Cape Girardeau, Missouri – Two early-morning tornadoes struck parts of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois on May 20, causing scattered damage and knocking down trees and power lines across Cape Girardeau and Union County.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, two EF-1 tornadoes touched down between 1:08 and 1:50 a.m. Monday. The first hit Cape Girardeau with peak winds of 95 mph, damaging neighborhoods near Cape Splash Aquatic Center and uprooting trees near Oak Hill Street. No injuries were reported.
Roughly 40 minutes later, a second EF-1 tornado touched down east of Dongola, Illinois. It tracked for 1.8 miles across Union County with maximum winds of 90 mph. Barns and trees were damaged along Hines Lane and Kingshighway, but no fatalities or injuries occurred.
Residents in both areas are advised to check for tree and structural damage, avoid downed power lines, and report issues to local emergency management. The storm marked the first confirmed tornadoes in the region this May.
Severe weather threats have diminished, but more spring storms are possible later this week. Stay tuned to local alerts as conditions evolve.
