SPC Stats

Path length: 27.9 miles

Width:  200 yards

Fatalities:  3

Injuries:  52

Rating:  F4

County:  Iron, Washington

An estimated F4 tornado moved through parts of Iron and Washington Counties in Missouri during the early AM of December 21, 1967.  It began south of Viburnum.  A house and house trailer was hit between Viburnum and Bixby and five were injured here.  Per the Storm Data entry, an aerial survey showed a continuous path from this damage location to the northeast passing southeast of Viburnum and to near Route Z, just south and east of Courtois and then continuing to the Quaker area.  The tornado traveled weakened in intensity near Quaker. Minor damage was observed in the Clark National Forest.

As the tornado moved toward Potosi, it strengthened again.  “Damage lowered from treetop levels to the ground level in a residential area on a ridge in southeast Potosi.”  Approximately two blocks to the northeast of this area, a portion of the Potosi business district was destroyed.  The City Hall, library, a large supermarket and a shopping center complex were hit.  The tornado hit a trailer court at Highways E and 21. Thirteen trailers were demolished. Nine-year-old Julia Hunter was killed here and 15 others were injured. 

Northeast of this area, a home was swept from its foundation and scattered to the northeast. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Haggard were killed.
Per Storm Data, “The Red Cross reported 24 homes and trailers destroyed, 14 business places destroyed, 81 houses and trailers damaged, 3 churches damaged with minor additional damage to many buildings.”

Tornado Path

SPC coordinates:  Start: 37.68 / -91.13      End: 37.95 / -90.75

Corrected Coordinates based on Storm Data:

Start: 37.678830/-91.138254      End: 37.976291/-90.731513

Veer in path: 37.767029/-91.047512

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 1973 Storm Data Publication and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:

Path Length:

  • SPC/NCDC have a 27.9 mile path length.
  • Grazulis and Storm Data have a length at 33 miles.

      Sources:

      The Storm Prediction Center

      NCDC Storm Events Database

      December 1967 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 1095.

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