[LeArc] NWS Statement regarding Springfield (FYI)

[Duane Whittingham]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
900 PM CST MON MAR 13 2006


...PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS...

AN ASSESSMENT TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN
SURVEYED THE DAMAGE FROM A TORNADO THAT STRUCK SPRINGFIELD DURING
THE EVENING OF SUNDAY MARCH 12. THE FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS...

THE FIRST TORNADO CROSSED INTERSTATE 72 NEAR MILE POST 92 AROUND 820
PM. IT ENTERED THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD NEAR COCKRELL LANE AND
CONSTITUTION...TRACKING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST. THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT
300 YARDS WIDE AND PRODUCED F2 DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BUSINESSES FROM
CONSTITUTION TO VETERANS PARKWAY AND LINDBERGH BLVD.

THE TORNADO WIDENED TO ABOUT 0.4 MILE WIDE AS IT CONTINUED TO TRACK TO
THE EAST NORTHEAST SOUTH OF WABASH AVENUE...BETWEEN VETERANS PARKWAY
AND CHATHAM ROAD. THE TORNADO WIDENED FURTHER...TO JUST OVER ONE
HALF MILE WIDE FROM THE VILLAGE OF JEROME TO WESTCHESTER BLVD. THE
DAMAGE WAS RATED AS F2 ALONG WABASH AVENUE BETWEEN CHATHAM ROAD AND
MACARTHUR BLVD.

THE TORNADO THEN WEAKENED SLIGHTLY...PRODUCING F1 DAMAGE...AS IT
TURNED TO THE NORTHEAST...NEARLY PARALLEL WITH THE NORFOLK AND
WESTERN RAILROAD TRACKS. THE DAMAGE PATH REMAINED NEARLY ONE HALF
MILE WIDE. THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO DECREASED TO ABOUT ONE QUARTER
MILE AS IT STRENGTHENED AGAIN...AND TURNED TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST
NEAR ILES PARK AND IN VICINITY OF OAK AND MYRTLE STREETS...BETWEEN
6TH AND 9TH STREETS. THE DAMAGE WAS RATED AS F2 IN THESE LOCATIONS
WITH ROOFS BLOWN OFF OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES AND GARAGES SEVERELY
DAMAGED. THIS TORNADO DISSIPATED JUST NORTH OF 9TH STREET AND SOUTH
GRAND AVENUE.

THIS FIRST TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND IN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD FOR
NEARLY 5.5 MILES...FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES BETWEEN 820 PM AND
826 PM. THE ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS WITH THIS F2 TORNADO WERE AROUND
120 MPH.

A SECOND TORNADO DEVELOPED AS THE FIRST TORNADO WAS DISSIPATING...
AROUND 825 PM. THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT ONE QUARTER MILE
NORTH OF THE BUNN PARK GOLF COURSE AND TRACKED TO THE NORTHEAST.
THE STRONGEST DAMAGE WAS BOUNDED BY 15TH STREET...CORNELL AVENUE...
SOUTH GRAND AVENUE...AND POPE AVENUE. SEVERAL HOMES HAD ROOFS TORN
OFF...WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO POWER POLES AND LINES...ALONG WITH
NUMEROUS DOWNED TREES. THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT 300 YARDS WIDE AND
WAS RATED AS AN F2.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS OLD ROCHESTER ROAD
...SINGER AVENUE...AND COOK STREET FROM WHITE CITY BLVD TO A BLOCK
EAST OF DIRKSEN PARKWAY. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED I-55 AT THE CLEAR
LAKE AVENUE INTERCHANGE...CAUSING DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES IN THE
AREA...AND OVERTURNING A SEMI TRUCK. THIS TORNADO DISSIPATED NEAR
OLD ROUTE 36...ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE
VILLAGE OF CLEAR LAKE.

THIS SECOND TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR NEARLY 4 MILES...FOR
APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES BETWEEN 825 PM AND 830 PM. THE ESTIMATED
WIND SPEEDS WITH THIS F2 TORNADO WERE ALSO AROUND 120 MPH.

INFORMATION REGARDING ADDITIONAL TORNADOES THAT OCCURRED IN SCOTT
COUNTY...MORGAN COUNTY...RURAL SANGAMON COUNTY...LOGAN COUNTY...AND
POSSIBLY MACON COUNTY...AND DE WITT COUNTY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE
WHEN SURVEYS ARE COMPLETED.


FUJITA SCALE

F0   40 MPH TO 72 MPH
F1   73 MPH TO 112 MPH
F2  113 MPH TO 157 MPH
F3  158 MPH TO 206 MPH
F4  207 MPH TO 260 MPH
F5  261 MPH TO 318 MPH


DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM MEMBERS

CHRIS MILLER    WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
CHRIS GEELHART  HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL TECHNICIAN
MIKE HARDIMAN   METEOROLOGIST
ED MARTIN       ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS ANALYST
BOB RESIDE      SPRINGFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT


$$

MILLER


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Duane Whittingham (N9SSN) - Producer
Tom and Darryl Radio Shows
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