Tornado outbreak of April 10–11, 2001

Tornado outbreak of April 10–11, 2001

Paths of the individual tornadoes of this outbreak
Type	Tornado outbreak
Duration	April 10–11, 2001
Tornadoes confirmed	79 [1][2]
Max. rating^1	F3 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak^2	25 hours, 22 minutes
Fatalities	4 deaths, 18 injuries
Damage	$23.75 million ($40.9 million in 2023 dollars[3]) (+$2 billion (2001 USD ($3441458372) in 2023 via hail)
Areas affected	Central Great Plains
^1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale ^2Time from first tornado to last tornado

The tornado outbreak of April 10–11, 2001, was a large tornado outbreak which affected the central Great Plains on April 10–11, 2001. During the two-day outbreak, it produced a total of 79 tornadoes across eight states including Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan. Four people were killed, 18 injured, and more than $23 million in damage was reported.^[4] The fatalities were reported in Oklahoma, Iowa and Missouri including two from a single tornado in Wapello County, Iowa.

The strongest tornado tracked for over 75 miles from northern Missouri to near Des Moines, Iowa causing extensive damage to several structures. In addition to that storm, a supercell on April 10 produced the largest and most damaging hail swath in history; as well as ten tornadoes.^[5]

Tornado event

The first tornadoes developed during the late afternoon across west-central Missouri and mostly tracked near Interstate 70 eastward towards the St. Louis Metropolitan Area during the first half of the evening before weakening in Illinois. In addition to the damaging hail (see Tri-State hailstorm section for details), several weak tornadoes were confirmed. One tornado, however, killed a person inside a mobile home near the Fulton area in Callaway County^[6]

A new wave of tornadoes touched down further to the west in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas during the late evening and overnight hours. One person was killed in Coal County, Oklahoma by an F2 tornado that threw the mobile home for about 200 yards before being destroyed.^[7] Several other significant tornadoes also caused extensive damage across southern Oklahoma, northern Texas and both the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles until activity slowed down after dawn on April 11.

A final wave of tornadoes developed during the late morning and the afternoon hours mostly across Iowa where some of the strongest tornadoes took place. One tornado during the late morning carved a path of about 75 miles from northeast of Kansas City, Missouri to just southwest of Des Moines, Iowa. Several homes were destroyed or heavily damaged (earning an F3 rating) although there were no fatalities with this storm ^[8] Later during the day, an F2 tornado killed two people in Agency, Iowa (Wapello County) and destroyed or heavily damaged dozens of structures including a Lodge. The outbreak ended across western Michigan during the late afternoon.

Tornado table

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
0	31	36	11	1	0	0	79

Confirmed tornadoes

April 10 event

F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Missouri
F1	N of Warrensburg	Johnson	2220	8 miles (12.8 km)	100 homes and businesses were damaged.
F1	N of La Monte	Pettis	2245	10 miles (16 km)	Two barns, a chicken coop, and vacant house were destroyed.
F1	SE of Pilot Grove	Cooper	2311	5 miles (8 km)	Two homes had roof damage, and trees and power lines were downed.
F0	SW of Kliever	Moniteau	2347	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F1	Fulton area	Callaway	0020	3 miles (4.8 km)	1 death – A mobile home and outbuildings were destroyed and a school bus was overturned. A warehouse complex sustained roof damage. The fatality and two injuries were inside the mobile home
F0	NW of Wright City	Warren	0120	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	A mobile home was overturned.
F0	NE of Foristell	St. Charles	0130	4 miles (6.4 km)	3 homes, an automotive repair shop and a restaurant had damage and a garage was destroyed. A tractor-trailer was blown into railroad tracks.
F1	O'Fallon area	St. Charles	0145	1 miles (1.6 km)	2 buildings were destroyed and 22 homes, apartments and businesses were damaged.
Illinois
F1	Granite City area	Madison	0235	2 miles (3.2 km)	Two buildings and one house were destroyed while a golf course, 4 buildings, 23 houses and businesses and numerous cars were damaged. One person was injured by flying glass.
Kansas
F1	W of Deerfield	Kearny	0242	5.1 miles (8.2 km)	Two pivot sprinklers, a shed and 30 homes were damaged.
F2	W of Ellis to SE of Stockton	Trego, Ellis, Rooks	0408	40.1 miles (64.2 km)	Several outbuildings, trailers, homes and 13 farms were damaged. Semi-trailers were overturned injuring several people
F1	SW of Zurich to SE of Webster	Rooks	0435	14 miles (22.4 km)	Several outbuildings, trees, and farm equipment were damaged.
F0	Plainville area	Rooks	0445	3 miles (4.8 km)	Homes in production at a manufacturing plant were damaged.
F1	S of Alton	Osborne	0505	9 miles (14.4 km)	Trees and outbuildings were damaged.
F2	NW of Minneola to S of Dodge City	Ford	0510	17.3 miles (27.7 km)	A mobile home was completely demolished. Another trailer nearby received moderate damage. Two pivot sprinklers were destroyed and there was other scattered minor damage along the path of the tornado.
F1	W of Gaylord	Smith	0524	4 miles (6.4 km)	Caused damage to trees and power poles.
F1	N of Osborne	Osborne	0525	2 miles (3.2 km)	Caused damage to oil tanks and concrete blocks at an abandoned gas station
F1	Downs area	Osborne, Smith, Jewell	0525	13 miles (20.8 km)	One home, farm machinery, and several outbuildings were damaged.
F2	S of Ford	Ford	0539	10 miles (16 km)	Eight pivot sprinklers, a silo, and a barn were destroyed.
F1	NE of Ford	Ford	0548	9.6 miles (15.4 km)	Three pivot sprinklers and a grain bin were destroyed.
F0	SW of Cora	Smith	0549	3.5 miles (5.6 km)	Caused damage to trees and power poles.
F0	SW of Kinsley	Edwards	0557	7.4 miles (11.8 km)	Caused roof damage to one house.
F1	S of Formoso to E of Republic	Jewell, Republic	0614	17.5 miles (28 km)	Damage to trees, power lines, farm outbuildings and other buildings.
F1	W of Cuba	Republic	0630	10 miles (16 km)	Unknown intermittent damage occurred.
F0	NW of Haddam	Washington	0655	6 miles (9.6 km)	Trees and outbuildings were damaged.
F1	NW of Washington	Washington	0705	4 miles (6.4 km)	Outbuildings, an antenna, and power poles were damaged.
Texas
F1	SE of Fritch	Carson, Hutchinson	0322	1.5 miles (2.4 km)	Damage to homes, mobile homes, farm equipment, and storage buildings.
F2	S of Spearman	Hansford	0406	4 miles (6.4 km)	Several grain bins and a grain elevator were destroyed while one home, barns, equipment, and power poles were damaged. 2 people were injured.
F2	S of Wheeler	Wheeler	0517	6 miles (9.6 km)	Heavy damage to a home and farm equipment occurred.
F1	Wichita Falls area	Wichita	0546	4.5 miles (7.2 km)	Caused damage to trees, fences, signs, and a machine shop.
F1	N of Era	Cooke	0747	5.5 miles (8.8 km)	Roof, tree, and sign damage occurred.
Oklahoma
F2	W of Elmwood	Beaver	0440	12 miles (19.2 km)	Damage to two homes, several barns, farm equipment, power poles, trees and a windmill.
F1	S of Elmwood	Beaver	0500	6 miles (9.6 km)	Two barns and farm equipment were damaged or destroyed.
F0	S of Beaver	Beaver	0510	2 miles (3.2 km)	Minor damage to a home and a barn.
Nebraska
F0	E of Red Cloud	Webster	0612	3 miles (4.8 km)	Damage to an irrigation pipe, outbuildings, and trees.
F1	W of Nelson	Nuckolls	0639	12 miles (19.2 km)	Tornado remained over open country with damage to irrigation pipes, outbuildings, and trees.
F1	E of Hebron	Thayer	0649	1 miles (1.6 km)	One home was damaged, injuring one person.
F1	N of Wymore	Gage	0730	1 miles (1.6 km)	Extensive tree damage with some roof and structural damage. A mobile home was pushed off its foundation, a garage was damaged and grain bins were destroyed
F2	NE of Virginia	Gage	0740	2 miles (3.2 km)	One home was destroyed while six homes and businesses were damaged. 2 people were injured.
Source: Tornado History Project – April 10, 2001 Storm Data

