WASHINGTON COUNTY, Mo. – A small but impactful tornado struck the south side of Potosi on Tuesday afternoon, causing damage to buildings and vehicles while students and staff took shelter in FEMA shelters.

The tornado, which was monitored by FOX 2 for nearly 30 minutes, hit the area where Beth Gaynor and her dog Roxie were at home.

Although the tornado was small, it caused significant damage, particularly to cars in a nearby parking lot, where many windows were blown out.

Administrators at the local elementary school and daycare center reported that they were watching FOX 2’s live stream when the tornado warnings were issued, allowing them to evacuate students and staff safely to the newly constructed FEMA shelters built in 2020.

The damage to the buildings was mainly superficial, including some gutters, roofing material and an air conditioning unit that was flipped over.

However, the debris in the parking lot was largely from across the street, indicating the tornado’s force.

The tornado struck during the school day, but thanks to the timely warnings and the presence of the FEMA shelters, there were no reported injuries among the students and staff.

All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence.  It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff.