Tornado-force winds strike Lambert-St. Louis

[pattern_is_full]

No word yet on aircraft damage or injuries - if any

Concourse C roof report blown off, as well as broken windows and cars blown off parking structure.

Heavy storms batter St. Louis area | ksdk.com (http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/255883/3/Heavy-storms-batter-St-Louis-area)

LIVE: Possible tornado touches down at St. Louis Airport | 11alive.com (http://www.11alive.com/news/article/188454/8/LIVE-Tornado-touches-down-at-Lambert-St-Louis-Intl-Airport)
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UPDATE: KSTL closed until sometime Sat. April 23 - minor injuries reported from flying glass in terminal - running on emergency power - access highways (I70, I270) closed by debris - incoming flights diverted to KMCI (Kansas City)

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Further Update: "50%" of glass blown out in main terminal domes and concourse C - airport closed "indefinitely" now per press conference - airlines still checking but apparently no aircraft damage seen so far - was "fortunately" slow traffic period per Apt. manager - tower personnel apparently give visual confirmation of tornado.

[barit1]

Footage inside the terminal concourse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXmi2p4uSCc

[clunckdriver]

Looks like Darwin at work, tornado, lots of lightning,very heavy precip,very high winds on top of the tornado, so, lets get as close as we can to large plate glass windows and take pictures with our cell phones! Natural selection at work for sure!

[VFD]

Further Update: "50%" of glass blown out in main terminal domes and concourse C - airport closed "indefinitely" now per press conference - airlines still checking but apparently no aircraft damage seen so far - was "fortunately" slow traffic period per Apt. manager - tower personnel apparently give visual confirmation of tornado.
Several aircraft have been damaged including an AA 757 with debris driven through the VS. The roof over concourse C was removed. Most of the damage was in the area of concourse C (AA) west side to jet bridges, glass and aircraft. I am sure that the several aircraft that were parked waiting on passengers or RON's will have to be checked for damage as well as scrapes and gouges to the fuselage (future stress cracking).

On a personal note, of the hundreds times that I have transited through STL I would say that the most negative thing I can say about STL is walking around the multitudes of 5 gallon plastic pails that are placed about to catch rain water from roof leaks when it is raining. Since the roof has been removed by the storm there is the chance that they may actually repair the roof.
The headlines should read: Tornado causes millions of dollars worth of improvements to STL

VFD

[pattern_is_full]

I saw an AA 757 with what looked like a large dent on the forward cabin roof over the main door - but it was a panning helicopter video so could not tell for sure. Could be illusion.

Supposedly one rway is open for positioning/ferry flights - others undergoing checks for debris - tower staffed - hopes for "70%" capacity opened within 1-2 days.

[IGh]

Edit: Later investigative reporting revealed lapses. There was NO method to alert pilots to actual TORNADO sighting. Pilots, while PARKED on the ramp or taxiways or at the GATE, are responsible for safety of their passengers -- but those pilots are NOT provided the official TORNADO WARNING of approaching funnel-cloud. See two-part story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/despite-warning-st-louis-tornado-caught-airport-passengers-off-guard/2011/05/13/AFYkhX2G_blog.html


http://photos.mycapture.com/STLT/1232875/35375212E.jpg
photo from St Louis Post-Dispatch: Storms roar through St. Louis area | News | St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=35375212&event=1232875&CategoryID=38578&picnum=10&move=B#Image)
Caption:
"April 22, 2011--- An airport shuttle hangs off the edge of the parking garage at Lambert St. Louis International Airport Friday night after heavy winds passed through the area. Emily Rasinski [email protected] Album ID: 1232875 Photo ID: 35375212"

the newspaper foto, showing front side of STL Main Terminal.

That newspaper site includes numerous photos of the damage on Main Terminal's "C"-concourse.

One caption cites a passenger's description of this storm MOVING the airliner during boarding:
"... 4/22/11 Friday ... Bourdow and his wife Lori Bourdow ... after the plane they were sitting in was damaged by the tornado Friday night. The Bourdows were on flight 699 .... 'They had to clear rubble before they got us out of the plane ... The pilot said that the storm moved our plane about twenty five feet ...'"

