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EspañolMARCH 2006 TORNADO OUTBREAK SEQUENCE
The 'March 2006 Tornado Outbreak Sequence' was an early season and long lasting tornado outbreak sequence in the central United States that started on the morning of March 9 and continued for over four days until the evening of March 13. The outbreak produced 105 confirmed tornadoes, making it one of the largest outbreaks in recent history. At least 13 deaths were blamed on the severe weather, 11 of them by tornadoes. The total damage by the severe weather was in excess of $1 billion.[1]
Meteorological synopsis
The period of active weather started with a major derecho event on March 9 across the South Central United States, that also included several tornadoes, although straight-line winds did most of the damage. Numerous injuries and at least two fatalities were reported, but mostly due to the thunderstorm winds. The two fatalities were as a result of a weather-related automobile accident and a fire started by lightning.[3] Tens of thousands of people also lost electricity throughout the region. [4]
Activity calmed down on March 10 with little severe weather reported, but picked up again the next day.
On the evening of March 11, 18 tornadoes developed across the region. One of them has flattened a mobile home park and left many people injured and at least 2 dead in Perry County, Missouri. Several other tornadoes have left heavy damage in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. The tornadoes were accompanied by very large hail, some as large as softballs.
More severe weather developed in the morning of March 12. The Kansas City Metropolitan Area was hardest hit, with significant wind and hail damage to many homes and businesses, but only two tornadoes in the far northwestern part of the area. [5] Significant damage was also reported at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and at the Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park. Numerous airplanes also flipped over at the Kansas City Downtown Airport. [6]
March 12 would be the most prolific day of the outbreak, and one of the most active days in recent history, with at least 62 confirmed tornado touchdowns. In addition, microburst winds exceeding 90 mph (145 km/h) and hail as large as softballs have been reported. Several major tornadoes were reported in Missouri (along Interstate 70 near Columbia MO-there was also an F4 tornado to the north/northeast of Columbia and just to the north of the St. Louis Viewing Area. Pike County Missouri (to the north of St. Louis) also had a tornado as well as central Illinois, leaving significant destruction along their paths.
One supercell thunderstorm produced many of the tornadoes of the day, tracking from northern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas in the morning, across Missouri during the afternoon and early evening, across Illinois during the mid to late evening, into Indiana during the late evening, before finally losing severe characteristics in Michigan nearly 800 miles (1290 km) and more than 17.5 hours after it first formed. This is the longest path and duration supercell on record. The city of Springfield, Illinois saw two strong tornadoes track directly through the city from this storm. It also did damage near Sedalia, Columbia, and Mexico, Missouri. The strongest tornado, spawned by a different supercell, was a rare double tornado rated F4, but fortunately it remained in rural countryside.
Fifteen more tornadoes - all of them weak - were reported on March 13 in Alabama and Mississippi before the system finally weakened and the severe weather came to an end.
Confirmed tornadoes
March 9 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Thursday, March 9, 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'Arkansas' | ||||||
| 'F1' | 'SE of Scott' | Lonoke | 1140 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Damage was reported to several houses, including a recreational vehicle used as a home. Numerous trees were also snapped. | |
| 'F2' | 'Morton area' | Cross, Woodruff | 1250 | 8 miles (12.5 km) | Significant damage was reported to 18 houses, a church, several outbuildings and motor vehicles. Many trees and some power lines were snapped. Four people were injured in the tornado. | |
| 'F0' | 'SW of Lockesburg' | Sevier | 1333 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Damage limited to a few trees uprooted or broken. | |
| 'F1' | 'Center Point area' | Howard, Pike | 1355 | 11 miles (17 km) | Scores of trees were snapped or uprooted. Minor damage to two houses. | |
| 'F1' | 'Kirby to Glenwood' | Pike | 1414 | 8 miles (13 km) | Affected a local elementary school, just missing the school building. Damage was reported to the school yard. Heavy damage was also reported to several barns, and lighter damage to several houses. | |
| 'Mississippi' | ||||||
| 'F1' | 'Sardis' | Panola | 1738 | 100 yd (90 m) | 10 to 15 houses were damaged, some of them seriously. Several businesses were also damaged in the village. | |
| 'F0' | 'Liberty' | Amite | 2105 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| 'Missouri' | ||||||
| 'F1' | 'Dexter' | Stoddard | 2334 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado touched down in a commercial area, damaging several businesses, a church and two houses. | |
| Sources: Memphis office, Little Rock office, National Climatic Data Center | ||||||
March 11 event
Note that many of these tornadoes occurred in the late evening of March 11 in Central Standard Time; the UTC time after 0600 is on March 12.
