The National Weather Service say a tornado that crossed the St. Louis area
Friday afternoon was an EF3 with 152 mile per hour winds.
The weather service reports the tornado traveled at least eight miles, first
touching down in Clayton, west of the city, and quickly strengthened as it
moved through Forest Park and the northern portions of the city. It had a
maximum width of one mile. The tornado then crossed the Mississippi River
and entered Illinois near Venice, tracking through Granite City and Pontoon
Beach before lifting near the SIU-Edwardsville campus.
The same storm continued northeast over portions of Bond, northern Clinton
and Marion Counties and southern Fayette County with rotation in the clouds
but no further touchdowns. A tornado warning was issued as the storm
moved over due to the rotation and the storm's past history.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the storm took five lives, injured 38, and
affected more than 5,000 homes. City inspectors began going through
damaged areas on Sunday to condemn unsafe structures.
Tornado that hit St. Louis area was EF3 with 152 mile per hour winds
