Tornadoes, Severe Storms Batter St. Louis Area Tuesday Night
Multiple tornado warnings swept the St. Louis area Tuesday night as severe storms brought 60 mph winds and flooding threats to the metro region.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — Multiple tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm alerts swept across the St. Louis metropolitan area Tuesday night, bringing dangerous winds, heavy rainfall, and the threat of tornadoes to communities throughout the region.
The National Weather Service in St. Louis issued a series of tornado warnings beginning at 9:40 PM CDT, with radar-indicated rotation detected in severe thunderstorms moving east at speeds up to 45 mph. The first tornado warning targeted central St. Louis County and St. Louis City until 10:30 PM CDT.
At 9:40 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Town and Country, according to the National Weather Service. The storm system moved east at 25 mph, prompting warnings for numerous communities including Ballwin, Chesterfield, Manchester, Kirkwood, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Webster Groves, Maryland Heights, Bridgeton, Overland, St. Ann, Clayton, University City, St. Louis, Jennings, Ferguson, Florissant, and Bellefontaine Neighbors.
Multiple Tornado Warnings Issued
A second tornado warning was issued at 9:52 PM CDT for a severe thunderstorm over Ladue, also moving east at 25 mph. This warning covered many of the same communities and remained in effect until 10:30 PM CDT.
The most recent tornado warning came at 10:19 PM CDT, with severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes located along a line from Riverview to Cahokia, moving east at 35 mph. This warning specifically impacted St. Louis, Wellston, Riverview, and Glasgow Village, including the Scott Joplin Historic Site.
Weather officials warned that flying debris would be dangerous to those caught without shelter, with mobile homes facing damage or destruction. The storms threatened damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles, with tree damage likely across the affected areas.
Severe Wind and Flooding Threats
Alongside tornado threats, the National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for 60 mph wind gusts affecting Monroe County in southwestern Illinois, central Saint Clair County in southwestern Illinois, central Jefferson County in east central Missouri, south central Saint Louis County, and southern Saint Louis City.
At 10:15 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were positioned along a line from East Carondelet to Olympian Village, extending from near St. Louis to six miles south of Festus. Communities bracing for severe weather included Sunset Hills, Crestwood, De Soto, Arnold, Webster Groves, St. Louis, Pevely, Festus, Cahokia, Crystal City, Columbia, East St. Louis, Centreville, Belleville, Fairview Heights, Waterloo, Swansea, O’Fallon, and Shiloh.
A flood advisory remained in effect for Saint Louis County and Saint Louis City until 3:30 AM CDT Wednesday. Doppler radar indicated heavy rainfall from thunderstorms would cause urban and small stream flooding, with one to two inches of rain already fallen by 10:24 PM CDT.
Transportation and Infrastructure Impacts
The severe weather threatened major transportation corridors, with warnings affecting Interstate 64 in Illinois between exits 12 and 19, Interstate 55 in Missouri near exit 170, and Interstate 44 in Missouri near exit 277.
Additional rainfall amounts up to one inch were expected across the flood-prone areas, resulting in minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Weather officials warned of water over roadways and overflowing drainage systems in communities including St. Louis, Florissant, Chesterfield, Wildwood, University City, Ballwin, Kirkwood, Maryland Heights, Hazelwood, Webster Groves, Ferguson, Arnold, Manchester, Creve Coeur, Overland, Clayton, and Jennings.
The storm system continued moving eastward throughout Tuesday evening, with all tornado warnings scheduled to expire by 10:30 PM CDT and severe thunderstorm warnings lasting until 11:00 PM CDT.
