Survey teams from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield have confirmed that at least two tornadoes struck Tuesday in southwest Missouri’s Barry County: one near Pleasant Ridge and the other near Wheaton.
The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down near southwest Missouri’s Rocky Comfort on April 30, 2019 (map courtesy of NWS Springfield Twitter page)
NWS Springfield meteorologist Corey Rothstein says the tornado near Wheaton packed 110-mile-per-hour winds.
“Damage with that was multiple buildings, four of which were barns that were completely destroyed. There were also hundreds of trees that were blown down with that,” Rothstein says.
There were no serious injuries or deaths in either tornado.
NWS survey teams also have confirmed that a tornado touched down near Pleasant Ridge. Mr. Rothstein tells Missourinet the tornado damaged several outbuildings and uprooted numerous trees.
“That was an EF-0 (tornado). We had wind damage with that of 85 miles-per-hour. The path width was about 200 yards, and it was on the ground for five miles,” says Rothstein.
The NWS in Springfield issued 42 tornado warnings on Tuesday. Rothstein says two additional survey teams are in the field today.
“We’ve been looking at other locations such as Miller, Rogersville, Ozark. There’s a few other locations,” Rothstein says.
Survey crews are investigating to determine if a tornado struck a subdivision in Ozark, where about 100 homes are damaged. Three residents in the subdivision sustained non life-threatening injuries.
Missourinet Springfield affiliate KSGF reports Ozark Police are guarding the subdivision, to prevent looting.
Some schools canceled classes on Wednesday because of the storm damage in communities.
The NWS warned yesterday that it would be “one of the most severe weather days we’ve seen in awhile” across the Ozarks, warning that tornadoes and apple-sized hail was possible.
Meantime, flooding has been an issue across the Ozarks. Rothstein says three to six inches of additional rainfall have fallen in southwest Missouri in the past 48 hours.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department tells Missourinet Springfield television partner KOLR-10 that a man drowned Tuesday night during flash flooding near Hunter Creek.
The station says 59-year-old Robbie Turner was camping in a conservation area known as Vera Cruz, when flash flooding occurred.
Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Springfield meteorologist Corey Rothstein, which was recorded on April 30, 2019:
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