2011 St. Louis tornado
On April 22, 2011, a violent EF4 tornado, with winds of 170 mph (270 km/h), struck the St. Louis metropolitan area. The tornado, which was the strongest to hit St. Louis County or City since January 1967, moved through many suburbs and neighborhoods, damaging and destroying many homes and businesses. The worst damage was in the Bridgeton area, where a few homes were completely leveled. In its 21.3-mile (34.3 km) track across the St. Louis metropolitan area, the tornado damaged thousands of homes, left thousands without power, and caused heavy damage to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, closing it for nearly 24 hours. The tornado crossed into Illinois and tore the roofs off homes in Granite City before dissipating. The tornado was part of a period of high tornado activity that preceded the 2011 Super Outbreak.
| EF4 tornado | |
|---|---|
Radar imagery of the supercell that produced the St. Louis tornado. | |
| Formed | April 22, 2011 7:59 p.m. CDT (00:59 UTC) |
| Duration | 32 minutes |
| Dissipated | 8:31 p.m. CDT (01:31 UTC) |
| Highest winds |
|
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 0 fatalities; 5 injuries |
| Damage | >$250 million (2011 USD) |
| Power outages | 54,000 |
| Areas affected | St. Louis, Missouri area (part of a larger outbreak) |
Part of the tornado outbreak sequence of April 19–24, 2011 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |