| 1871 St. Louis tornado | |
| Formed: | March 8, 1871 3:00 P.M. CDT (10:00 A.M. UTC) |
| Active: | 3 minutes |
| Dissipated: | March 8, 1871 3:03 P.M. CDT (10:03 A.M. UTC) |
| Fujitascale: | F3 |
| Total Fatalities: | 9 fatalities; 60 injured |
| Damages: | $1.5 million |
| Affected: | St. Louis, Missouri area |
The 1871 St. Louis tornado was an F3 tornado that touched down in St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday, March 8, 1871, at 3:00 pm. It traveled east-northeast at 70mph, cutting a swath up to 250yd wide and 5miles long into East St. Louis, Illinois. The tornado was on the ground for 3 minutes.[1] A total of 30 homes were destroyed and 30 severely damaged. Six railroad depots were destroyed with eight deaths in them. One death occurred on a bridge. Overall, 9 people were killed, 60 injured, and $1,500,000 damage occurred. It is one of four tornadoes (1896, 1927, 1959) that have ripped through the central business district of St. Louis.[2]