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Saturday, March 11, 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'F0' | 'Gretna' | Taney | 2235 | unknown | Broken track tornado with damage to trees and power lines; one tree fell onto a house. | |
| 'F0' | 'NE of Forsyth' | Taney | 2308 | 300 yd (270 m) | Damage limited to trees and power lines. | |
| 'F0' | 'S of Mountain Grove' | Douglas | 2352 | 200 yd (175 m) | Damage was reported to several houses, including a mobile home which was flipped over. Trees were also damaged. | |
| 'F0' | 'SE of Rolla' | Phelps | 0205 | 50 yd (45 m) | Damage limited to trees and power lines. Tornado tracked by the Deputy Sheriff. | |
| 'F2' | 'Chloride area' | Reynolds, Iron, Madison | 0231 | 26 miles (42 km) | Long track tornado that caused roof damage to several houses. Many trees and power lines were knocked down. | |
| 'F1' | 'E of Oak Grove' | Madison | 0248 | 0.9 miles (1.5 km) | Several trees were uprooted but no buildings were affected. | |
| 'F1' | 'N of Fredericktown' | Madison, St. Francois, Sainte Genevieve | 0254 | 8.5 miles (14 km) | Several buildings, including a mobile home, were damaged. Many trees were also snapped or uprooted. | |
| 'F0' | 'SE of Festus' | Jefferson | 0340 | 0.1 mile (200 m) | Damage limited to a few trees along its very short and narrow path. | |
| 'F3' | 'Selma Village area' | Jefferson, Monroe (IL) | 0342 | 4.8 miles (7.8 km) | Touched down along Interstate 55 then continued into a subdivision, destroying several houses and knocking down power transmission towers before crossing the Mississippi River. One person was injured. | |
| 'F3' | 'St. Mary area' | Ste. Genevieve, Perry, Randolph (IL), Perry (IL) | 0342 | 54 miles (87 km) | '2 deaths' - A large tornado was sighted on the ground with a very long track that crossed the Mississippi River. Major structural damage and power lines down, plus several mobile homes were completely flattened. 2 were killed in a car that flipped into a propane tank. Several other people were injured. [7] | |
| 'Illinois' | ||||||
| 'F0' | 'E of Independence' | Pike | 2115 | 100 yd (90 m) | Damage was minimal and limited to a few trees. | |
| 'F0' | 'Milton' | Pike | 2120 | 100 yd (90 m) | Minor damage reported to one house, plus numerous trees. | |
| 'F1' | 'Fults' | Monroe | 0346 | 2.4 miles (3.9 km) | The roof of the local post office was damaged. Other buildings have varying degree of damage and many trees and power lines are down. | |
| 'F1' | 'SW of Wayne City' | Wayne | 0555 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Damage was reported to several buildings, including several barns, a school building and several houses. Many trees fell, which caused some of the damage. | |
| 'Arkansas' | ||||||
| 'F0' | 'Ozark' | Franklin | 0344 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown. No damage reported. | |
| 'F1' | 'Cozahome' | Searcy | 0545 | 0.8 mile (1.3 km) | Roof damage removed from two barns. Several trees were also snapped. | |
| 'F0' | 'Byron' | Fulton | 0640 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Damage limited to some trees. | |
| 'Oklahoma' | ||||||
| 'F1' | 'Shady Point' | Le Flore | 0612 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Significant damage reported to several farms and houses and several outbuildings were destroyed. Many trees and power lines were damaged as well. Tornado reported at the end of a bow echo. | |
| Sources: Storm Reports 03/11, Paducah office, Little Rock office, St. Louis office, Sam's Weather, National Climatic Data Center | ||||||
March 12 event
Note that some of these tornadoes occurred overnight into March 13, however they were part of the same continuous outbreak.
