KIRKSVILLE, MO -- The damage from Tuesday’s nights storms that rolled through our viewing area was caused by straight line winds not a tornado. Because it was not a tornado, no sirens were issued. And cities do not set off sirens when there are straight line winds.
Debris from straight line wind damage is commonly blown in one general direction for example, west to east. The debris will be blown down wind from the impact site.
Damage can be tornado-like and is commonly mislabeled as a tornado. This is especially true in the case of a downburst, which is a strong downdraft resulting in an outward burst of damaging winds on or near the ground. A microburst is simply a small, concentrated downburst less than 2.5 miles across.
Tornado damage will scatter the debris in a variety of different directions since the winds of a tornado are rotating violently.
Because of this some people will believe a tornado occurred when it reality one did not occur.
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