Poplar Bluff, MO – A powerful tornado ripped through Arkansas and Missouri late Monday night, carving a 117-mile path—roughly the driving distance from St. Louis to Columbia, MO.
According to the National Weather Service offices in Paducah, Kentucky, and Little Rock, Arkansas, the EF-4 tornado began at 9:11 p.m. CDT on March 14 near Ash Flat, AR. It traveled northeast into Missouri, crossing through Ripley and Butler counties before ending at 11:24 p.m. CDT.
Peak winds reached 170 mph with a maximum width of 1,400 yards, making it the third longest tornado recorded in the NWS Paducah service area since 1950. The storm caused four injuries and no fatalities, according to early reports.
Officials confirmed the tornado’s rating and path following extensive ground surveys and radar analysis. It was part of a larger outbreak that affected multiple counties across the Mid-South region.
Residents are urged to review severe weather safety plans as spring tornado season continues. Emergency officials recommend having multiple alert systems, identifying safe shelter areas, and staying weather-aware during late evening hours when nighttime tornadoes are especially dangerous.