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Sunday, March 12, 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'Illinois'. | ||||||
| 'F0' | 'SW of Boaz' | Massac | 1131 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado developed at the end of a path of wind damage. Two barns were destroyed, a mobile home was damaged and numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. | |
| 'F2' | 'Springfield, IL area' (1st tornado) | Pike, Greene, Scott, Morgan, Sangamon | 0104 | 66 miles (105 km) | ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'F1' | 'Barrow' | Scott | 0120 | 3.5 miles (5.5 km) | Related to the first Springfield, IL tornado. Considerable damage in Barrow, where two mobile homes were destroyed and several other houses were damaged. Numerous farm buildings were also destroyed. Two people were injured. | |
| 'F1' | 'NW of Barrow' | Scott, Greene | 0122 | 2 miles (3 km) | Related to the first Springfield, IL tornado. Several more farm buildings were destroyed and one house suffered minor damage. | |
| 'F1' | 'W of Manchester' | Scott, Morgan | 0129 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Related to the first Springfield, IL tornado. Minor damage reported; difficult to distinguish from the main tornado. | |
| 'F1' | 'NE of Franklin' | Morgan, Sangamon | 0158 | 11.5 miles (19 km) | Related to the first Springfield, IL tornado which tracked behind it. Several farm buildings were damaged, along with trees and power lines. | |
| 'F2' | 'Springfield, IL' (2nd tornado) | Sangamon | 0225 | 4 miles (6.5 km) | ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'F2' | 'N of Buffalo' | Sangamon | 0245 | 12.5 miles (21 km) | Split off the second Springfield, IL tornado. Significant damage was reported to several houses, and several farm buildings were destroyed. | |
| 'F2' | 'SW of Mount Pulaski' | Logan | 0257 | 2.5 miles (4 km) | Related to the Springfield, IL tornadoes. Damage was reported to numerous trees and power lines and several houses. In addition, a 400 foot (125 m) tall microwave tower collapsed. | |
| 'F2' | 'S of Mount Pulaski' | Logan | 0302 | 3.5 miles (5.5 km) | Several more houses were damaged, along with three steel power transmission towers. | |
| 'F1' | 'Latham area' | Logan, Macon | 0303 | 10 miles (16 km) | Numerous trees were blown down and several outbuildings were destroyed. | |
| 'F1' | 'Maroa area' | Macon, De Witt | 0316 | 8 miles (12.5 km) | Tornado damaged numerous trees, but also remained in mostly rural countryside. | |
| 'F0' | 'W of Paxton' | Ford | 0500 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Tornado confirmed in survey amidst larger damage from stronger microbursts. Related to the Springfield, IL tornadoes. | |
| 'Kansas' | ||||||
| 'F0' | 'Reno' | Leavenworth | 1425 | unknown | Some structural damage was reported in the area and corn stalks fell from the sky. | |
| 'F0' | 'La Cygne area' | Linn, Bates (MO) | 2020 | 22 miles (35 km) | Long track tornado with damage to several buildings and many trees. | |
| 'Missouri' | ||||||
| 'F1' | 'Sibley' | Jackson, Ray | 1512 | unknown | Damage was reported to trees and power lines. | |
| 'F0' | 'Carrollton' | Carroll | 1550 | unknown | Numerous trees were uprooted and at least one mobile home was destroyed along its long path. | |
| 'F0' | 'NW of Huntsville' | Randolph | 1646 | unknown | Tornado reported on the ground by local highway patrol at the Highway O and C intersection. | |
| 'F0' | 'N of Madison' | Monroe | 1657 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with damage limited to a few trees. | |
| 'F0' | 'S of Hassard' | Ralls | 1725 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown in an open field. One outbuilding was damaged. | |
| 'F0' | 'NE of La Monte' | Pettis, Cooper | 2150 | 28 miles (45 km) | Long damage track to trees. Tornado crossed Interstate 70 blowing over a tractor trailer. No buildings were damaged. | |
