Tornadoes in Illinois, November 17, 2013

A tornado touched down in far eastern Peoria County about 4 miles ENE of Mapleton at 10:52 AM CST. The tornado uprooted dozens of trees and snapped several power poles before crossing the Illinois River into Tazewell County at 10:53 AM CST.

This tornado crossed the Illinois River from Peoria County at 10:53 AM CST. It tracked through the northwest side of Pekin before lifting 2 miles northeast of Pekin at 10:54 AM CST. Approximately 179 houses and 6 businesses suffered major damage, while 182 houses experienced minor roof damage. In addition, 3 apartment buildings lost their roofs, a power substation had minor damage, and hundreds of cars were damaged. Ten people were injured.

A tornado touched down 2.4 miles SE of East Peoria at 10:59 AM CST, then tracked northeastward through parts of East Peoria and Washington before crossing the border into Woodford County at 11:12 AM CST. One man in Washington was killed by the tornado, one woman from Washington died 11 days later from multiple serious injuries sustained by the tornado, one man died six weeks later from injuries sustained by the tornado, and 121 people were injured.| |In East Peoria: 20 homes were destroyed, while 75 homes, 7 businesses, and 5 apartment buildings suffered major damage. Minor damage occurred to 137 homes and 3 businesses. In addition, nearly 400 vehicles were damaged, thousands of trees and numerous power poles were destroyed. The estimated damage in East Peoria stands at $110 million.

In Washington: The tornado increased to EF4 intensity and widened to between 1/4 and 1/2 mile wide. 633 homes, 7 businesses, 7 apartment buildings, and 2,500 vehicles were destroyed. Major damage occurred to 280 homes, 2 businesses, the roof of a school, and several outbuildings. Minor damage occurred to another 190 homes. Thousands of trees and power poles were snapped. Nearly 5,000 people were in the path of this tornado: however, injury and fatality totals were relatively low due to early warning and the fact that many people were either in church or out of town at the time. The tornado moved out of the Washington city limits and across another 2 miles of rural Tazewell County before crossing the border into Woodford County. Total damage in Washington is estimated at $800 million.

This tornado crossed the border from Tazewell County at 11:12 AM CST, then tracked northeastward across rural Woodford County before entering into far southern LaSalle County in National Weather Service Chicago's County Warning Area (CWA) at 11:33 AM CST. It weakened a bit to EF3 intensity but remained between 1/4 and 1/2 mile wide as it crossed into Woodford County. During much of its time in Woodford County, the tornado traveled across open fields, impacting dozens of farmsteads. Nearly 70 farm buildings and 7 homes were destroyed. Major damage occurred to 17 homes, while 23 others received minor damage. About 100 vehicles were damaged, including several semi trucks at a truck stop north of Minonk. Three people were injured in overturned semi trucks. One cell tower was toppled and hundreds of power poles and trees were snapped. Total damage from the tornado was estimated at $25 million.

A tornado touched down on the north side of Pana at 12:15 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before lifting 3.1 miles NNE of Pana at 12:18 PM CST. Several homes suffered roof damage near the intersection of Almond and Elm streets on the north side of Pana. Trees were blown down, damaging 3 cars. Numerous power lines were knocked down as well. The tornado moved NNE, damaging a house and destroying an outbuilding before dissipating in an open field.

A tornado touched down on the northwest side of West Liberty at 12:25 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before lifting 3.4 miles ENE of West Liberty at 12:29 PM CST. Roof and siding damage occurred to 12 homes, while the roof was completely torn off an older one-story house. A semi-truck was overturned and several trees were uprooted. A barn was destroyed and 2 sheds had their roofs torn off about 1 mile ENE of West Liberty before the tornado dissipated.

This tornado continued from Fayette County in National Weather Service St. Louis' County Warning Area (CWA). The tornado crossed into Effingham County 3.2 miles WNW of Altamont at 12:28 PM CST before tracking northeastward and dissipating 2.9 miles NNW of Altamont at 12:32 PM CST. About a dozen outbuildings were damaged and minor damage occurred to the roofs of 3 homes. Several power poles were blown down as well. The tornado dissipated near North 200th Street and East 1300th Avenue in rural Effingham County.

A tornado touched down in an open field about 3 miles NE of Lovington at 12:30 PM CST, then tracked northeastward and crossed into Douglas County about 5 miles north of Arthur at 12:37 PM CST. Major roof damage occurred to 8 homes, while 1 garage was destroyed and 17 outbuildings were severely damaged. Numerous trees and power poles were snapped.