Over decades, I can't find any mishap with airliner ON THE GROUND, during Midwest convective weather, resulting in injuries to occupants. [?exemplar? date/location???]

I was always skeptical about agents continuing pax- boarding of aircraft during tornado outbreaks. I see now major airlines do have their "plan" -- but have only seldom heard about employees urging pax to de-plane, to look inside for shelter. [Eg, a few years ago at DFW, folks were hustled off, then could not get into protected areas (tiny men's room).]

= = = = \/ = = = =
Judging from the SP's, STL's brief damage-event must have been shortly after 8pm cdt [maybe 0111z] Friday night local time [wish I could see a time-history of the STL's minute-by-minute TWIP output to aircraft]:

STL SA 0251 50 SCT E120 BKN 250 OVC 10 68/63/3103/969/ FRQ LTGICCC DSNT E-S TSE11 CB DSNT E-S MOV E SLPNO=

STL SP 0213 E50 BKN 120 BKN 250 OVC 10 66/63/2107/967/=

STL SA 0151 20 SCT E45 BKN 120 BKN 250 OVC 10TR- 68/63/2706/965/ TORNADO B10E18 MOV E FRQ LTGICCG NE-SE TS NE-SE MOV E SLPNO=

STL SP 0121 20 SCT E45 BKN 100 OVC 6TRF 66/63/3411G45/967/ TORNADOE18 CONS LTGICCGCC N-SW TS N-SW MOV E=

STL SP 0124 AO2A E20 BKN 40 OVC 1TORNADO TR-F 66/63/3307G35/M/ R30RVR16V60+/ WND 28V02 TORNADO B10 W MOV E PK WND 29042/0112 WSHFT 0104 CONS LTGICCGCC ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV E $ PCPN 0040=

STL SP 0112 AO2A E20 BKN 40 OVC 1TORNADO TR- 72/66/2929G42/M/ R30RVR28V60+/ TORNADO B10 W MOV E PK WND 29042/0112 CONS LTGICCGCC ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV E PCPN 0001=

STL SP 0111 AO2A 20 SCT E50 BKN 90 OVC 3TORNADO TR- 72/66/2922G34/M/ WND 24V31 TORNADO B10 W MOV E PK WND 29034/0111 CONS LTGICCGCC ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV E PCPN 0001=

STL SA 0051 AO2A 25 SCT E45 BKN 80 OVC 7TR- 030/72/67/1408/964/ TSB2358 CONS LTGICCGCC SW-NE TS SW-NE MOV E PCPN 0007=

STL SP 0028 AO2A 15 SCT E50 BKN 110 OVC 5TR- 73/66/1512G21/963/ TSB2358 FRQ LTGICCG ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV NE PCPN 0007=

STL SP 0024 AO2A 15 SCT E50 BKN 110 OVC 2TR- 73/66/1616G21/963/ TSB2358 FRQ LTGICCG ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV NE PCPN 0001=

STL SP 0021 AO2A 28 SCT E55 BKN 110 OVC 3TR- 73/66/1614G19/964/ TSB2358 FRQ LTGICCG ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV NE PCPN 0000=

STL SP 2358 AO2A 27 SCT E50 BKN 100 BKN 250 OVC 8TR- 73/66/1709G17/965/ TSB58 OCNL LTGIC W-NW TS W-NW MOV NE PCPN 0000=

STL SA 2351 25 SCT E55 BKN 90 BKN 250 OVC 8R- 75/66/1710/965/=

STL SA 2351 AO2A 25 SCT E55 BKN 90 BKN 250 OVC 8R- 035/75/66/1710/965/ 55008 6000/ 10077 20064 RAB49 CB DSNT W MOV NE PCPN 0000

= = = = // == =

edit= adding WxService photo of wall cloud while west of STL:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lsx/recent_event/04_22_2011/ofallon.jpg
St. Louis Tornado (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=04_22_2011)

[pattern_is_full]

Judging from the SP's, STL's brief damage-event must have been shortly after 8pm cdt [maybe 0111z] Friday night local time

Good guess - authorities put it at 8:15 CDT