Weather service confirms tornado hit Cape Girardeau County

Results of a National Weather Service damage survey show the storm that hit Cape Girardeau County Feb. 29 contained an EF2 tornado.

The National Weather Service reports the tornado's 32-mile path stretched from Oak Ridge to Giant City State Park in extreme southeast Jackson County in Southern Illinois.

The tornado was estimated to have a peak wind speed of 115 miles per hour and an average path width of 250 yards. Most damage from the tornado was seen in an area west of Oak Ridge, where a roof and garage were torn from an 89-year-old man's home, injuring him moderately. National Weather Service reports show the tornado also damaged thousands of trees, several other homes, numerous agricultural outbuildings and power lines. The campus of the Oak Ridge School District also sustained some damage to roofs and ball fields.

Damage in Bollinger County from the same line of storms was determined by the National Weather Service to be from an EF1 tornado containing winds around 90 miles per hour. The tornado traveled from near Marquand to near Sedgewickville, uprooting trees and causing slight damage to the roofs on some homes. No injuries were reported.

Pertinent address:

Oak Ridge, MO