| 'F1' | 'E of Calhoun' | Henry, Pettis | 2150 | 8 miles (12.5 km) | Initially thought to have been the same tornado that went through Sedalia. A few homes and barns were damaged. | |
| 'F1' | 'W of Ionia' | Henry, Benton, Pettis | 2205 | 5 miles (8 km) | Damage included uprooted trees, snapped power lines and minor to moderate damage to several homes and barns. | |
| 'F0' | 'W of Nelson' | Saline | 2210 | unknown | ||
| 'F2' | 'Sedalia area' | Pettis | 2212 | 11 miles (17 km) | '1 death' - Tornado sighted according to KOMU-TV coverage. Tornado was over 1/2 mile (800 m) wide. Severe damage in Sedalia, especially to mobile homes. A state of emergency was declared in Pettis County. | |
| 'F1' | 'W of Syracuse' | Morgan | 2225 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | One house and several trees were damaged. | |
| 'F0' | 'W of Otterville' | Cooper | 2230 | unknown | Initially thought to have been the same tornado that went through Sedalia. No damage reported. | |
| 'F0' | 'SW of Fayette' | Howard | 2233 | unknown | No damage reported. Tornado remained in rural areas. | |
| 'F0' | 'SW of Molino' | Audrain | 2325 | 6 miles (9.5 km) | Tornado touched down at Highway T and County Road 377, damagin a barn, a grain bin and several outbuildings along its path. | |
| 'F0' | 'W of New Hartford' | Pike | 0027 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | Damage limited to a few trees. | |
| 'F1' | 'W of Ashley' | Pike | 0030 | 5 miles (8 km) | Considerable damage to several farms along Highway 161. Trees and power lines were also downed. | |
| 'F0' | 'S of Ashley' | Pike | 0035 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | One grain bin was thrown onto Highway 161, and many trees were damaged. | |
| 'F2' | 'Urich area' | Bates, Cass, Henry | 0152 | 26 miles (42 km) | '1 death' - A tornado destroyed a house in the area, killing an occupant. | |
| 'F0' | 'NE of Warrensburg' | Johnson, Pettis | 0154 | unknown | Initially thought to have been the same tornado that went near Arrow Rock. No significant damage. | |
| 'F2' | 'S of Warrensburg' | Pettis, Saline | 0207 | 20 miles (32 km) | Initially thought to have been the same tornado that went near Arrow Rock. Numerous roofs were removed from houses and a church was destroyed. Many cars were flipped on Interstate 70 and six injuries were reported. | |
| 'F3' | 'Arrow Rock area' | Saline, Howard | 0228 | 35 miles (56 km) | An off-duty NWS employee reported a large tornado was reported on the ground at the Whiteman Air Force Base according to KOMU-TV coverage. Tornado reported to be up to 1/2 mile (800 m) wide. Major structural damage to several farmsteads but otherwise remained in rural countryside. | |
| 'F0' | 'NW of Arrow Rock' | Saline, Howard | 0238 | 6 miles (9.5 km) | Small tornado that combined with the larger F3 tornado in the area. | |
| 'F2' | 'SW of La Monte' | Johnson, Pettis | 0240 | 13 miles (21 km) | Several houses suffered significant damage. | |
| 'F2' | 'NE of Arrow Rock' | Howard | 0245 | unknown | ||
| 'F2' | 'El Dorado Springs area' | Vernon, Cedar, St. Clair | 0247 | 38 miles (61 km) | '1 death' - Long tracked tornado through three counties. Extensive damage along its path which passed through Sheldon, Montevallo, Virgil City and Cedar Springs. Many homes were destroyed and at one person was killed and five other people were injured in a mobile home park. | |
| 'F0' | 'S of Arbela' | Scotland, Clark | 0302 | 7 miles (11 km) | Minor damage to a farm house and to some trees. | |
| 'F3' | 'Moberly area' | Randolph, Monroe | 0318 | 20 miles (32 km) | '4 deaths' - Severe damage was reported all through the county. Many mobile homes were flattened and numerous other houses were destroyed. 13 injuries were reported.[8] In addition, a school bus was overturned, injuring 13 college students. | |
| 'F0' | 'Stockton Lake area' | Barton, Dade, Cedar, Polk, Hickory | 0318 | 40 miles (64 km) | Long, intermittent tornado track. Damage limited to trees but along a very long swath. | |
| 'F1' | 'SE of Seneca' | Newton | 0322 | 7 miles (11 km) | 40 structures were damaged, including a turkey farm, killing over 200 turkeys. | |
| 'F4' | 'Monroe City area' | Randolph, Monroe | 0333 | 25 miles (40 km) | Confirmed to be a double tornado similar to a famous one in 1965. Numerous houses were destroyed or flattened. One church suffered severe damage, trapping people inside before they were rescued. No injuries were reported. Strongest tornado of the outbreak and tied for the strongest of 2006 so far. | |
| 'F0' | 'Neosho' | Newton | 0345 | 0.1 mile (200 m) | Brief tornado touchdown reported along US 71. Tornado related to Seneca one above. | |
| 'F3' | 'Springfield, MO area' | Lawrence, Christian, Greene | 0400 | 40 miles (64 km) | '2 deaths' - ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'F2' | 'Gravois Mills area' | Morgan | 0415 | 6 miles (10 km) | Severe damage reported in Gravois Mills and the Lake of the Ozarks area according to local emergency management agencies, particularly to mobile homes. A total of 20 houses were destroyed. Five injuries were reported. | |
| 'F3' | 'Pittsburg area' | Hickory | 0417 | unknown | Heavy damage to Carsons Corner. At least 20 houses, a church, many boats and outbuildings and several business buildings were destroyed and a golf course sustained severe damage. At least 19 injuries were reported. | |
| 'F2' | 'Fordland area' | Webster | 0505 | 8 miles (13 km) | Significant damage was reported, mostly to trees and barns, but also two mobile homes were destroyed with debris scattered throughout the area. Tornado related to Springfield, MO tornado. | |
| 'F3' | 'Hartville area' | Webster, Wright, Laclede | 0515 | 31 miles (50 km) | Very large tornado over 1/2 mile (800 m) wide at times. Hundreds of trees were uprooted, and many barns and outbuildings were destroyed. One house and a mobile home were also destroyed along the track. Tornado related to Springfield, MO and Fordland tornadoes. | |
| 'F0' | 'NW of Cole Camp' | Benton | 0525 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A few barns and outbuildings were damaged. | |
| 'F2' | 'Fulton area' | Callaway | 0530 | 13 miles (22 km) | Damage was reported to at least two houses, several barns and outbuildings. In addition, many trees were knocked down. Two people were injured in the tornado. | |
| 'F0' | 'Florence' | Morgan | 0531 | 6 miles (9.5 km) | Only minor tree damage reported from the tornado. | |
| 'F1' | 'Chamois' | Callaway, Osage | 0535 | 17 miles (28 km) | Damage was reported to at least two houses, including a mobile home. Several sheds and outbuildings were also destroyed. | |
| 'F0' | 'Portland area' | Osage, Callaway, Montgomery | 0543 | 6 miles (10 km) | Overall damage minor; limited to trees, power lines and a few outbuildings. | |
| 'F3' | 'Jonesburg area' | Montgomery, Warren | 0600 | 6 miles (10 km) | Several houses and business buildings were destroyed, including three mobile homes. Numerous sheds and outbuildings were also destroyed. Several more buildings suffered varying degrees of damage. One person was injured in the tornado. | |
| 'F2' | 'Guthrie area' | Callaway | 0630 | 6 miles (9.5 km) | Several houses and barns suffered heavy damage. Two people were injured. | |
| 'F3' | 'Silex area' | Montgomery, Lincoln, Pike, Calhoun (IL) | 0720 | 37 miles (60 km) | Considerable destruction reported in the area from a long-tracked tornado. Several homes and businesses were destroyed and many more damaged. One person was injured. | |
| 'F1' | 'E of Millwood' | Lincoln | 0736 | unknown | A barn and two grain bins were destroyed, and several roofs were thrown off of houses. | |
| 'Oklahoma' | ||||||
| 'F3' | 'Twin Oaks area' | Cherokee, Delaware | 0305 | 27 miles (44 km) | 67 homes and 5 businesses were heavily damaged (36 homes were destroyed) and numerous trees and power lines fell. In addition, numerous cars were blown off the Cherokee Turnpike. 8 people were injured. | |
| 'Arkansas' | ||||||
| 'F3' | 'Centerton area' | Benton | 0349 | 15 miles (24 km) | 150 homes were damaged - at least 40 of which were destroyed. 12 people were injured. | |
| 'F2' | 'Bentonville area' | Benton | 0349 | 5 miles (8 km) | 125 homes were damaged or destroyed. | |
| 'F1' | 'N of Urbanette' | Carroll, Stone (MO) | 0457 | 6 miles (10 km) | Remained over mostly rural countryside, knocking down many trees. Damage to buildings minor. | |
| Sources: Storm Reports 03/12, Springfield (MO) office, Pleasant Hill/Kansas City office, Tulsa office, St. Louis office, Lincoln office, Sam's Weather, National Climatic Data Center | ||||||
March 13 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Monday, March 13, 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'Mississippi' | ||||||
| 'F0' | 'NE of Winona' | Montgomery | 1950 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Damage limited to downed trees. | |
| 'F0' | 'NW of Walthall' | Webster | 2018 | unknown | Tornado sighted on the ground near Legion Lake, according to WTOK-TV. | |
| 'F0' | 'N of Clarkston' | Webster | 2026 | unknown | Tornado touchdown spotted by the local sheriff. Minor damage reported to one house. | |
| 'F0' | 'NW of West Point' | Clay | 2140 | unknown | Large tornado confirmed by visual evidence in the area, stopping traffic along US 45. However, it remained in rural countryside and did no damage. | |
| 'Alabama' | ||||||
| 'F0' | 'Kennedy' | Lamar | 2206 | 0.25 mile (400 m) | Damage was reported to several structures along Highway 17, including two barn roofs. | |
| 'F0' | 'N of Fayette' | Fayette | 2245 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | One mobile home was destroyed and several houses were damaged. | |
| 'F1' | 'E of Winfield' | Fayette | 2254 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Numerous trees were uprooted but no structures were damaged. | |
| 'F0' | 'S of Kennedy' | Lamar | 2315 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Minor damage reported to several mobile homes. | |
| 'F1' | 'Curry' | Walker | 2336 | 0.2 mile (300 m) | Numerous trees were blown down on the south shore of Lewis Smith Lake. Two barns also suffered heavy damage. | |
| 'F0' | 'Newtonville' | Tuscaloosa, Fayette | 2343 | 3.4 miles (5.5 km) | Tornado confirmed by storm spotters; minimal tree damage. | |
| 'F0' | 'N of Hayden' | Cullman, Blount | 2354 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Intermittent tornado touchdown, lifting several times. Debris visible when it crossed Interstate 65 at Exit 291. Minor overall damage, mostly to trees. | |
| 'F0' | 'N of Samantha' | Tuscaloosa | 2354 | 0.1 mile (150 m) | Damage was reported to have been minimal; tornado confirmed by storm spotters. | |
| 'F0' | 'Hanceville' (1st tornado) | Cullman | 0045 | unknown | One of three separate touchdowns in the community. A few trees were damaged. | |
| 'F0' | 'Hanceville' (2nd tornado) | Cullman | 0047 | unknown | The second of three separate touchdowns in the community. Additional tree damage reported. | |
| 'F0' | 'Hanceville' (3rd tornado) | Cullman | 0045 | unknown | The third of three separate touchdowns in the community. Additional tree damage farther to the east. Final tornado of the outbreak. | |
| Sources: Storm Reports 03/13, Birmingham office, Huntsville office, Sam's Weather, National Climatic Data Center | ||||||
Springfield, Illinois tornadoes
Damage on Wheeler Avenue in south Springfield, Illinois.
The longest-lasting series of tornadoes in the outbreak formed at about 7:30 p.m. CST (0130 UTC) near Winchester. The system lasted for several hours and left an unusually long trail of damage according to the National Weather Service.
The tornadic system was reported as a large wedge tornado and was first spotted in southeastern Pike County, Illinois. Some of the communities affected in the first phase include Manchester, Murrayville, Franklin, New Berlin and Curran before approaching Springfield. Damage was reported all along its 70 mile path.
The tornado then tracked into the south end of Springfield and dissipated in the city, only to be replaced by a second tornado before exiting the city. The hardest hit areas were in the commercial area around White Oaks Mall and along Veterans Parkway, a major arterial road in southwest Springfield. On other evenings, the area would be heavily crowded, but fortunately there were few people around as it was Sunday evening and most businesses were closed at the time. The hardest hit residential areas were roughly along and about 1/2 mile (800 m) on either side of a diagonal line from the Veterans Parkway / I-72 interchange (Exit 93) to the I-55 / I-72 / Clear Lake Avenue cloverleaf (I-55 Exit 98).
Some of the damage include many trees and power lines down, plus many buildings have suffered damage of unknown degree, such as windows being blown out of many buildings and roofs collapsed in a commercial area, including several retail stores being destroyed. Part of the roof was peeled at the Illinois Department of Transportation building. [9]
The historic buildings of downtown, including the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, were spared damage as the tornadoes' track passed through neighborhoods and suburbs on the south side of the city.
WTAX-AM and WDBR-FM were knocked off the air after the tornado toppled the main signal tower. Some localized looting was reported in the damaged area after the tornado hit. It has been described by Mayor Timothy Davlin as the worst damage ever seen in the city. More than 1,000 buildings in the Springfield area were damaged or destroyed incurring an estimated $150 million in damages.
The system continued on well east and north through central Illinois, touching down many times. It then affected communities such as Clear Lake, Dawson (those areas as separate 'F2' tornadoes), Latham, Maroa, Weldon, Farmer City (all of them had touchdowns by 'F1' tornadoes) and Paxton (where an 'F0' tornado touched down) before finally lifting for the final time close to the Indiana state line. A grain elevator was thrown onto I-72 near Dawson. Both Springfield tornadoes were just over 0.5 mile (0.8 km) wide at their maximum and were rated F2.
It did miss Decatur and Champaign-Urbana.
There were at least 24 people reported to have been injured, although no fatalities have been reported. Damage in the Springfield area was estimated to be approximately $150 million.
It was later confirmed that they were multiple tornadoes within the same cell; two affected Springfield, both being 'F2'.
★ State Journal-Register special section on the tornado
★ NWS Lincoln office site for the tornado
Southwestern Missouri tornadoes
| 'State' | 'Total' | 'County' | 'County total' | 'Tornado related' |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | '1' | Little River | 1 | 0 |
| Missouri | '11' | Cedar | 1 | 1 |
| Henry | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lawrence | 2 | 2 | ||
| Pettis | 1 | 1 | ||
| Randolph | 4 | 4 | ||
| Ste. Genevieve | 2 | 2 | ||
| Tennessee | '1' | Shelby | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | '13' | '11' | ||
A very large and intense tornado formed at about 10:40 p.m. CST (0440 UTC) in central Lawrence County. It was confirmed to have tracked through three counties and was an 'F3' tornado.
The tornado tracked just to the south of Springfield, Missouri. The first community affected was Marionville, where two people were killed. Several houses there were reported to have been destroyed, and a trailer was found in the middle of US Highway 60. Electricity was cut in the community.
The tornado then tracked near Billings, Nixa and Clever. All three communities suffered very severe damage, with at least 40 houses destroyed and many more damaged. Two public shelters were opened after the tornadoes hit. The tornado went through south Springfield before tracking eastward. Enormous damage was reported in with at least 40 houses destroyed and two public shelters opened. The destructive path continued across the southern fringe of Springfield.
The tornado lifted just west of the Webster County boundary, although a new tornado formed shortly thereafter. The path length was 40 miles (64 km) and it was on the ground for about 50 minutes. The new tornado spawned in Wright County where it touched down and was on the ground from the area of East Hartville into Grovespring, where it damaged a few homes, farm equipment, and garages. The tornadoes in Wright County were rated as 'F2' and 'F3' on the Fujita Scale.
Damage from the tornadoes was estimated at over $60 million in the region.[10]
Nontornadic events
Quad Cities Area
Extremely strong winds were recorded throughout northwestern Illinois and eastern Iowa. A record wind gust of 107 mph (172 km/h) was recorded at the Quad Cities Airport in Moline. The wind measurement was verified with backup equipment from the FAA after the main instrument failed.
The winds, which were equivalent to a strong Category 2 hurricane, caused severe damage to numerous houses, along with countless trees and power lines. The damage was reported to have been caused by a microburst.
Northern Illinois
A microburst containing winds between 85 mph (137 km/h) and 100 mph (162 km/h) was reported in Bridgeview, a south suburb of Chicago. The microburst hit the area just after midnight on March 13, and may have been part of a supercell to hit the southern suburbs just before the thunderstorm complex exited the area at 3:00 a.m. CST. Roofs were ripped off apartments along a three block length, and seven garages were damaged or destroyed, according to the Chicago Tribune. [11] Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview (Illinois Route 43) in the vicinity of 77th Street was closed for four hours while debris was cleared from the road.
Flash flooding closed U.S. Route 45 around U.S. Route 30, but major flooding was not reported on any of the area highways during the rush hour. 15,000 customers were left without power as the thunderstorms passed. The number had been reduced to 2,000 by daybreak, but strong winds knocked a total of 17,000 customers offline as of midday Monday. [12]
Strong winds also forced the closure of parts of downtown Evanston when building material blew off a 29-story building, slightly injuring a construction worker. Four more construction workers were injured, one seriously, in Antioch when a roof being constructed for a new church collapsed due to the wind. A Wind Advisory was issued by the National Weather Service, indicating sustained winds of at least 30 mph (50 km/h) and gusts of up to 50 mph (80 km/h).
Eastern Illinois
Both Ford County, Illinois and Iroquois County, Illinois recorded damage due to microbursts. In Ford County along Illinois Route 9, power poles were snapped and damage to vehicles was recorded and attributed to a microburst which had winds between 85 mph (137 km/h) and 100 mph (162 km/h). In Iroquois County, most of a cattle building was blown into a field just west of Illinois Route 1 near Milford. This microburst had reported winds of 90 mph (145 km/h).
Damage around Crescent City and Interstate 57 in Iroquois County was likely caused by straight-line winds.
[13]
See also
★ List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
★ Tornadoes of 2006
References
1. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz.html
2. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz.html
3. http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060310/ap/d8g8gbuo1.html
4. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060309-2043-southernstorms.html
5. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14082566.htm
6. http://www.kctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4620142
7. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060312/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather
8. http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/c261de75-c0a8-2f11-0163-66f433d41528/f4462ab7-c0a8-2f11-001b-5e1fc6e61481
9. http://www.kbcitv.com/x51828.xml?URL=http://localhost/APWIREFEED/d8gaqjto0.xml&NewsSection=NationalHeadlines
10. http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~storms
11. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-060313chicagoweather,1,543036.story?coll=chi-news-hed
12. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-060313highwinds,0,3682991.story?coll=chi-newsbreaking-hed
13. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=lot&storyid=1821&source=0
External link
★ Storm Prediction Center
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