4 Octobers Ago, Missouri Faced a Night of Tornado Chaos

When you think of tornadoes in Missouri, you don't normally think of October. That changed 4 years ago when the state suffered an outbreak of twisters across many parts of the state including one monster EF-3 that was on the ground for miles.

What do you remember from October 24, 2021?

The National Weather Service said "an unseasonably warm and moist airmass moved into the area on the afternoon of October 24, 2021". That instability led to an almost unprecedented outbreak of Fall tornadoes that impacted many communities in Missouri. There were numerous tornadoes that were confirmed in the northwestern part of Missouri, with the strongest in that region being an EF-2 in Purdin, Missouri that was on the ground for 30 miles.

By far the largest was a monster EF-3 twister with top winds over 150 miles per hour that devastated areas in Fredericktown, Missouri. It created a damage path of nearly 19 miles. Miraculously, there was only 1 injury reported and no fatalities. The tornado was a half-mile wide at its zenith.

Read More: Ryan Hall Says October Storms May Break Missouri Heatwave

The National Weather Service has an interesting history of several tornadoes that impacted southeastern Missouri that night also. They say three were EF-2 or stronger.

This memory came to mind after I saw storm chaser Adam Lucio share a graphic today showing Missouri is in the heart of the region where there is once again tornado danger over the coming weeks. Let's hope we're not about to have a repeat of what Missouri experienced four Octobers ago.