St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado Map
The 1896 St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado is historically recognized as the costliest tornado in United States history when adjusted for inflation, resulting in an estimated $5.36 billion in normalized damage.
The path of the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado
On the evening of Wednesday, May 27, 1896, a tornado touched down 5 miles south of Wellston. Over the next 8.9 miles it traveled east-northeast across Missouri and Illinois, passing through Saint Louis and East Saint Louis, before lifting just northeast of East Saint Louis.
At its widest the damage path was 800 yards across. It was rated F4 on the Fujita Scale, a violent tornado. It killed 255 people and injured 1,000.
The track, widths and figures on this map come from the historical record of this pre-1950 tornado, so they can differ slightly from totals published elsewhere.
What was the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado?
The St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado was a cyclone that struck Missouri and Illinois on the afternoon of May 27, 1896. The vortex formed near Hampton Avenue and churned through the city for 20 minutes. It crossed the Mississippi River and moved directly into the heart of East St. Louis. The storm became the deadliest single event in St. Louis history, claiming 255 lives across both cities.
What was the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado wind speed?
The available records do not provide an official wind speed for the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado. The storm generated winds strong enough to push a Chicago & Alton passenger train off the tracks at the Eads Bridge. The vortex also snapped trees, collapsed iron scaffolding, and sank nearly 20 riverboats on the Mississippi River. These extreme winds completely leveled multiple three-story brick tenements and exploded a large church.
What was the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado path?
The St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado path covered 10 miles across Missouri and Illinois. The storm touched down near Hampton Avenue and traveled over the heights along Arsenal Street. It moved through Shaw's Garden, Lafayette Square, and the Soulard neighborhood along the route of modern Interstate 44. The vortex then crossed the Mississippi River near the present site of the Gateway Arch and tore through the East St. Louis rail yards.
How many people died in the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado?
A total of 255 people died in the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado. The storm killed 137 individuals in St. Louis and another 118 victims in East St. Louis. Falling scaffolding at a Folsom Avenue tobacco factory crushed 13 construction workers. Collapsing tenements at Seventh and Rutger streets killed 23 people, while 15 clerks died inside the ruined Vandalia Line railroad depot.
What did the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado destroy?
The St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado destroyed or damaged between 7,500 and 8,000 buildings. The vortex heavily damaged City Hospital and leveled pavilions in Lafayette Park. It completely destroyed St. John Nepomuk Church and its neighboring school on 11th Street. The storm also wrecked nearly 20 riverboats on the Mississippi River and devastated the extensive railroad yards in East St. Louis.
What caused the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado?
Warm and humid atmospheric conditions caused the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado. Temperatures reached 86 degrees on the midafternoon of the event following a period of stormy weather. The barometric pressure fell sharply at the downtown Weather Bureau just before the storm arrived. Thick, low clouds turned a dark green color and began swirling as the vortex developed near Hampton Avenue.
What happened after the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado?
Rescue and recovery efforts began immediately after the St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado. Fires broke out in the wreckage across both cities, but a deluge of 2.5 inches of rain quickly extinguished the flames. Workers dug through the debris at night using only lightning flashes for illumination. Three weeks later, St. Louis hosted the Republican National Convention in a temporary 14,000-seat hall.