April 11 event

F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Oklahoma
F2	SW of Harjo	Pottawatomie	0800	5 miles (8 km)	Caused damage to oil pumping and storage equipment.
F2	SW of Jesse to NE of Lula	Pontotoc, Coal	0940	14.5 miles (23.2 km)	A mobile home and two barns were destroyed. Oil storage tanks and a pumping unit were overturned. Transmission towers were also downed. A power substation sustained significant damage.
F2	SW of Emet to NE of Wapanucka	Johnston, Atoka	0945	19 miles (30.4 km)	4 mobile homes were destroyed while a frame home and 21 other structures were damaged. 4 people were injured.
F0	NE of Cumberland	Bryan	0947	0.3 miles (0.5 km)	Damage was limited to trees.
F2	E of Coalgate	Coal, Atoka	1025	8 miles (14.4 km)	1 death – A mobile home was destroyed killing an occupant, and a frame home was heavily damaged. Another mobile home had minor damage.
F1	W of Garland	Haskell	1226	3 miles (4.8 km)	One home was damaged and six barns were destroyed.
Texas
F1	S of Muenster	Cooke	0834	7.8 miles (12.5 km)	Roof and tree damage occurred.
F1	NW of Gainesville to E of Thackerville, OK	Cooke, Love (OK)	0855	19 miles (30.6 km)	A barn was destroyed and two mobile homes and a shed were heavily damaged. Tornado crossed the Oklahoma-Texas state line across the Red River six times.
Missouri
F0	N of Dederick	Cedar	1527	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage
F3	SW of Denver to NW of Patterson, IA	Gentry, Worth, Ringgold (IA), Union (IA), Clarke (IA), Madison (IA)	1630	76.5 miles (122.4 km)	Strongest tornado and longest track of the outbreak. One home and several outbuildings were destroyed in Missouri. In Iowa, some homes were destroyed and others were damaged. Damage in Ringgold County alone was estimated at $1 million. A total of nine homes, one business, a school building, and a farmstead were damaged or destroyed. Livestock was killed as well.
Nebraska
F0	Springfield area	Sarpy	1715	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Caused damage to a horse barn, a car, a trailer and power lines.
Iowa
F0	SW of Emerson	Mills	1737	2 miles (3.2 km)	Caused damage to 2 farmsteads, a pole shed, trailers, trees and a machine shed.
F1	W of Mineola	Mills	1745	2 miles (3.2 km)	2 farms were damaged. A barn and a home were damaged while a hog shed was destroyed.
F1	E of Taylor	Pottawattamie	1755	0.5 miles (0.8 km)	Two barns and an outbuilding were destroyed while one home lost its roof.
F0	NE of Dumfries	Pottawattamie	1755	2 miles (3.2 km)	Weak tornado with no damage.
F0	NW of Weston	Pottawattamie	1800	0.2 miles (0.32 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	SE of Portsmouth	Shelby	1830	0.2 miles (0.32 km)	Damage to power lines occurred.
F0	Saylorville area	Polk	1837	0.5 miles (0.8 km)	Brief touchdown with little or no damage.
F1	E of Bayard	Guthrie	1925	2 miles (3.2 km)	One barn was destroyed.
F0	Jefferson area	Greene	1945	0.5 miles (0.8 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	NE of Ogden	Boone	2004	0.7 miles (1.1 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	SW of Paton	Greene	2005	1 miles (1.6 km)	Brief touchdown with minor damage.
F1	N of Ogden	Boone	2006	3 miles (4.8 km)	A barn, grain bins, and a storage building were destroyed. One home had minor damage. Other buildings were also damaged.
F1	W of Pilot Mound	Boone	2010	4 miles (6.4 km)	Minor damage occurred.
F0	E of Dayton	Webster	2037	0.2 miles (0.32 km)	Caused damage to trailers and a building.
F1	S of Webster City	Hamilton	2038	2.2 miles (3.5 km)	Two farm buildings were blown down.
F1	Colfax to Rhodes	Jasper, Marshall	2040	17.5 miles (28 km)	Intermittent track over open country with little damage.
F2	Agency	Wapello	2100	8.4 miles (13.4 km)	2 deaths – A lodge was destroyed and 50 residences were damaged, some severely. 3 other people were injured.
F0	SW of Kinross	Keokuk	2125	3 miles (4.8 km)	Weak tornado with little or no damage.
F0	NW of Holbrook	Iowa	2140	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	NW of Kalona	Washington	2150	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	NW of Windham	Johnson	2200	2 miles (3.2 km)	A barn and a garage were destroyed.
F0	SE of Tiffin	Johnson	2202	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F1	E of Washburn	Black Hawk	2207	10 miles (16 km)	Two homes sustained significant damage.
F0	NW of Swisher	Johnson	2220	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with little or no damage.
F0	Cedar Rapids area	Linn	2220	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	NW of Vinton	Benton	2220	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	One barn was destroyed and several trees were downed.
F1	NW of West Union	Fayette	2250	2 miles (3.2 km)	Several barns, sheds and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. One person was trapped and injured.
Michigan
F0	NE of Cloverville	Muskegon	2340	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
F0	NW of Coopersville	Ottawa	2342	0.1 miles (0.16 km)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
Source: Tornado History Project – April 11, 2001 Storm Data Archived March 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

Tri-state hailstorm

Hail damage to vehicles in Missouri (NWS St. Louis)

On April 10, a series of long-lived supercell thunderstorms moved from south-southwest of Kansas City, Kansas, across Missouri and often along I-70, impacting Columbia before striking the St. Louis metropolitan area, continuing into southern Illinois. The storms spawned ten weak tornadoes, one of which resulted in the first tornado fatality in Missouri since 1994.^[5][9]

Additionally, it produced the largest (in area) and longest (in distance and duration) recorded swaths of very large hail, up to baseball size, and also caused the most expensive damages of any hailstorm in U.S. history. At $2 billion in insured losses, it was more costly in real dollars than the most damaging tornado at that time, the Oklahoma City Tornado of May 3, 1999.^[10][11] The cost of both were eclipsed by the catastrophic Joplin tornado in 2011, which cost $2.8 billion.^[12]

Hundreds of vehicles outside a Ford Assembly Plant in Hazelwood were damaged as well as almost every house within the city of Florissant in St. Louis County. Many automobile dealerships lost their entire auto inventory while thousands of additional homes were damaged. At Lambert International Airport, 22 jetliners suffered hail damage, while 10 aircraft of the Missouri National Guard were severely damaged.^[13]

See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of costly or deadly hailstorms

References

1. Tornado Database, Tornado Maps, Tornado Paths
2. Tornado Database, Tornado Maps, Tornado Paths
3. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
4. NCDC Storm Events-Select State Archived May 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
5. 10 April 2001
6. NCDC: Event Details Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
7. NCDC: Event Details Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
8. NCDC: Event Details Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
9. 20010410's Storm Reports
10. Glass, Fred H.; M.F. Britt (August 2002). "The Historic Missouri-Illinois High Precipitation Supercell of 10 April 2001". 21st Conference on Severe Local Storms. San Antonio, TX: American Meteorological Society.
11. Changnon, Stanley A.; J. Burroughs (August 2003). "The Tristate Hailstorm: The Most Costly on Record". Mon. Weather Rev. 131 (8): 1734–9. Bibcode:2003MWRv..131.1734C. doi:10.1175//2549.1. S2CID 117153202.
12. "Records show Joplin twister was costliest since 1950 - Today's News - TheSunNews.com". May 21, 2012. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
13. "Event Record Details". National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved December 8, 2008.

External links

• NOAA page of the April 10 hail storm and tornado event (NWS St. Louis)
• Scientific Paper of the HP supercell event