NWS survey confirms EF1 tornado in Ray County, Missouri
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in southwestern Ray County, Missouri, at 21:47 CDT on May 18, 2026, causing tree and property damage before lifting at 22:06 CDT.
Image credit: Bri Rotering
The tornado developed about 8 km (5 miles) east-northeast of Missouri City at approximately 21:47 CDT on May 18 and tracked east-northeast across rural parts of Ray County.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed the EF1 rating for the tornado on May 19 after surveying the damage in the area.
Estimated peak winds reached 153 km/h (95 mph). The tornado tracked a 28.1 km (17.44 miles) path before dissipating at approximately 22:06 CDT. It had a maximum path width of around 91 m (300 feet).
Widespread EF1 tree damage was observed near Reynolds Road and W 108th Street, along with damage to two power poles, an outbuilding, and an empty livestock trailer north of the Fishing River shortly after touchdown.
The tornado crossed Highway 10 south of Elkhorn before causing additional tree damage north of Swanwick and later crossing Highway 13. It dissipated near the intersection of Frazier Road and Millville Road.
No injuries or fatalities were reported.
References:
1 Public Information Statement – NWS – May 19, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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