A Terrifying, Destructive Storm Struck Missouri In 2001...And No One Saw It Coming
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Missouri gets its share of crazy weather – from ice storms to tornadoes. We can only expect meteorologists to predict the weather here to a certain degree. While tornado conditions can be predicted, actual tornadoes continue to be impossible to pin down – until they actually happen. April 10, 2001 goes down in history as one of Missouri’s (and the nation’s) worst hail storms ever.
On April 10, 2001, a supercell storm hit Missouri, bringing with it rain, hail, 70 mph winds and tornadoes. One person died, several were injured and property damages totaled more than $1.5 billion.
Missourians are accustomed to tornadoes, but the nine tornadoes that touched down in towns along I-70 were particularly strong - and they brought hail with them.
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Hailstones the size of golf balls and even baseballs dented vehicles, smashed windows and decimated yards. The damage from the hail, combined with gale-force winds, was epic.
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120,000 homes were damaged during the storm. Over 65,000 cars also sustained damage - and that’s not counting the several hundred cars smashed up at the Ford plant in Hazelwood.
Damages were officially reported as more than $1.5 billion, but that number is based on insurance claims - any damages that weren’t reported to insurance companies aren’t even included in that estimate! The hail storm is considered the worst in U.S. history.
Check out this video posted by YouTube user HappyMario64:
Do you remember this epic storm? Tell us about your experience!
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