Prelim surveys done on Illinois tornadoes, Lasalle an F3!!!

[WXBUFFJIM]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
155 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

...UPDATE TO TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM EVENT IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON
APRIL 20...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN F1 TORNADO
(WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 73 MPH AND 112 MPH) IN KANKAKEE COUNTY. THE
PATH LENGTH WAS APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES LONG AND BEGAN
APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES SOUTH OF THE CITY OF KANKAKEE AND ENDED IN
CITY LIMITS CLOSE TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE NEAR THE KANKAKEE RIVER.
THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS...AND THE F1 DAMAGE WAS ONE TO ONE
AND ONE-HALF MILES IN LENGTH...WITH F0 DAMAGE ELSEWHERE. A BARN WAS
DESTROYED...AND A HOUSE AND SEVERAL COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES SUSTAINED
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

TWO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAMS ARE STILL IN LASALLE
COUNTY...INCLUDING THE TOWN OF UTICA...ASSESSING THE DAMAGE. THE
TORNADO WAS RATED F3 ON THE FUJITA DAMAGE SCALE (WIND SPEEDS
BETWEEN 158 MPH AND 206 MPH). THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 200 YARDS...AND
THE F3 DAMAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO CITY BLOCKS LONG...CENTERED IN
DOWNTOWN UTICA. THE TEAMS ARE STILL DETERMINING THE LENGTH OF THE
ENTIRE TORNADO PATH.

THE TORNADO IN JOLIET WAS RATED F1 (WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 73 MPH AND
112 MPH). THE TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 3
MILES...AND HAD A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 500 FEET FOR THREE CITY BLOCKS.
THE TORNADO BEGAN AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF JEFFERSON AND WILLIAMS
STREET...AND ENDING AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF BROADWAY AND RUBY.
NUMEROUS GARAGES WERE DESTROYED...HOMES HAD ROOFS TORN OFF AND
WINDOWS BLOWN OUT.

FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED AS SOON AVAILABLE.

JIM STEFKOVICH
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE

$$

[michaelwmoss]

Any updates on the 2 torando touchdowns the other day in Illinois?

[Brent]

I was about to say... F3's in Illinois last week?

[michaelwmoss]

Right I'm sure they will come soon enough though.

[WXBUFFJIM]

and we all know what happened in Utica, Illinois last April with a destructive and deadly tornado that killed up to 8 people in that town. It's something I hope no one has to go through this year, especially since we are a month and a half away from the peak of tornado season.

[michaelwmoss]

Do you know anyone who was directly affected by that storm? They might be a good guest for a future Severe Weather Central Show