Missouri
Located in Tornado Alley, Missouri also receives extreme weather in the form of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. The most recent tornado in the state to cause damage and casualties was the 2011 Joplin tornado, which destroyed roughly one-third of the city of Joplin. The tornado caused an estimated $1–3 billion in damages, killed 159 (+1 non-tornadic), and injured over 1,000 people. It was the first EF5 to hit the state since 1957 and the deadliest in the U.S. since 1947, making it the seventh deadliest tornado in American history and 27th deadliest in the world. St. Louis and its suburbs also have a history of experiencing particularly severe tornadoes, the most recent memorable one being an EF4 tornado that damaged Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on April 22, 2011. One of the worst tornadoes in American history struck St. Louis on May 27, 1896, killing at least 255 and causing $10 mil. damage ($3.9 bil. damage in 2009) or $ in today's dollars.
Tornado outbreak of November 17, 2013
The tornado initially touched down at 16:59 UTC roughly southeast of East Peoria in Tazewell County before moving directly into town. Damage was considerable in East Peoria, where the tornado accrued $110 million in damage costs. Thousands of trees and power poles were destroyed, along with 20 houses. Major damage was sustained by 75 houses, seven businesses, and five apartment buildings, while 137 other houses and three other businesses sustained minor damage. Over 400 vehicles were damaged in East Peoria. The tornado then strengthened and broadened to its peak intensity as a high-end EF4 with winds estimated at and a damage width extending in diameter as it moved into the nearby town of Washington. A debris ball was detected on weather radar in association with the tornado as it moved over the city. Entire neighborhoods in Washington were leveled, and some homes were swept clean from their foundations. The Georgetown Common Apartments were severely damaged, and a pickup truck in the parking lot was found wrapped around a tree. Trees in Washington were denuded and partially debarked, vehicles were thrown, and an auto parts store was completely leveled. A total of 633 homes, seven more businesses and apartment buildings, and 2,500 vehicles were destroyed in Washington, while minor to significant damage was sustained by numerous other structures. Though 5,000 people were in the path of the tornado, only one person was killed during the storm's initial passage, while two others died of injuries sustained during the tornado in the days following November 17. The low fatality count was attributed to people successfully seeking shelter. Damage costs in Washington amounted to $800 million. Alongside the three fatalities were 121 injuries throughout Tazewell County.