NWS Confirms Four Additional Tornadoes

NWS Northern Indiana has confirmed four additional tornadoes from the June 30-July 1 outbreak, all of which were EF1.  Also, one of the previously confirmed tornadoes had its rating changed from EF0 to EF1 (tornado #3 in this post, which has been edited to reflect the change).

TORNADO #8 - LAPORTE COUNTY  
  
RATING:                 EF-1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    105 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  AROUND 0.25 MILE  
MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: EST. 200 YARDS   
FATALITIES: NONE  
INJURIES: NONE  
  
START DATE:              JUL 01 2014   
TIME:                    EST. 1211 AM EDT  
START LOCATION:          PINHOOK, IN   
START LAT/LON:           41.5625 / -86.858   
  
END DATE:                JUL 01 2014  
END TIME:                EST. 1212 AM EDT  
END LOCATION:            PINHOOK, IN   
END LAT/LON:             41.5617 / -86.853  
  
SURVEY SUMMARY: A BRIEF EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST SOUTH OF   
HIGHWAY 2 NEAR THE TOWN OF PINHOOK AND LIFTED JUST EAST OF SOUTH   
WOZNIAK ROAD. THE TORNADO CAUSED WIDESPREAD SEVERE TREE DAMAGE AND   
DAMAGED MANY STRUCTURES INCLUDING A 2 STORY BARN WHICH WAS   
DESTROYED.   

TORNADO #9 - LAPORTE COUNTY  
  
RATING:                 EF-1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    95 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  4.8 MILES  
MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: EST. 200 YARDS   
FATALITIES: NONE  
INJURIES: NONE  
  
START DATE:              JUL 01 2014   
TIME:                    EST. 1224 AM EDT  
START LOCATION:          1 EAST KINGSFORD HEIGHTS, IN   
START LAT/LON:           41.4787 / -86.6837   
  
END DATE:                JUL 01 2014  
END TIME:                EST. 1228 AM EDT  
END LOCATION:            3 ENE OF SOUTH CENTER, IN  
END LAT/LON:             41.4849 / -86.5928  
  
SURVEY SUMMARY: AN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF KINGSFORD   
HEIGHTS AND TRAVELED ENE TO JUST NORTH OF US 6 BEFORE DISSIPATING AS   
IT CROSSED THE KANKAKEE RIVER. EXTENSIVE WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE   
ALONG THE PATH OF THE TORNADO WAS NOTED. MANY HOMES IN THE PATH OF   
THE TORNADO SUFFERED DAMAGE FROM FELLED TREES.   

TORNADO #10 - STARKE COUNTY  
  
RATING:                 EF-1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    100 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  5 MILES  
MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: EST. 400 YARDS   
FATALITIES: NONE  
INJURIES: NONE  
  
START DATE:              JUL 01 2014   
TIME:                    EST. 1225 AM EDT  
START LOCATION:          4 S OF SOUTH CENTER, IN   
START LAT/LON:           41.4189 / -86.6409   
  
END DATE:                JUL 01 2014  
END TIME:                EST. 1228 AM EDT  
END LOCATION:            3 WNW OF KOONTZ LAKE, IN  
END LAT/LON:             41.4317 / -86.5472  
  
SURVEY SUMMARY: AN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF   
N CR 300 E AND E CR 800 N. EXTENSIVE WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE ALONG   
THE PATH OF THE TORNADO WAS NOTED. SEVERAL HOMES IN THE PATH OF THE   
TORNADO SUSTAINED DAMAGE AS THE TORNADO MOVES EAST. A BARN WAS   
DESTROYED NEAR CR 700 E AND ROBBINS ROAD. MULTIPLE CENTER PIVOTS   
WERE FLIPPED IN CORN FIELDS.   

TORNADO #11 - STARKE/MARSHALL COUNTIES  
  
RATING:                 EF-1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    110 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  4.9 MILES  
MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: EST. 400 YARDS   
FATALITIES: NONE  
INJURIES: NONE  
  
START DATE:              JUL 01 2014   
TIME:                    EST. 1229 AM EDT  
START LOCATION:          2 W OF KOONTZ LAKE, IN   
START LAT/LON:           41.4187 / -86.5304   
  
END DATE:                JUL 01 2014  
END TIME:                EST. 1233 AM EDT  
END LOCATION:            3 ENE OF KOONTZ LAKE, IN  
END LAT/LON:             41.4384 / -86.4407  
  
SURVEY SUMMARY: A STRONG EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF CR   
850 E AND JUST NORTH OF CR 800 N IN STARKE COUNTY. AS THE TORNADO   
MOVED ENE IT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO HARDWOOD TREES...ESPECIALLY   
NORTH OF KOONTZ LAKE ALONG THE STARKE/MARSHALL COUNTY LINE. MINOR   
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO SEVERAL HOMES NEAR THE END OF THE   
TORNADO. THE TORNADO LIFTED IN A GROVE OF TREES JUST EAST OF UNION   
ROAD.   

NWS Confirms Tornadoes In Marshall County

NWS Northern Indiana has confirmed two additional tornadoes from July 1, both of which occurred in Marshall county. 

TORNADO #3 - MARSHALL COUNTY  
  
RATING:                 EF-1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    105 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  APPROX 7 MILES  
MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: EST. 150 YARDS   
FATALITIES: NONE  
INJURIES: NONE  
  
START DATE:              JUL 01 2014   
TIME:                    EST. 1235 AM EDT  
START LOCATION:          1 MI S OF DONALDSON, IN   
START LAT/LON:           41.346 / -86.4435   
  
END DATE:                JUL 01 2014  
END TIME:                EST. 1242 AM EDT  
END LOCATION:            1 MI N OF PLYMOUTH, IN   
END LAT/LON:             41.361 / -86.3138  
  
SURVEY SUMMARY: AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST SOUTH OF DONALDSON   
WHERE IT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO HARDWOOD TREES. THE TORNADO   
MOVED EAST AND HEAVILY DAMAGED A FARM ON SYCAMORE ROAD JUST SOUTH OF   
THE RAILROAD TRACKS. EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE CONTINUED TO THE   
EAST/NORTHEAST INTO THE TOWN OF PLYMOUTH TO THE LEAR CORPORATION   
WHERE MULTIPLE TREES WERE SNAPPED AND TOPPED. AN EMPTY SEMI TRAILER   
WAS FLIPPED. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NE WITH WIDESPREAD MIXED   
HARDWOOD/SOFTWOOD TREE DAMAGE AND MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE   
BEHAVIOR SCIENCE BUILDING ON N OAK ROAD. THE TORNADO CAUSED PARTIAL   
UPLIFT OF THE NW SIDE OF THE ROOF AND COLLAPSED THE INTERIOR CINDER   
BLOCK WALL ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION GARAGE   
JUST SOUTH OF US 30 BEFORE LIFTING.   

TORNADO #4 - MARSHALL COUNTY  
  
RATING:                 EF-1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    95 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  APPROX 0.2 MILES  
MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: EST. 50 YARDS   
FATALITIES: NONE  
INJURIES: NONE  
  
START DATE:              JUL 01 2014   
TIME:                    EST. 1241 AM EDT  
START LOCATION:          2 MI NE OF PLYMOUTH, IN   
START LAT/LON:           41.361 / -86.2893   
  
END DATE:                JUL 01 2014  
END TIME:                EST. 1242 AM EDT  
END LOCATION:            2.2 MI NE OF PLYMOUTH, IN   
END LAT/LON:             41.3629 / -86.2875  
  
SURVEY SUMMARY: A BRIEF EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE   
INTERSECTION OF LILAC ROAD AND PLYMOUTH GOSHEN TRAIL JUST NE OF   
PLYMOUTH AROUND 1241 AM EDT. HARDWOOD TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED IN THIS   
LOCATION WITH SEVERAL UPROOTED TREES AND A SHED WAS FLATTENED. AS   
THE CIRCULATION MOVED NE IT SHIFTED A BARN OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND   
CAUSED WIDESPREAD SEVERE TREE DAMAGE IN A GROVE OF TREES BEFORE   
LIFTING IN A FIELD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TREE GROVE.   

April 11, 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak

Today marks the anniversary of the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak - not only one of the worst tornado events in U.S. history but also Indiana history.  In Indiana, 137 people were killed and nearly 2000 were injured as a series of violent tornadoes impacted the northern and central part of the state.

Although tornado records are more limited farther back in time, there are some data available for Indiana tornadoes going back approximately 200 years.  During that time, few events have even come close to competing with the 1965 outbreak in terms of fatalities, number of killer tornadoes and number of violent tornadoes.  The deadliest tornado outbreaks in Indiana history are as follows:

1.  April 11, 1965:  137

2.  March 18, 1925:  75 (actual number may be slightly higher)

3.  April 3, 1974:  47

# of killer tornadoes:

1.  April 3, 1974:  8
2.  April 11, 1965:  7
3.  June 30, 1877;  June 14, 1880;  April 17, 1922:  4


# of violent tornadoes (F4 or greater):

1.  April 3, 1974:  9
2.  April 11, 1965:  8
3.  June 2, 1990:  5


To put the April 11, 1965 Indiana death toll in perspective, more people were killed in less than 4 hours than in the entire 40 year period prior to that.  The outbreak is also responsible for slightly more than half of our tornado deaths from 1950-2012.

In all, ten tornadoes were confirmed in Indiana.  The first tornado touched down around 5:45 PM in Starke county.  It moved from 3 miles southwest of Hamlet, passed across Koontz Lake and ended about 5 miles south of Elkhart.  Numerous homes and cottages were destroyed.

The second tornado touched down in St. Joseph county about 5 miles southwest of Wakarusa.  The tornado developed a double funnel structure as it crossed US 33 between Elkhart and Goshen.  Numerous deaths occurred at the Midway Trailer Court as many trailers were destroyed.  Additional deaths occurred in the Middlebury area as homes were leveled and swept away.  Elkhart Truth reporter Paul Huffman took a series of photographs, unknowingly capturing what would become the iconic image of this outbreak (the double funnel) and perhaps one of the most spectacular tornado photographs ever taken.  Huffman was standing in the shoulder of US 33 when the famous picture was shot.






Click For Larger Image




The third tornado affected Porter and La Porte counties, moving from Morgan Township to just beyond South Center.  Homes were heavily damaged southwest of Wanatah.  Other homes and barns were destroyed south of Kingsford Heights. 

The fourth tornado touched down southeast of Goshen in Elkhart county and ended near Brighton.  Most of the deaths occurred in the Rainbow Lake and Shore areas, where intensity was near F5.

The fifth tornado touched down in northwest Steuben county before moving into Michigan.  All of the deaths and most of the damage occurred in Michigan.

The sixth tornado, the first of the day to impact central Indiana, occurred in Tippecanoe and Clinton counties.  This tornado is often listed as touching down southeast of Lafayette but tornado damage may have started as far west as Odell.  A few homes were leveled at Mulberry and Moran with the worst damage occurring in Clinton county.

The seventh tornado touched down south of South Bend, passing through parts of St. Joseph, Elkhart and LaGrange counties.  Many people were killed at Dunlap as the Sunnyside and Kingston Heights housing developments were devastated.

The eighth tornado touched down in Montgomery county southeast of Crawfordsville.  This tornado affected parts of three counties - Montgomery, Boone and Hamilton.  The funnel cut a mile wide swath north of Lebanon, destroying dozens of homes and killing several people.  Additional deaths occurred around Sheridan before the tornado dissipated south of Arcadia.

The ninth tornado of the day touched down just southwest of Russiaville, heavily damaging much of that town.  Near Alto and Kokomo, the funnel widened to about 1 mile and destroyed dozens of homes.   Additional homes were leveled along the track before the tornado finally dissipated in Grant county north of Arcana.   


The tenth and final tornado to impact Indiana touched down in Blackford county near the town of Roll.  Heavy damage occurred in Wells county near Keystone and near Linn Grove in Adams county.  The tornado then moved into Ohio.

Map of Tornado Tracks



Tornado narratives and pre-1950 data obtained from:
Thomas P. Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 (Environmental Films, 1993).

























October 24, 2001 Tornado Outbreak

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the October 24, 2001 tornado outbreak.  This event produced 9 tornadoes in the state, killing 2 and injuring 19.

The first tornado, rated EF0, touched down in northern Warren county at 2:46 PM local time.  It was tracked by storm spotters and was on the ground for approximately one tenth of a mile and caused no damage.

The first in a series of several tornadoes to strike the northern part of the state struck La Porte county around 3:15 PM.  This twister sliced across the county from southwest to northeast and was up to a mile wide.  One woman was killed when her mobile home was destroyed. 

The next tornado touched down just southwest of Crumstown in St. Joseph county and moved northeast.  The most significant damage was across Crumstown, where EF3 damage with a path width up to 3/4 mile occurred. The tornado then moved to near the Michiana Regional Airport and across the Indiana Toll Road.  Two men were injured northwest of South Bend. One man later died from his injuries. 

Another tornado, an EF2 up to three quarters of a mile wide, touched down southeast of Mishawaka.  A separate EF1 tornado touched down about 4 miles northwest of Osceola.

An EF1 tornado touched down in extreme southeastern Marshall county and moved northeast across Kosciusko county and into Noble county where the tornado dissipated near Rome City.  The worst damage was north of Warsaw where 14 people were hurt at a factory when a wall collapsed.

The last tornado to strike northern Indiana touched down in Noble county east of Kendallville.  It produced some damage to homes and warehouses in and near the Kendallville East Industrial park.  The tornado then moved northeast into Dekalb county where EF2 damage occurred around Fairfield Center with significant damage to homes. Then tornado moved southeast of Ashley and then moved into Steuben county doing damage to a barn before lifting north of Steubenville.

Two other tornadoes hit southern Indiana.  An EF0 briefly touched down in Petersburg.  Two houses were unroofed and their windows were blown out.  Two car windshields were shattered by blowing debris.  Metal siding was deposited in power lines. The walls of two businesses were knocked down or cracked. 

The last tornado touched down at 5:29 PM.  It was an EF1 which struck northeast of Williams in Lawrence county, blowing off the roofs of 2 barns and a house.