Path length: 27.8 miles
Width: 200 yards
Fatalities: 21
Injuries: 345
Rating: F4
Our main summary on this event here.
In the early hours of February 10, 1959, a rare wintertime F4 tornado tore through St. Louis, striking around 1:40 a.m. while much of the city slept. The tornado carved a destructive path nearly 28 miles long and up to 600 yards wide, killing 21 people, injuring more than 345, and causing an estimated $12 million in damage.
Touching down near the Meramec River, the tornado strengthened as it moved through suburban communities and into the city, heavily damaging neighborhoods, churches, schools, apartment buildings, and industrial areas. Major landmarks, including KTVI Channel 2, the St. Louis Arena, and parts of Forest Park, were severely impacted. Entire families were killed in collapsed homes and apartment buildings, particularly along Washington Avenue, Delmar Boulevard, and in neighborhoods such as Gaslight Square and Hyde Park.
The tornado crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois before dissipating, damaging industrial facilities in Venice and Granite City. Rescue and recovery efforts began immediately, with shelters opened and aid pouring in from across the region. The February 10, 1959 tornado remains one of the deadliest in St. Louis history, remembered for its unusual winter timing, nighttime strike, and devastating path through the heart of the city.
August 15, 1968
Path length: 3.3 miles
Width: 100 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 1
Rating: F1
A short-lived tornado with intermittent ground contact moved across the St. Louis metropolitan area, producing scattered minor damage. The circulation was first observed near Ladue, just east of Lindbergh Boulevard (US-61) and Litzinger Road, before tracking east-northeast through Clayton and University City. Touchdowns were sporadic, but when the funnel reached the ground, it caused localized tree damage and roof impacts.
The most noticeable damage in the suburbs occurred near the Forsyth and Hanley Road area and along Delmar Boulevard between Big Bend and Skinker Boulevards. Within the city limits, damage was concentrated along a roughly one-mile corridor, stretching from the Page and Clara Avenue area east-northeast to Union Boulevard. The funnel then lifted again, crossing the Mississippi River north of the Merchants Bridge, and was later reported over the Granite City–Venice area in Illinois.
May 1, 1983
Path length: 16 miles
Width: 800 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 3
Rating: F3
A tornado touched down at Broadway and I-70 in St. Louis, then moved across the river into Granite City, Illinois. It overturned several parked tractor-trailers and damaged power lines and trees. Intensifying to F3 in Illinois, the tornado caused severe destruction along a 15-mile path through Granite City to Edwardsville, lifting near Route 157 north of I-270. In Edwardsville, six mobile homes were destroyed and ten more damaged at Edwardsville Estates Mobile Home Park, with additional roof, building, and tree damage. In Granite City, two shopping centers and a two-block area were heavily damaged, and multiple trees were uprooted.
March 31, 2007
Path length: 1.7 miles
Width: 60 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 2
Rating: EF0
On March 31, 2007, a severe weather event struck St. Louis, Missouri, featuring a bow echo within a larger squall line that produced a weak, intermittent tornado and widespread wind damage. The storm developed in an unusually warm, moist airmass ahead of a weak cold front, creating unstable conditions conducive to strong winds and tornado formation.
The tornado developed south of Flora Place and South 39th Street, damaging several trees, then moved northeast, causing additional tree limb damage near Shaw Boulevard. After briefly lifting over I-44, it struck Blaine Avenue, damaging the roofs of three homes. At the Saint Louis University Medical Center, the tornado downed large tree limbs and a lamp post, caused minor roof and window damage to buildings and parking garages, and injured two people driving on I-64 from flying debris. Its final touchdown damaged a billboard near I-64 and Jefferson Avenue and affected traffic lights.
December 31, 2010
Path length: 2.7 miles
Width: 100 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Rating: EF1
An EF1 tornado tracked through northern St. Louis on December 31, carving a 2.1-mile damage path. The tornado touched down in the Lewis Place neighborhood around 12:08 p.m., then moved northeast at nearly 50 mph through The Ville and North Riverfront neighborhoods. It lifted just north of Fairground Park at approximately 12:11 p.m.
Numerous homes sustained roof damage, with several experiencing near-total roof loss. The tornado reached a maximum width of 100 yards, and its strongest damage was consistent with an EF1 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
April 22, 2011
Path length: 21.3 miles
Width: 880 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 5
Rating: EF4
Our main summary on this event here.
On April 22, 2011, a major tornado outbreak struck the St. Louis metropolitan area, producing five tornadoes from two supercells. The most destructive was a long-track EF4, one of the strongest to hit the region in decades.
The EF4 touched down near Creve Coeur Lake around 7:55 p.m., moving east at nearly 40 mph and intensifying rapidly through Maryland Heights and Bridgeton, where winds approached 170 mph. It paralleled I-70 through St. Annand struck Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, causing severe damage to Concourse C and other facilities and resulting in $35–40 million in airport losses.
The tornado continued through Berkeley, Ferguson, Dellwood, and Bellefontaine Neighbors, producing widespread roof loss, snapped utility poles, and extensive tree damage. After crossing the Mississippi River into Madison County, it damaged more than 100 homes before dissipating near Pontoon Road. The tornado traveled 21–22 miles, widened to nearly half a mile, and caused over $250 million in damage, yet no fatalities and only minor injuries, thanks in part to an exceptional warning lead time and strong public response.
April 10, 2013
Path length: 0.33 miles
Width: 50 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Rating: EF0
A weak tornado touched down near the intersection of 59th Street and Rebel in St. Louis City, then tracked northeast across Dalton Avenue and January Avenue before lifting near Columbia Avenue. Along its path, numerous trees were snapped, and several homes, garages, and sheds sustained damage.
The most significant damage occurred near and just east of the January Avenue–Columbia Avenue intersection, where multiple homes and a garage were impacted. One residence on Columbia Avenue lost its entire east-facing roof section, with roofing materials and insulation scattered north and east along the street. Several vehicles along Columbia Avenue were also heavily damaged by falling debris.
May 16, 2025
Path length: 23 miles
Width: 1750 yards
Fatalities: 5
Injuries: 30
Rating: EF3
On May 16, 2025, a devastating EF-3 tornado struck the St. Louis metropolitan area, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The tornado touched down in Clayton, Missouri, at 2:39 p.m. CDT, with winds reaching up to 152 mph and a path extending up to a mile wide. It moved eastward through the city, impacting neighborhoods such as the Central West End, Forest Park, and Skinker DeBaliviere, before exiting the city limits.
The storm resulted in at least five fatalities and injured over 30 individuals. Emergency responders and community members worked tirelessly to assist those affected. Notably, Omar Sykes, a resident of the Roosevelt Towne Apartments, evacuated dozens of neighbors from upper floors after windows shattered during the storm. His actions were instrumental in ensuring the safety of many residents.
The tornado caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including downed power lines, uprooted trees, and destroyed buildings. Over 5,000 properties were damaged, and more than 100,000 customers lost electricity across Missouri, predominantly in the St. Louis area. The St. Louis Zoo sustained damage but reported no injuries among animals, guests, or staff.
In the aftermath, the community rallied together to support recovery efforts. Local organizations, volunteers, and city officials coordinated cleanup efforts, providing assistance to displaced residents and ensuring the restoration of essential services.
Sources
The sources compiled in our research for this summary can be found here.
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