Tornadoes Strike Near St. Louis Prompting Warnings and Storm Damage

Tornadoes Strike Near St. Louis Prompting Warnings And Storm Damage

Hold on to your lawn chairs—Mother Nature just flipped the script in St. Louis.

Multiple tornadoes, pounding rain, and angry skies crashed the Midwest party Friday afternoon, sending locals scrambling for cover and weather apps into overdrive.

A Tornado Watch was issued earlier in the day for the greater St. Louis area, but by mid-afternoon, things got real. According to First Alert 4 and the National Weather Service, radar showed not one, but several tornadoes forming in southern Missouri and western Illinois.

“Conditions are ripe for rotation,” warned meteorologists on KSDK as twisters began tracking through Crawford and Washington counties. One radar-spotted tornado near Steelville had everyone from Clayton to Dillard Mill refreshing their phones like it was a concert ticket drop.

A separate Tornado Warning kicked in for parts of Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois, with a confirmed funnel near Pontoon Beach. If you’re from the area, you know that’s uncomfortably close to crowded spots during rush hour.

And while the storm clouds loomed ominous, the internet did its thing. One video making rounds on Hindustan Times showed a massive twister swirling ominously near Clayton—complete with gas station debris flying like it’s “Twister” meets Midwest Friday.

@ReedTimmerUSA here is the tornado warned rotation from Clayton MO pic.twitter.com/tLeMcrdr4V

— Ross (@kielbasi16) May 16, 2025

No injuries have been reported so far—thankfully. But some trees and power lines didn’t make it. And neither did a few backyard trampolines.

Oh, and shout-out to the folks at The Telegraph who kept Metro East residents updated with minute-by-minute warnings. Alerts included 60 mph winds and golf-ball-sized hail. Yes, golf balls. The kind that hurts.

At 3:18 PM, St. Louis clocked in at a muggy 83°F with light rain. But don’t let the chill fool you—forecasters warned of more thunderstorms into the evening, possibly severe. High of 87. Low of 58. Humidity at “hair dryer” levels.

For now, if you’re in the area, keep your phone charged, stay indoors, and remember—tornado sirens are not background music.

Stay safe, STL. And maybe hold off on mowing the lawn until tomorrow.