St. Louis, Missouri – A violent EF-3 tornado carved a 23-mile path from Clayton to Edwardsville on May 16, tearing through northern St. Louis with wind speeds up to 152 mph, according to a damage survey released Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service in St. Louis, the tornado formed quickly near Clayton, Missouri, before expanding to nearly a mile wide as it moved northeast at 55 mph. The storm crossed the Mississippi River, damaging parts of Granite City and Pontoon Beach before dissipating near Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
In St. Louis, neighborhoods near Delmar Blvd and Interstate 70 saw uprooted trees, damaged rooftops, and extended power outages. MetroLink services were briefly disrupted, and St. Louis Public Schools canceled Friday classes at several impacted campuses. In Illinois, emergency crews responded to structure damage near Madison County, while traffic along Route 203 was briefly rerouted.
Residents are urged to document any storm damage for insurance purposes and avoid downed power lines. With questions lingering over whether multiple tornado circulations were involved, NWS says additional analysis is underway.
No additional tornadoes are expected, but weather officials will issue updates if further threats are detected.
