2011 St. Louis tornado
Encyclopedia
The 2011 St. Louis tornado, also called the Good Friday Tornado, was a storm that struck the St. Louis
metropolitan area on April 22, 2011. The tornado
, rated EF4
at its strongest point with winds exceeding 165 mph, was the strongest to hit St. Louis County or City since January 1967
. In its 22-mile track across the St. Louis metropolitan area, the tornado damaged about 200 homes; left thousands without power; and damaged the main terminal of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
, closing it for nearly 24 hours.
, Missouri's largest, about 8:10 p.m. Three aircraft were on the tarmac with passengers aboard. Numerous passengers and other people were in the airport's terminals.
Lambert Airport released surveillance video showing debris swirling inside the airport. It was reported that an aircraft was moved away from its jetway by the storm, with passengers still on board. One plane from Southwest Airlines was damaged when the wind pushed a conveyor belt used for loading baggage into it. American Airlines said that four of its planes were damaged, two of them significantly. One was buffeted by 80 MPH crosswinds while taxiing in from a landing when the tornado hit and the other has possible damage to its landing gear. The tornado was rated an EF2
storm when it struck the airport.
The airport was closed by the FAA
at 08:54 p.m., and reopened at temporarily reduced capacity on April 23. It was expected to be at 70% capacity on April 24.
were left without power after the storm; more than 47,000 in Missouri and about 7,000 in Illinois.
By 5:40am on April 24, 21,667 customers were still without power in Missouri and 131 in Illinois.
On April 24, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
reported more than 2,700 buildings severely damaged in St. Louis County, including 900 in Bridgeton
, 450 in Berkeley
and 1,170 in Maryland Heights
.
The tornado may also have hit New Melle
in St. Charles County, about 30 miles west of the airport.
The tornado killed no one and injured relatively few.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
metropolitan area on April 22, 2011. The tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
, rated EF4
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
at its strongest point with winds exceeding 165 mph, was the strongest to hit St. Louis County or City since January 1967
St. Louis tornado history
The St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area has a history of tornadoes. The third deadliest tornado, and the costliest in United States history, the 1896 St. Louis – East St. Louis tornado, injured one thousand people and caused 255 fatalities in the City of St. Louis and in East St. Louis. The...
. In its 22-mile track across the St. Louis metropolitan area, the tornado damaged about 200 homes; left thousands without power; and damaged the main terminal of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
, closing it for nearly 24 hours.
Tornado strikes the airport
The tornado hit Lambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
, Missouri's largest, about 8:10 p.m. Three aircraft were on the tarmac with passengers aboard. Numerous passengers and other people were in the airport's terminals.
Lambert Airport released surveillance video showing debris swirling inside the airport. It was reported that an aircraft was moved away from its jetway by the storm, with passengers still on board. One plane from Southwest Airlines was damaged when the wind pushed a conveyor belt used for loading baggage into it. American Airlines said that four of its planes were damaged, two of them significantly. One was buffeted by 80 MPH crosswinds while taxiing in from a landing when the tornado hit and the other has possible damage to its landing gear. The tornado was rated an EF2
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
storm when it struck the airport.
The airport was closed by the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
at 08:54 p.m., and reopened at temporarily reduced capacity on April 23. It was expected to be at 70% capacity on April 24.
Other effects
More than 54,000 customers of the utility company AmerenAmeren
Ameren Corporation was created December 31, 1997 by the merger of Missouri's Union Electric Company and the neighboring Central Illinois Public Service Company . It is now a holding company for several power companies and energy companies. The company is based in St...
were left without power after the storm; more than 47,000 in Missouri and about 7,000 in Illinois.
By 5:40am on April 24, 21,667 customers were still without power in Missouri and 131 in Illinois.
On April 24, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
reported more than 2,700 buildings severely damaged in St. Louis County, including 900 in Bridgeton
Bridgeton, Missouri
Bridgeton is a city in northwestern St. Louis County, Missouri, serving as a suburb and transport hub within Greater St. Louis. The population at the 2010 census was 11,550. Portions of Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport are within Bridgeton.-Location:...
, 450 in Berkeley
Berkeley, Missouri
Berkeley is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,978 at the 2010 census. Portions of Lambert-St...
and 1,170 in Maryland Heights
Maryland Heights, Missouri
Maryland Heights is a second-ring west-central suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census. The city was incorporated in 1985. Edwin L. Dirck was elected the city's first mayor. Mark M. Levin has been City Administrator...
.
The tornado may also have hit New Melle
New Melle, Missouri
New Melle is a small country community in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. It is located about 37 miles west of St. Louis. The population was 235 as of the 2007 census...
in St. Charles County, about 30 miles west of the airport.
The tornado killed no one and injured relatively few.
External links
- NOAA information, with map of the tornado's track across St. Louis
- Security video of the airport's light rail platform during the storm
- Security video of the airport's heavily damaged C Concourse during the storm
- Eyewitness video shot inside the airport during the storm
- Local newspaper's video of damage inside the C Concourse, shot the following day
- Despite warning, St. Louis tornado caught airport, passengers off guard
- In St. Louis, pilot was unaware of approaching tornado