The tornado outbreak of May 21, 1957

18 tornadoesMissouri, Illinois, Minnesota and 2 more states

18 tornadoes touched down across 5 states between 12:00 PM and 11:45 PM CST, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 15 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 21, 1957

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 18 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Standard Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 18; on Tuesday, May 21, 1957
F3 or stronger: 6; 2 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 15; 74th-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 133; Along all the paths
Path miles: 173; All the paths end to end
First and last: 12:00 PM to 11:45 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 3 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of May 21, 1957

12:00 PM	F1	Todd County, Cass County MN	3.8	300	0	0
1:00 PM	F4	Chisago County MN	9.2	100	0	2
3:00 PM	F3	Dent County MO	10.2	440	0	2
3:15 PM	F2	Taney County, Douglas County MO	14.5	500	0	0
3:30 PM	F1	Wayne County MO	13.0	33	0	0
3:45 PM	F1	Reynolds County MO	0.2	17	0	0
3:45 PM	F3	Washington County, St. Francois County MO	22.2	400	8	50
3:50 PM	F2	Monroe County, St. Clair County IL	19.7	150	0	0
3:53 PM	F4	Carter County MO	9.1	500	7	75
5:00 PM	F2	Cedar County, Muscatine County and 1 more IA	8.9	100	0	0
5:00 PM	F2	Richland County IL	3.6	150	0	0
5:00 PM	F2	Cape Girardeau County MO	5.1	500	0	0
5:30 PM	F2	Lewis County MO	7.4	400	0	2
6:07 PM	F3	Union County, Jackson County IL	8.5	200	0	0
7:40 PM	F3	McDonough County IL	13.7	120	0	0
8:03 PM	F2	Warrick County IN	0.1	10	0	2
11:45 PM	F1	Dunklin County, Pemiscot County MO	23.7	33	0	0
11:45 PM	F1	Dunklin County MO	0.1	10	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 21, 1957

Missouri	10	3	15
Illinois	4	2	0
Minnesota	2	1	0
Iowa	1	0	0
Indiana	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1957 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.