Spike in Tornadoes Prompts Emergency Management Update, Addressing Concerns About Storm Sirens

St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - St. Francois County, along with most of the Midwest, has seen a huge surge in tornadoes and storms moving through the area.

Emergency Management Director Nick Jones provided an update to county commissioners about that recent surge of storms at the commission's latest meeting Tuesday.

Last Saturday, a EF-0 tornado touched down near Libertyville, traveling for 1.25 miles before dispersing. Jones explained that one the county's sirens, near Highway DD and Highway OO, did not sound during Saturday's storm as the area was not actually under a tornado warning at the time.

Since 1990, the National Weather Service has recorded 91 tornadoes at EF-2 strength or above, for an average of about 3 per year. In 2025, the NWS has recorded 12 at that same level.