During the late afternoon and evening of Tuesday, September 16, 1980, severe storms swept across portions of the central and southern Plains.
In northeast Oklahoma, around 5:25 PM CDT, a tornado touched down about 8 miles northeast of Coweta in Wagoner County, moving east-northeast. One home was destroyed, and at least six other homes or outbuildings sustained lesser damage. The tornado caused light to moderate tree damage along its path. It was estimated to be up to 440 yards wide with a path length of 3 miles. No injuries or fatalities were reported. The storm was later rated an F2. In Craig County, strong straight-line winds in Vinita partially tore the roof off a radio station. The winds also damaged several outbuildings and storage sheds and uprooted trees.
In central Missouri, multiple trees were reported down in Columbia (Boone County), and baseball-size hail was observed just east of the city. In southeast Missouri, the West Plains area (Howell County) reported minor thunderstorm wind damage, including a tree blown into a house. In the St. Louis metropolitan area, wind gusts of up to 65 mph downed trees and power lines. Up to golf-ball-size hail fell in the city of Warrenton.
Sources:
- National Weather Service – Norman, Oklahoma: https://www.weather.gov/oun/
- National Centers for Environmental Information: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov