June 28-July 1 Severe Threat

[Hoosier]

Well, I'm honestly one who likes to be objective with the EF scale but in in the case of that damage I went back and forth on it. In the end, I felt like what some of what we saw near Grant Park could be on the same par damage/est. wind speed wise with what occurred southeast of Lowell. So I went with high end EF-1 instead of low EF-2. I'm still not completely comfortable with it and we're continuing to analyze the data. So further revisions are possible/likely until we have a finalized number and ratings on the tornadoes. After a close look at the radar data, it's likely that some of the points listed as one tornado from the survey Tony and I conducted were actually additional tornado paths.

To echo what Tony said, it was a very complex survey. There were multiple paths in close succession surrounded by a lot of fairly high end straight line wind damage. I wish we had even more time to spend on the assessment and that's after leaving the office at 945 am Tuesday and not getting back here til after 11pm. That's how it often goes though. I also firmly believe that there were additional paths that we did not get to survey yet and hopefully will or at least we'll get access to data that we'll enable us to have a full understanding of how many tornadoes occurred with the second QLCS. Even as things stand now, a truly historic event for this area.

 

 

Thanks for the response!

[Hoosier]

4 new EF1s from IWX...2 in LaPorte county, one in Starke county and another that began in Starke and went into Marshall county.  Also upgraded an EF0 to EF1. 

[Hoosier]

In terms of numbers, June 30-July 1 is now the largest tornado outbreak on record during astronomical summer in Indiana.  Can't say meteorological summer as there are events like June 2, 1990.   

[tornadotony]

Just as an FYI, data is still being reviewed, but we're likely pretty close to final numbers from the survey Ricky and I conducted.  Two more tornadoes have been officially added.  One path NE of Grant Park that we believe likely merged with the original surveyed track near the IL/IN border and another track NE of DeMotte.  This brings the numbers up as follows:

 

- At least 7 tornadoes from the two monster mesovortices in Kankakee, Lake, and Jasper Counties

- At least 11 tornadoes total in the LOT CWA

- At least 9 tornadoes in Illinois

- At least 14 tornadoes in Indiana

 

Updated PNSs on the tornadoes Ricky and I surveyed:

 

.TORNADO #5

...FIRST OF TWO TORNADOES NORTHWEST OF GRANT PARK IN KANKAKEE
COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100-110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 4 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1025 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 3 E MANTENO
START LAT/LON: 41.2556/-87.7816

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1028 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 4 NW GRANT PARK
END LAT/LON: 41.2817/-87.7114


.TORNADO #6

...SECOND OF TWO TORNADOES NORTHWEST OF GRANT PARK IN KANKAKEE
COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 4 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 300 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1026 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 5 E MANTENO
START LAT/LON: 41.2491/-87.7427

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1030 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 3 NNW GRANT PARK
END LAT/LON: 41.2742/-87.6647


SURVEY SUMMARY:

TWO SEPARATE TORNADOES WERE CONFIRMED WITHIN AN APPROXIMATE TWO
MILE WIDE NORTH-SOUTH PATH FROM ABOUT 3 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF
MANTENO TO 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF GRANT PARK. SIMILAR DAMAGE
INDICATORS WERE FOUND IN BOTH TORNADOES. THIS INCLUDED MULTIPLE
LARGE HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES...MANY OF THEM HEALTHY...EITHER
SNAPPED AT THE TRUNK OR UPROOTED IN CONVERGENT PATHS.
FURTHERMORE...THREE SEPARATE FARMSTEADS SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE TO
BARNS/OUTBUILDINGS. ADDITIONAL OBSERVED DAMAGE INCLUDED SNAPPED
WOOD POWER POLES OR BROKEN WOOD CROSS MEMBERS...AS WELL AS DEFINED
NARROW PATHS IN CORN FIELDS.

THERE WERE TWO BARNS WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF ROOF STRUCTURE AND
ONLY SOME WALLS REMAINING. THE METAL ROOFING MATERIAL AT ONE
LOCATION WAS DEPOSITED 300 YARDS DOWNSTREAM IN A NARROW PATH WHILE
ONE PIECE OF DEBRIS WAS DEPOSITED 50 YARDS TO THE LEFT OF THE MAIN
DEBRIS FIELD. A 2X6 WOOD BOARD SNAPPED FROM THE ROOF WAS TOSSED
INTO THE FIELD AND SPEARED AT LEAST ONE FOOT INTO THE GROUND.
ANOTHER OLDER BARN WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AT A FARM NEAR E 1100N
ROAD. A WELL BUILT SHED AT THE SAME LOCATION THAT WAS ANCHORED BY
CEMENT PILINGS WAS BLOWN OFF THE BLOCKS AND DESTROYED AND THE
PILINGS WERE ALSO TOSSED UP TO 40 FT. THE RESIDENCE AT THIS
FARMSTEAD SUFFERED A SMALL CRACK IN THE FOUNDATION. A 4000 LB
TRAILER WAS PARTIALLY LIFTED AND MOVED 40 TO 50 FEET AT A FARM
ALONG N 10000E RD.

---------------------------------------------------------------

.TORNADO # 7

...FIRST OF TWO TORNADOES NORTHEAST OF GRANT PARK IN KANKAKEE
COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105-110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 3.4 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1032 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 4.3 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRANT PARK
START LAT/LON: 41.2651/-87.5685

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1037 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 4.8 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF LOWELL IN
END LAT/LON: 41.2841/-87.5080


.TORNADO # 8

...SECOND OF TWO TORNADOES NORTHEAST OF GRANT PARK IN KANKAKEE
COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105-110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.7 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1033 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 5 ENE GRANT PARK
START LAT/LON: 41.2624/-87.5540

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1035 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 7 ENE GRANT PARK
END LAT/LON: 41.2769/-87.5721


SURVEY SUMMARY:

THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR A CHURCH ON COUNTY RD
13...SNAPPING HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES. A LARGE LIMB SMASHED
THROUGH THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF THE CHURCH AND THE FORCE OF
THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WINDOW FRAME INSIDE THE BUILDING. IN
ADDITION...LARGE TREE BRANCH IMPALED ITSELF INTO THE CHURCH. A
DOOR INSIDE THE CHURCH WAS BLOWN OPEN AND RIPPED OFF. THERE WAS
SOME MINOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY DAMAGE NOTED INSIDE THE CHURCH.
AS THE TORNADO THEN MOVED ALONG E 10500N ROAD...IT CAUSED
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO AN UNDER CONSTRUCTION BUT SEALED SINGLE
FAMILY RESIDENCE. A SECTION OF THE ROOF WAS REMOVED...WHICH CAUSED
A CRACK IN THE FRAME OF THE HOUSE AND A LARGE WALL SECTION
COLLAPSED OUTWARD. CONSISTENT SNAPPING OR UPROOTING OF TREES WAS
NOTED IN A CONVERGENT MANNER AS THE TORNADO PATH CONTINUED ACROSS
THE STATE LINE INTO LAKE COUNTY BEFORE ENDING WEST-SOUTHWEST OF
LOWELL. ALL OF THE MOST INTENSE DAMAGE WITH THIS TORNADO WAS
CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF A HIGHER END EF-1 TORNADO.

THE SECOND TORNADO BEGAN NOT FAR SOUTHEAST OF WHERE THE FIRST ONE
DID. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS ON A FARMSTEAD INCLUDING LARGE
HARDWOODS SNAPPED...WINDOWS IN THE RESIDENCE BLOWN IN AND THE
COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THREE STORY TALL BARN WITH DIMENSIONS OF
88X60. FURTHERMORE...A LARGE BRANCH WAS IMPALED INTO THE FRONT OF
THE RESIDENCE.

------------------------------------------------------------------

.TORNADO # 9

...TORNADO SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF LOWELL IN LAKE COUNTY INDIANA...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105-110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 500 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1043 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 3 S LOWELL
START LAT/LON: 41.2561/-87.4104

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1048 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 6.1 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF LOWELL IN
END LAT/LON: 41.2723/-87.2965

SURVEY SUMMARY:

THE TORNADO BEGAN NEAR COLFAX STREET SOUTH OF LOWELL AND THEN
TRACKED EAST-NORTHEAST TO NEAR INTERSTATE 65. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE NOTED INCLUDED TWO SNAPPED WOODEN POWER POLES AND
SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED GRAIN BINS ON A FARM EAST OF HARRISON STREET
THAT COULD NOT BE ACCESSED DUE TO DOWNED POWER LINES. AT A
FARMSTEAD NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HARRISON STREET AND W 191ST
AVENUE...A WOODEN BARN WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED...ALONG WITH
SEVERAL LARGE HARDWOODS AND SOFTWOODS SNAPPED AT THE TRUNK. THE
DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH A HIGHER END EF-1 TORNADO.

------------------------------------------------------------------

.TORNADO # 10

...TORNADO IN AND NEAR DE MOTTE IN JASPER COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100-105 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1049 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 4 WSW DE MOTTE IN
START LAT/LON: 41.1888/-87.2676

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1055 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 2 ENE DE MOTTE IN
END LAT/LON: 41.2008/-87.1563

SURVEY SUMMARY:

A 100-200 YARD SWATH OF CONSISTENT TREE DAMAGE...WITH NUMEROUS
SNAPPED TREES...BEGAN EAST-SOUTHEAST OF DE MOTTE BETWEEN N CR 1150
W AND N CR 1100 W JUST NORTH OF W CR 1200 N. THE DAMAGE CONTINUED
EAST-NORTHEAST JUST TO THE EAST AND THEN THROUGH THE CENTER OF DE
MOTTE NORTH OF 9TH STREET. JUST EAST OF DE MOTTE ALONG ORCHID
STREET...A BARN WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND DOUBLE WIDE
MANUFACTURED HOME EXPERIENCED SOME STRUCTURAL AND/OR ROOF DAMAGE.

------------------------------------------------------------------

.TORNADO # 11

...TORNADO NORTHEAST OF DE MOTTE IN JASPER COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 90 TO 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1 MILE
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: NONE
INJURIES: NONE

START DATE: JUNE 30 2014
START TIME: 1055 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 4 ENE DE MOTTE IN
START LAT/LON: 41.2230/-87.1280

END DATE: JUNE 30 2014
END TIME: 1056 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 5 ENE DE MOTTE IN
END LAT/LON: 41.2240/-87.1099

SURVEY SUMMARY:

THIS TORNADO TRACKED ALONG W CR 1450 N WHERE THERE WERE SNAPPED
TREES...WOOD POWER POLES LEANING AND DAMAGE TO TWO FARMSTEADS.
ON ONE...THE DOORS COLLAPSED IN A POLE BARN. IN ANOTHER POLE
BARN...THE WALLS COLLAPSED AFTER THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF. THE
DAMAGE IN THIS TORNADO PATH WAS CONSISTENT WITH MAXIMUM SPEEDS OF
100-105 MPH.

[MidwestChaser]

given the initiation point trends and overwhelming model tendency to congeal things into a semi-linear complex, i'll be surprised if we see a single TOR in LOT's CWA

 

 

[Hoosier]

 

 

[tornadotony]

Alright, so, there's a big update to report on this event.

 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/Image/lot/stormdata/jun2014.pdf

 

Ricky and I have been going through survey notes, etc., and I spent a few hours when I was on vacation in late July filling gaps where Ricky and I felt we missed some things in our initial survey.  Since then, we have been discussing this event with other fine meteorologists at LOT, reviewing radar data, re-reviewing the survey notes and pictures, reading and re-reading literature on QLCS tornadoes and surveys of QLCS damage, and consulting QLCS and damage survey experts (such as Ron Przybylinski at WFO LSX and my boss here at UAH).

 

If you look at the June 2014 Storm Data from KLOT that I linked to above, you'll note that there are now 18 confirmed tornadoes from June 30th (19 county segments).  There was one tornado in La Salle County, one in Grundy County, one in Kendall County, one in Will County, seven in Kankakee County (one crossed into IN), six in Lake County, and two in Jasper County (19 county segments).  That brings the total from the second QLCS on June 30th to 29 tornadoes across the LOT and IWX CWAs.

 

Ricky can add his $0.02 as he wishes, but from my personal experience, this is one of the most challenging things I've ever done in my professional career.  Sorting out what was tornadic damage and what was straight-line wind damage in this case was not exactly a simple endeavor.  For instance, SW of Lowell in Lake County, there were three distinctly convergent tracks of damage with little-no damage in between, but SE of Lowell, there was what appeared to be an area of cyclonic/convergent damage on the northern end of a huge, widespread area of significant wind damage.  We determined the tornado track SE of Lowell to be part of the middle track SW of Lowell, but we had to determine where the initial southern track SW of Lowell ended and where the straight-line wind damage began.  Then, we had to wrap our minds around the fact that somehow this widespread straight-line wind damage didn't spread all the way south to Shelby or the Kankakee River, and how the southern subvortex within this large (13-15 km diameter) mesovortex was also prolifically tornadic.  Yet, some of the tracks, even those close together, were seemingly very simple to sort out given the path of convergence centerlines through properties and treelines and the lack of damage surrounding them.

 

29 tornadoes from a progressive MCS is pretty incredible.  For those wondering, yes, it is technically the largest tornado outbreak on record in LOT's CWA (though obviously not the worst overall).  And we're pretty sure there were more tornadoes than what have been recorded here.  But the amount of time and energy spent in getting this as correct as possible based off all of the evidence collected was astounding, and LOT should really be commended for their efforts.

 

This was an incredible mesoscale "accident" event.  We're beginning a thorough mesoscale analysis of this event at UAH as part of our precursor work in the PECAN (Plains Elevated Convection At Night) field campaign.  You'll probably hear a lot more about this event in the future, but what I can say right now is that an astounding number of mesoscale whoopsies had to occur to make this event what it was.

[A-L-E-K]

Thanks for that, tony

[Indystorm]

Great research as always in a very prolific and surprising MCS for the region.

[Hoosier]

That's an impressive tornado cluster in the Kankakee Valley and it's even more impressive given that it was at the tail end of June which is not exactly prime time for tornadoes. 

[Gilbertfly]

Quality tony.....thanks! Props to you and Rick. Were you guys surveying Bolingbrook at all by Clow Airport? There were a number of trees in the Meijer parking lot next to the airport that were snapped at the trunk. It looked like some were sent in different directions, but it was hard to tell because some people may have already been moving things around. I only ask because it looked like there some people making notes and taking pictures there when i was looking at the damage. Was just wondering if maybe it was you guys. Thanks again for the grinding work on surveys and evaluations!

[tornadotony]

Quality tony.....thanks! Props to you and Rick. Were you guys surveying Bolingbrook at all by Clow Airport? There were a number of trees in the Meijer parking lot next to the airport that were snapped at the trunk. It looked like some were sent in different directions, but it was hard to tell because some people may have already been moving things around. I only ask because it looked like there some people making notes and taking pictures there when i was looking at the damage. Was just wondering if maybe it was you guys. Thanks again for the grinding work on surveys and evaluations!

Ricky and I weren't on that survey.  I know somebody surveyed at least Plainfield and Romeoville, but I can't say whether or not he was who you saw out there.  Ricky and I surveyed eastern Kankakee, southern Lake, southwestern Porter, northeastern Newton, and northern Jasper Counties.

[Gilbertfly]

Ricky and I weren't on that survey.  I know somebody surveyed at least Plainfield and Romeoville, but I can't say whether or not he was who you saw out there.  Ricky and I surveyed eastern Kankakee, southern Lake, southwestern Porter, northeastern Newton, and northern Jasper Counties.

 

Ah ok...yeah, I'm fairly confident that anything in my immediate area was from straightline....but it was certainly on the higher end of anything I had ever seen at my specific local (which is a few blocks from Clow Airport). 

 

one of my "favorite" imby images from that night....

 

 

regardless...thanks again for the DD on this crazy night...cheers

[Hoosier]

List of biggest tornado outbreaks in the LOT cwa:

 

 

6/30/2014:  18
5/18/2000:  13
5/30/2003:  12
4/20/2004:  12
6/5/2010:  12
4/21/1967:  11
6/20/1974:  11
6/30/1977:  10
11/17/2013:  10
6/7/2008:  8
4/6/1972:  7
3/12/1976:  7
6/8/1958:  6
9/26/1959:  6
5/8/1988:  6
5/30/2004:  6
8/4/2008:  6
5/22/2011:  6
4/11/1965:  5
11/12/1965:  5
6/25/1978:  5
5/25/2011:  5
 

[Hoosier]

I can't believe how almost every tornado in this outbreak was rated EF-1.  I think I've read somewhere that the most common rating for QLCS tornadoes is EF-1 but this took it to the extreme. 

[tornadotony]

I can't believe how almost every tornado in this outbreak was rated EF-1.  I think I've read somewhere that the most common rating for QLCS tornadoes is EF-1 but this took it to the extreme. 

The mean motion of the QLCS per SPC was 53 kt (61 MPH).  At one point, the subvortex that moved from Momence to NE of De Motte accelerated to a forward motion of an astonishing 60 kt (69 MPH) due to processes within the larger scale MV.  There's little to no wiggle room for any weaker damage from a vortex with storm motions like that.  And the only EF0 in LOT's CWA was rated as such because it only impacted crops.

[tornadotony]

FYI, the LOT webpage has not been fully updated to show all the tornado tracks, but if you want a visual, they have updated the overview map at the top of the page.

 

From LOT:

[Hoosier]

IWX June Storm Data is out and there were no significant changes from the preliminary results as far as tornadoes.  Since the outbreak spilled into July 1, gonna have to wait for July Storm Data to see if there are any changes for that portion.