Event narrative (NOAA)
This large and violent tornado touched down about four miles west of Perryville. The tornado quickly became violent, reaching EF-4 intensity and leveling five homes just west of Interstate 55, about 3.5 miles northwest of Perryville. Numerous unoccupied cars from a salvage yard were blown into or over Interstate 55. The lone fatality occurred when a southbound vehicle on Interstate 55 was intercepted by the tornado. The victim's pickup truck was tossed into a field at least 100 yards from the interstate. The coroner reported that the victim was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. The passenger in the vehicle was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. The area of greatest home and property destruction was three miles north of Perryville, in the vicinity of U.S. Highway 6
Other notable tornado events in Missouri
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.