NWS Confirms Tornado In Benton County

0730 PM     TORNADO          1 N TEMPLETON           40.53N 87.21W 
05/31/2013                   BENTON             IN   EMERGENCY MNGR   
 
A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR  
COUNTY ROAD 500S AND COUNTY ROAD 600E. THE TORNADO WAS ON 
THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE AND WAS CAPTURED ON VIDEO.  
THERE WAS NO DAMAGE.   

Top 10 Tornadoes Since 1950

#1 - April 3, 1974 Monticello Tornado


This tornado had it all - considerable deaths, injuries, severe damage and very long track. The path length was originally thought to be 121 miles but after reanalysis it was chopped down to 109 miles. Although this tornado didn't hit any major cities, it caused about $100 million damage in 1974 dollars (over $400 million adjusted to present day!) and heavily damaged/destroyed a good chunk of Monticello. This tornado was rated F4 and killed 19 people, injured more than 400, and was up to a half mile wide.

For more on the Monticello tornado, visit this link

August 4, 2008 Tornadoes

Three years ago on this date, a powerful bow echo/derecho plowed across northern Indiana.  In addition to widespread damaging straight line winds, there were 2 tornadoes in the northwest part of the state.  The first tornado, an EF2, began in the Lake county town of Griffith and passed into Gary before dissipating.  The second tornado, a brief EF0, occurred in Benton county near the town of Chase.  Fortunately, nobody was injured. 

A History Of July 4 Tornadoes

July 4 is a day that we celebrate by lighting off fireworks, but nature has been known to occasionally provide its own fireworks with tornadoes and other forms of severe weather here.  I was curious to find out just how common Independence Day tornadoes have been over the years.  Although I browsed tornado records back to the 1800's, I could not find any July 4 tornadoes before 1957.  This seems rather improbable and is likely due to poor documentation in earlier years, but I can only post what I know.  I found a total of 7 tornadoes and they are listed and mapped below.  In one instance there was a discrepancy with location which I have noted.

Recalling The Nation's Biggest Tornado Outbreak On Record...The 1974 Super Outbreak

April 3, 1974 is a date that those in the weather community will always remember.  It was an unseasonably warm day as a strong low pressure moved through the Corn Belt.  This unseasonably warm air and a combination of several other factors would come together just right to produce a spectacular severe weather event, leaving hundreds dead, thousands wounded and an incredible amount of destruction across a number of states. 

The first tornado in the state touched down in Boone county in the early morning.  21 of the 148 tornadoes occurred here, including 1 F5 and the devastating Monticello tornado.  The thunderstorm cell which produced the Monticello tornado produced its first Indiana touchdown near the Illinois state line in rural Warren county.  This tornado died out but was followed by another touchdown in Warren county.  That tornado tracked northeastward into southeastern Benton county before dissipating near Otterbein.  Another tornado followed almost immediately, moving quickly northeast through the northwestern part of Tippecanoe county and into White county.  As the tornado passed northwest of Lafayette, the 2200z METAR from KLAF included a report of a tornado:

METAR KLAF 032200Z 16025G33KT 7SM TS SCT040 BKN070 OVC150 23/17 A2914 RMK TB44 W MOVG E LTGIC W-N PRESFRLAF3/16 STATE POLICE RPT AT 2151 5TORNADO SLP864 T02280172

The tornado continued through mostly rural areas of White county before taking aim on downtown Monticello.  Heavy damage occurred in Monticello with several fatalities.  But it was not done...

The tornado continued northeastward through Cass county and Fulton county, where it produced significant damage in Rochester.  It proceeded through Kosciusko, Noble and LaGrange counties before finally ending its incredible 109 mile reign of terror near Oliver Lake.  The same thunderstorm produced another weaker tornado near Plato, which would be the final tornado in Indiana from this particular thunderstorm.

In all, 47 Hoosiers died that tragic day with hundreds more injured.




Approximate Tornado Tracks