The National Weather Service in St. Louis has confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down briefly in southern Brown County on Friday evening.
Multiple reports say that the tornado touched down approximately for 2 minutes – from 6:08 to 6:10PM on Friday about 5 miles southeast of Mt. Sterling. The tornado packed maximum winds of 110mph and was on the ground for a little under half a mile.
Brown County Emergency Services Director Curt Hannig told KHQA that no tornado warning was announced at the time of the storm, but rotation was noticed by people on the ground. Hannig, who was in Mt. Sterling at the time, says that the city only received heavy rain and had no indication of severe weather.
WGEM says authorities were first called to the scene around 6:15 p.m. after callers said a tornado had come down on a home in Cooperstown Township. The storm destroyed a garage and carport. The residence received roof damage. There was also widespread tree damage. One man was injured when he stepped outside when the storm hit, according to WGEM. No other structures have been reported to have received damage.
The man was taken to Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville and was later transferred to a Springfield area hospital for further treatment. Their current condition is unknown.