Tornado in Indiana, June 17, 1997

The tornado occurred in a densely populated suburban area called North Park, about 2 miles northwest of downtown Evansville. There were many witnesses, so the event was well documented by photographers and eyewitnesses. Although the tornado was unusual in the respect that it developed from a non-severe thunderstorm in a weakly sheared environment, it caused considerable damage in such a populated setting. A survey conducted by National Weather Service personnel determined the damage path was narrow, well defined, and highly convergent. Most of the damage was a result of trees falling on houses (at least a dozen) and causing roof damage and some structural damage. The neighborhood was 40 years old so most trees were full grown. A liquor store, bowling alley, and grocery store suffered primarily roof damage due to winds estimated near 100 MPH. About 2,800 people were without power for several hours. The tornado was well photographed by personnel at the Evansville Airport.