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🌪️ Tornado Talk Updates!

Good morning! Hope you have a wonderful week! Let’s start it off with some Tornado Talk updates!

I just made it back from a quick jaunt to Terre Haute, IN where I researched four tornadoes at the local library and history museum. My focus is to research tornadoes that have fatalities so I can gather information for the virtual tornado memorial.

One of the biggest events for the Terre Haute area was an F4 that occurred on Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913. One 5-block area of town was completely leveled. 21 deaths are attributed to the tornado. Following that, massive flooding set in and another 12 people were killed at Terre Haute. Below is the front page of The Terre Haute Tribune the day after the tornado.

Guin: We are hoping to button up any final revisions by the end of the month. If you are a monthly or yearly Patreon member, you have access to this detailed narrative series. We will be releasing a stand-alone digital version for purchase via the Patreon platform and will be turning this into an Kindle E-book as well. I hope to complete that in July/August.

🌪️ This Week In Tornado History

June 16, 2014 - Nebraska: On the afternoon of June 16, 2014, a supercell thunderstorm would produce 5 tornadoes, one rated EF-0 and four rated EF-4, across northeastern Nebraska. The town of Pilger was hardest hit when it took a direct strike from one of the EF-4 tornadoes. The third EF-4 tornado, also known as “Pilger East” was likely the strongest tornado of the outbreak, but fortunately remained in rural areas. The most remarkable thing about this outbreak was the “twins”. Tornadoes 2 and 3 (known as Pilger and Pilger East respectively) became two photogenic twins, at times moving around each other, and crossing paths. After tornado 3 dissipated, tornado 4 (Wakefield) and tornado 2 were twins for a short period of time.

June 17, 1915 - Kansas: An F4 tornado occurred in Pottawatomie County, KS. It had a seven mile path. Per Thomas Grazulis, it moved northwest and curved around the town of Onaga. It then turned to the southwest at the end of the path. Five were killed, all members of one family. Their home was destroyed SW of Onaga.

June 18, 2014 - South Dakota: An EF4 tornado tracked for 11.65 miles near Alpena, SD. A house was leveled, and a person in the basement was injured when debris fell into it. Trees were severely debarked.

June 19, 1981 - Kansas: An F3 tornado hit the SW side of Lawrence just after 6:30pm CT and moved southeast. The Storm Data Publication mentioned it briefly lifted and then set down again south of town. 22 homes were destroyed. A shopping center was hit and some of the smaller buildings were leveled.

June 20, 1890 - Illinois: An F4 tornado moved through portions of Lee and Dekalb Counties in Illinois. Farms were demolished near West Brooklyn and Compton. The Deacon Hunt school was leveled near Paw Paw. Many of the children had gone home but there were six there with a teacher. All were killed. There was a total of 13 deaths along the path.

June 21, 1893 - Kansas: An F4 tornado moved from one mile East of Perry, KS, passing four miles north of Williamstown. Six farm houses were leveled and swept away. Six members of one family were killed. Three young children in the family survived. A total of 11 people were killed along the path.

June 22, 2015 - Illinois: During the evening of June 22, 2015, twelve tornadoes rolled through parts of Northern Illinois. 10 of the 12 were produced by one supercell. The strongest was rated EF3 with maximum winds of 160mph. The heaviest damage was in the Coal City and Braidwood areas. Per the NWS Chicago, this was the strongest tornado to hit in Grundy County since an F3 on July 17, 1972. This twister also crossed the path of the Coal City and Diamond area tornado of November 17, 2013.

🌪️ In Loving Memory

The weather community lost a legend last week. Gary England, a pioneer in television meteorology passed away on June 10. He was 85 years old. From his obituary:

After beginning his career in New Orleans in 1967 as a meteorologist and oceanographer, Gary moved to Oklahoma City to join KTOK radio in 1971 and became known as the "Weather Wizard". In 1972, he started his 41-year career at KWTV where he soon became a leader in the technological revolution in the world of television meteorology. He influenced countless weather forecasters in radio, television, and government service with his cutting-edge technological advancements.  

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