This tornado crossed into Douglas County from Moultrie County about 5 miles north of Arthur at 12:37 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before lifting 0.8 miles east of Garrett at 12:41 PM CST. The tornado damaged the roofs of 3 homes and 5 outbuildings, as well as, numerous trees and power poles in rural western Douglas County. It then crossed U.S. Highway 36 and tracked into the town of Garrett where it damaged the roofs of about two dozen homes and mobile homes before dissipating.

A tornado touched down 3.7 miles NW of Tuscola at 12:44 PM CST, then tracked northeastward and crossed into Champaign County about 1.5 miles NW of Villa Grove at 12:52 PM CST. The roof of a house and 2 outbuildings were damaged during the first 2 miles of the track. The tornado strengthened after it crossed U.S. Highway 45 doing major damage to 2 homes, several large farm buildings, numerous power poles, and a garage. The tornado then turned to the east, damaging the roofs of two homes and destroying several outbuildings. It then crossed I-57 near mile marker 218 where it destroyed a mobile home just east of the highway. The tornado did major damage to several more roofs and outbuildings before it merged with another tornado 2 miles WNW of Villa Grove, turned to the northeast, and crossed into Champaign County.

A tornado touched down in an open field about 1 mile SE of Thomasboro at 12:45 PM CST and rapidly moved to the northeast. In less than a minute it increased in intensity, causing damage to 3 nearby farms and pushing 2 farm houses off their foundations. The tornado moved through open fields for about 2 miles at which time it widened to nearly 1/4 mile wide and became wrapped in rain. It destroyed 3 homes, several outbuildings, and damaged a few other homes before it moved into the town of Gifford. The rain-wrapped tornado was about 1/2 mile wide when it moved through the center of Gifford. Nearly 30 homes were destroyed, more than 40 suffered major damage, and around 125 had minor damage. Around 15 businesses sustained moderate to major damage and the roof of a school was peeled back. Hundreds of vehicles were damaged or destroyed. The tornado tracked for another 5 miles to the northeast, destroying 3 homes and numerous outbuildings, damaging several other homes, and snapping many trees and power poles. The tornado crossed into Vermilion County about 3 miles NNE of Penfield at 1:00 PM CST. Six people were injured and total damage was estimated at $60 million.

A tornado touched down in a field just west of mile marker 216 along I-57 at 12:46 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before dissipating 2 miles WNW of Villa Grove at 12:51 PM CST. The tornado crossed the interstate, then destroyed 3 outbuildings and damaged the roofs of 2 homes. For the next 4 miles, it moved through mainly open fields, damaging trees and power lines. The tornado dissipated about 2 miles WNW of Villa Grove when it merged with a larger tornado that was moving ENE across north-central Douglas County.

This tornado crossed from Douglas County into Champaign County 5.3 miles SE of Pesotum at 12:52 PM CST, then tracked northeastward before lifting 2.7 NNW of Broadlands at 1:02 PM CST. The tornado moved through open fields for the first 2.5 miles in Champaign County, then took the roof off 1 home, destroyed about a dozen outbuildings, snapped numerous power poles and trees, and did roof damage to 6 homes. The tornado dissipated in a field 2.7 NNW of Broadlands.

This tornado crossed from Champaign County into Vermilion County 4.1 miles NW of Armstrong at 1:00 PM CST, then tracked northeastward across rural northwest Vermilion County. The tornado destroyed 1 home, 20 outbuildings, and a camper. It also damaged 7 other homes and snapped numerous power poles and trees. The tornado weakened as it moved out of Vermilion County into Iroquois County in National Weather Service Chicago's County Warning Area (CWA) about 3.7 miles WNW of Hoopeston at 1:14PM CST.

A tornado touched down in an open field 2.8 miles NE of Allerton at 1:03 PM CST. The tornado tracked to the northeast for about 15 miles and did major damage to 2 homes, roof damage to 4 other homes, and destroyed 9 outbuildings, 4 garages, and 2 grain bins. Numerous trees and power poles were also snapped. The tornado crossed State Route 1 about 2 miles north of Westville, impacting the villages of Belgium and Hegeler where 1 person was injured. Nine homes sustained major damage, 26 had significant roof damage, and more than 100 had minor roof damage. The tornado also damaged more than 50 mobile homes, numerous garages and vehicles, and destroyed about 25 outbuildings. The tornado crossed the Vermilion River and moved through about a mile of forested area before dissipating 4.4 miles NE of Westville and 3 miles W of the Indiana border. Total damage was estimated at $9.5 million.