F4 Tornado Hits Southwest Missouri

At 6 p.m., on Saturday, May 10, 2008, an F4 tornado touched down north of Seneca, MO. By 6:15 p.m., Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers were on the scene providing situation awareness. Calls to off duty troopers brought more assistance, with a total of 28 Troop D officers responding the evening of the tornado’s destruction. A command post was located at Missouri Route 43 and Irus Road. The Missouri State Highway Patrol worked in cooperation with area law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency services, as well as federal, county, and state agencies.

The Patrol participated in search and recovery, as well as provided security.

The amount of devastation caused by this F4 tornado brought national attention. The major media outlets from Missouri, along with MSNBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, ABC, and the foreign press agency arrived on scene to cover the story.

Reportedly, this is only the fifth F4 tornado to occur in the past 30 years in Missouri. Tornados caused a total of 16 fatalities and multiple injuries in Newton, Barry, and Jasper counties. The devastation brought federal and state dignitaries to the scene. After tours of the area, press conferences were held to address the many questions posed by media outlets.

“If declared a federal disaster, this will be the 18th such disaster in Missouri during the past four years,” said Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “Once again, the Patrol responded and rendered service and protection to Missourians in need. I am proud of our officers, who worked tirelessly over the weekend and continue to do so. Missourians can take comfort in the knowledge that multiple agencies showed professionalism and compassion as they worked side-by-side in the aftermath of these tornados.”

Below are images of the devastation caused by the Tornado, which hit Southwest Missouri on May 10, 2008