NWS confirms EF-0 tornado in Benton Co. on Saturday

December 15, 2024 4:59 PM

Published December 15, 2024 4:53 PM

The National Weather Service in Springfield on Sunday confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down in far eastern Benton County, near the border with Morgan County on the northwestern side of the Lake of the Ozarks.

The severe thunderstorm produced enough rotation for a weak tornado to form at around 3:41 p.m. The tornado developed to the southwest of Zora and traveled northwest for about 5 minutes before dissipating after briefly crossing the water just south of Minnow Branch Road.

The tornado tracked for 1.69 miles and had a width of 75 yards as it damaged trees and an outbuilding. The strongest winds were estimated at 80 mph.

ABC 17 News viewers Destiny Heinz and Kari Engel shared videos of the tornado as it crossed over the Lake on Saturday afternoon.

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Jessica Hafner

Chief Meteorologist Jessica Hafner returned to ABC 17 News in 2019 following a stint as a meteorologist and traffic reporter in St. Louis. She is a 2012 graduate of Northern Illinois University and holds the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation.

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