The East St. Louis Tornado is the tornado event that occurred on May 27, 1896. It is among one of the first tornadoes that has actual damage photographs.

The first tornado of the day formed near Bellflower, Missouri and killed a woman. Three students died and sixteen were injured when the Dye School in Audrain County, Missouri was hit at around 3:15 P.M. A few minutes later, the same tornado killed one student and injured 19 others at the Bean Creek school at 6:15 P.M. At 6:30, two supercell thunderstorms produced two tornadoes. One decimated farms in New Minden, Hoyleton, Richview, and Irvington, Illinois.

The other became the 3rd deadliest tornado in United States history. It headed toward St. Louis, Missouri. 137 people died in homes, schools, salons, factories, mills, and railroad yards. More people may have died on boats on the Mississippi River, but the bodies may have gone downriver. When the tornado crossed the river and hit East Saint Louis, Illinois, the tornado was smaller but more intense because the tornado's damage was more complete. 118 people were killed. A death toll of 255 was posted. The tornado was later rated F5 on the Fujita scale.

The tornado destroyed 311 buildings, severely damaged 7,200 others, and caused significant damage to 1,300 more.

Twenty-seven more people died in the other Illinois tornadoes.

1896 tornado season in perspective

The 1896 tornado season has the distinction of being called the deadliest season for tornadoes in United States history. There were at least 40 killer tornadoes spanning from April 11 to November 26, including this one, the only one to kill more than 100 people in two separate cities.

See also: List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks