| Tornado outbreak of September 29, 1927 | |
| Active: | September 29, 1927 |
| Tornadoes: | 15 confirmed |
| Fujitascale: | F3 |
| Casualties: | ≥ 82 fatalities, ≥ 620 injuries |
| Damages: | ≥ $22,000,000 (1927 USD)[1] ≥ $ (USD) |
| Affected: | Midwestern and Southern United States |
| Enhanced: | no |
| Partof: | the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1927 |
On Thursday, September 29, 1927, an outbreak of at least 15 significant tornadoes, including three F3 tornadoes, killed at least 82 people in the Central United States, particularly in Missouri and Illinois. The outbreak affected a broad expanse of the Midwestern and Southern United States, including Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. The deadliest tornado was an estimated F3 which affected portions of Greater St. Louis, killing at least 79 people and injuring at least 550 others. The tornado narrowly missed Downtown St. Louis, striking north of the central business district before crossing the Mississippi River.[2] [3] [4]
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | width | Summary | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=# | F2 | NW of Checotah | McIntosh | OK | 13:00–? | 1miles | "Small" tornado affected a couple of farmsteads, destroying several barns and farmhouses. Eight people were injured and losses totaled $23,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | Rudy to SE of Mountainburg | Crawford | AR | 15:29–? | 7miles | Tornado damaged or destroyed 30 homes and a school, the latter of which partly collapsed, injuring five students out of 106. Cultivated and forested lands were heavily damaged. 20 people were injured and losses totaled $75,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | SE of Audubon | Audubon | IA | 18:00–? | 6miles | Tornado affected five farmsteads, destroying several barns. Losses totaled $4,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | Brookfield | Linn | MO | 18:15–? | Tornado destroyed a barn. Losses totaled $400. | |||
| bgcolor=# | F3 | Southern Webster Groves, MO to N of Downtown St. Louis, MO to Granite City, IL | St. Louis (MO), Madison (IL) | MO, IL | 18:50–? | 12miles | 79 deaths – See section on this tornado – 550 people were injured and losses totaled $53 million. | ||
| bgcolor=# | FU | Menlo | Guthrie | IA | 19:30–? | 2miles | Tornado downed structures, utility wires, and trees. Losses totaled $5,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F3 | French to S of Mammoth Spring | Fulton | AR | 20:00–? | 15miles | 1 death – Tornado wrecked the village of French, destroying or damaging every structure, including two stores and three homes. An eight-room home was shorn of all but a single floorboard. 25 people were injured and losses totaled $15,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | S of Morrisonville | Christian | IL | 20:00–? | 1miles | Tornado unroofed a home and destroyed a large barn nearby. | ||
| bgcolor=# | FU | Doniphan | Ripley | MO | 21:00–? | 10miles | "Tornado-like" circulation, up to 1miles wide, produced intermittent damage to crops, windows, and homes. Some homes were reportedly unroofed. Losses totaled $1,300. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F3 | Northeastern Cowden | Shelby | IL | 21:00–? | 12miles | 2 deaths – Tornado destroyed a brick home, killing a couple inside. Three people were injured and losses totaled $10,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | W of Corning, AR to Broseley, MO | Clay (AR), Butler (MO) | 22:00–? | 30miles | Tornado destroyed or damaged 16 homes in Missouri, injuring 11 people in the state. | |||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | NE of Chrisman, IL to IN | Edgar (IL), Vermillion (IN) | IL, IN | 23:00–? | 12miles | Tornado destroyed or damaged several barns. Three people were injured and losses totaled $15,000. | ||
| bgcolor=# | FU | Conlogue | Edgar | IL | 02:30–? | Tornado reported. | |||
| bgcolor=# | F2 | Northern Lurton | Newton | AR | 04:00–? | 1miles | Pair of tornadoes reportedly destroyed timberland, a home, and a school. | ||
| bgcolor=# | FU | Cates | Fountain | IN | Tornado formed from the same storm as the Chrisman F2. Losses totaled $65,000. |
| St. Louis, Missouri–East St. Louis, Illinois | |
| Fujitascale: | F3 |
| Total Fatalities: | 72–79+ fatalities; 550+ injured |
| Damages: | $22 million (1927 USD) $ (USD) |
| Enhanced: | no |
The 1927 St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado was a powerful and devastating tornado that struck St. Louis, Missouri, on Thursday, September 29, 1927, at about 1:00 p.m. local standard time. The tornado is estimated to have reached at least F3 and possible F4 intensity on the Fujita scale. The 2nd deadliest tornado to occur in the St. Louis metropolitan area, it caused 79 deaths—though totals vary from 72 to 84—and injured more than 550 people within a 7to, 100to path. At one time it was the second-costliest tornado in U.S. history. More than 200 city blocks were destroyed. St. Louis University High School was hit hard. The student chapel's roof collapsed, the gym's (now main offices) roof was damaged, an entire classroom caved in on a class, and other classrooms were damaged. All the windows were smashed. Luckily, no one was killed or badly injured. The tornado caused $150,000 in damage to the school.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]