The St. Louis metropolitan area has been struck by significant tornadoes throughout its history. The most famous - the 1896 F4 that killed 255 people - remains the deadliest urban tornado in US history. Later events in 1927, 1959, and 2013 continued the pattern.
The Great St. Louis tornado struck downtown St. Louis at rush hour, crossing the Mississippi River into East St. Louis. 255 killed - the third-deadliest tornado in US history. Full story →
An F4 struck the west side of St. Louis. 79 killed, over 1,600 injured. Destroyed multiple neighborhoods and Central High School.
A February F3 tornado struck St. Louis during a warm winter day. Multiple deaths and significant damage.
An EF4 struck the suburbs of St. Louis near Lambert Airport. Extensive damage to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport itself.
Multiple tornadoes across the St. Louis area on a highly active day. Significant damage in Ballwin and other suburbs.
Multiple EF3/EF4 tornadoes across northern St. Louis suburbs. Damage in Perryville and surrounding areas.
St. Louis sits at the convergence of:
The region experiences frequent supercells during spring and fall.
Lambert Airport has been directly affected by tornadoes:
St. Louis' Arch and downtown skyscrapers have been in tornado paths:
St. Louis has developed strong tornado preparedness:
Missouri as a whole has been struck by numerous significant tornadoes. Missouri tornado history →. Notable events include Joplin 2011 (EF5, 158 killed), Marshfield 1880 (F4, ~99 killed), and multiple St. Louis events.
Both sides of the Mississippi River - St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL - have been struck. The 1896 event damaged the Eads Bridge itself, illustrating that tornadoes can cross rivers and cause damage on both sides.
→ Simulate a tornado on our map