The 1959 St. Louis Tornado | Living St. Louis

A rare February tornado tore through the heart of the city after midnight in 1959. Today’s forecasting technology and warning systems are more advanced, but identifying and tracking tornados still present challenges to meteorologists.

[@larryloveless2967]

I was born in St. Louis on 1953 so I was only 5 years old but remember well driving with my mom and dad seeing the destroyed Channel 2 news tower and the damage to the Arena. It was great seeing the interview with Joe Cunningham. My memory of following the Cardinal begins in 1960 and he was a popular Cardinals player. My mom kept a diary of me and know from it the early games I started attending in 1961 when he still played with the Cardinals.

[@carolharris1041]

My mother and father survived that storm. She said she had a premonition all day, that something bad was going to happen. They were living on Fairfax Avenue, and the temperature was about 70 degrees.

[@jimparker7778]

I remember it. We lived near Ferguson in those days. Seeing trees blown down was odd to a little kid. St Louis has had winter storms like this. A sudden shift from warm Gulf air and cold northwestern wind is a deadly combo.

[@IceCream-and-HeadLice]

There is a storm track running thru St Louis, that still produces tornadoes off and on to this day!

[@poetcomic1]

The very next major tornado in St. Louis in 1967 was yet again an 'incredibly rare' winter tornado and hit in the early evening in late January, it was a narrow F4 tornado that did an amazing amount of damage starting out at the new homes on Riverbend Estates and then right through North County. I remember the unseasonably hot day before in the 70's in December and the next day it was snowing on the ruins.

[@NinePBS]

Wow, thank you for sharing this memory with all of us. We hope you and yours were safe. Who else remembers this 1967 winter tornado?

[@lisafleener1774]

My name is Lisa Fleener, I was 1yr 1 mo to the day when the Tornado hit, mom, dad and I were living on the 3rd floor of the apartment, when the Chanel 2 tower came crashing through. Mom said that there were bricks all over my crib. Mom tells me stories of the tornado all the time. We were in the local newspaper with a brief statement.

[@Chompchompyerded]

I was only a year old, but I remember it like... Well... I don't remember it at all. I actually do remember a few things from one year old, but the tornado isn't one of them. Where I live now, the tornado siren seems to mean "Go out in the street and gawk."

[@tlcorrenti]

Wow I barely remember that tornado or year as I was only 3 years old . We lived right down the street from channel 2 and we lived on Wise Ave and our backyard was on Clayton Ave. I do remember the panic my parents were in and gratefully our home was spared but there was a lot of damage around us.

[@nim3408]

I remember it well. A friends house on Page avenue was destroyed.

[@nim3408]

Another tornado came through the city in 2010 on New Year's Eve.

[@Bikewer]

I was in 8th grade at the time, and remember the damaged Arena and the fallen TV tower. We lived in the county, south of the damaged area.

[@deannekliene2673]

I was born a year later....thank God! I'd always been told about the channel 2 tower ...we lived near it....

[@theresadawdy6497]

I remember that! My mom had a dental appointment and got a babysitter for me because she had to take the bus and she said that she had to walk around a lot of debris

[@jeffmullinix7916]

In February of 1959 I was only 1 1/2 years old . I just cant believe that I could remember that at that age . I only remember just a tad of it . I remember the excitement of my Mom , Dad ,brothers and sister . I guess I remember something was wrong . I think is because all of the black outs we had . I remember the black out nights . Dad and the older kids would close the drapes and shut the lights off . Just waiting in the dark or if it was during the day just waiting all still . It when I got older that I understood what was happening and the fear most of the kids in my school including me had . The fear of being bombed by the Communist dictator . Ever sense then I hated Russia and communism . I also hated Tornados . O-GOD I sure miss Overland and missed my friend Joey . We moved away from St Louis in 1966 . GOD I hated that the worse of everything . I went back to Overland just to see what it is like now . Drove down Seneca Ln to 9212 and seen our old home . I just sat there and tears went down my eyes seeing the house and the memories we had . I remembered dad green and white 1950's Oldsmobile . The Jag that he was working on setting to the side of the garage . I remember Joey's mom car a 1957 T-Bird when she first got it . Joey dad took us to get Ice-cream and to the building of the arch . He was an engineer at the sight . Dang that was a long time ago . I am now 64 years old .

[@izzynutz2000]

Is this tornado moved through the county particularly through Glendale it destroyed the houses to the west of us skipped over the top of us and destroyed the houses to the east of us moving towards the city

[@sirblack1619]

Only in the US would they ban saying the word Tornado due to fragile minded people. My mother was pregnant with my youngest sister and told me how hot it was that day. She could not sleep and she looked outside to the trees looking like they were going to snap in half. They had no clue a tornado was on the ground. But with STL being segregated they were on on the side of the city that was just missed by the tornado. I am surprised that the video did not mention that radar actually picked up the tornado, but they did not know what it was.

[@winko567]

i hope this happens again! I HATE st Louis!