Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2006

F1 tornado, Illinois City to Matherville, Illinois, April 13, 2006

From Illinois City to Matherville, this F1 tornado ran 13.0 miles across Mercer and Rock Island counties on April 13, 2006, touching down at 9:29 PM CDT and reaching 880 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $20,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
F1
Date
April 13, 2006
Touchdown
9:29 PM CDT (02:29 UTC)
Path length
13.0 miles (20.9 km)
Path width
880 yards (805 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Counties
Mercer and Rock Island counties
Touchdown point
41.330, -90.980
Lift-off point
41.320, -90.750
Record number
362

What the Weather Service recorded

Tornado developed 4.2 miles west southwest of Muscatine Iowa at 2013 CST and moved east southeast crossing the Mississippi River into Rock Island County Illinois at 2020 CST. Upon reaching dry land on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, the tornado turned to the north and dissipated just south of highway 92 6.5 miles west of Illinois City. Spotters on both sides of the river observed the tornado cross the Mississippi.Intermittent F0 tree damage was noted in far southwest Rock Island County.

Tornado developed just north of the Rock Island/Mercer County line near 297th Street West at 2029 CST and moved east southeast 1.9 miles and entered into Mercer County at 2033 CST. The tornado continued moving east southeast in Mercer County and dissipated 0.8 miles west of Hamlet at 2055 CST. Intermittent F0 and F1 damage was noted to trees and outbuildings along its path.

Tornado developed at 2029 CST 6.2 miles southwest of Illinois City near 297th Street West in Rock Island County and crossed into Mercer County 2.9 miles north northeast of Eliza at 2033 CST. The tornado continued moving east southeast for 11.1 miles and dissipated 0.8 miles west of Hamlet. Intermittent F0 and F1 damage was noted to trees and outbuildings along its path.

Tornado developed 1 mile northwest of Mannon at 2057 CST and moved southeast just missing the village and dissipated 0.5 miles east southeast of Mannon at 2101 CST. A mobile home was destroyed.

Tornado developed just east of 240th Street at 2107 CST and tracked generally east across the far northern part of Matherville and dissipated just west of U.S. 67 east of Matherville at 2111 CST.Two homes had roof damage done to them with the sheriff's office indicating one house was completely unroofed.

Entered from Muscatine County Iowa.

Crossed into Mercer County

Entered from Rock Island County

Rated F1

Rated low F2

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

33 minutes of warning. NWS DVN issued a tornado warning for this county at 01:56 UTC, 33 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 03:00 UTC.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 22:33 UTC and running to 04:57 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
22:33 UTC04:57 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchDVN
01:56 UTC03:00 UTCTornado WarningDVN
02:54 UTC03:47 UTCTornado WarningDVN

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 01:00 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Davenport, (KDVN), 00:00Z

2.5 hours before the tornado, 45 km from the path. April 14, 2006.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2006-04-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 774 joules per kilogram, CIN -72, lifted condensation level 2028 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2006-04-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 122 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 59 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
774 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72 J/kg
Surface CAPE
736 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2028 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
122 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
250 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.6
0-3 km lapse rate
7.8 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Davenport, (KDVN), 12:00Z

9.5 hours after it, 45 km from the path. April 14, 2006.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2006-04-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 755 joules per kilogram, CIN -276, lifted condensation level 1868 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2006-04-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 56 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
755 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-276 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1868 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.7
0-3 km lapse rate
4.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Muscatine (MUT), 23 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
01:00 UTC80.662.6170° 14 kt191004.7
01:20 UTC78.862.6170° 12 kt1005.1
01:40 UTC78.864.4160° 15 kt201003.7
02:00 UTC7766.2130° 23 kt30999.3
02:20 UTC73.468310° 25 kt571000.7
02:40 UTC7764.4260° 4 kt341004.4
03:00 UTC75.266.2360° 14 kt1006.1
03:20 UTC66.262.690° 17 kt211005.4
03:40 UTC66.262.640° 8 kt141005.4
04:00 UTC66.262.690° 9 kt1005.1
04:20 UTC66.260.8130° 4 kt81005.4
04:40 UTC64.460.80° 0 kt1005.4

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
02:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGBuffalo PrairieMercer, ILPOSSIBLE TORNADO. POWER POLES SNAPPED...BARN BLOW DOWN AND SEVERAL MACHINE SHEDS DAMAGED IN BUFFALO PRAIRIE FROM 1/2 WEST THROUGH TOWN TO 1/4 MILE EAST.
02:36 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDIllinois CityRock Island, ILREPORTED CROSSING THE RIVER BY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN EXTREME NORTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTY.
02:38 UTCHAIL 1AndalusiaRock Island, IL
02:44 UTCHAIL 1Illinois CityRock Island, ILHAIL DEPTH 2 TO 3 INCHES COVERING THE GROUND
03:08 UTCHAIL 1New WindsorMercer, IL
03:09 UTCHAIL 0.884 Wnw AlexisMercer, IL
03:15 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Ene GeneseoHenry, ILGRAIN BIN BLOWN OVER TOP OF CORN CRIB LANDING AND DESTROYED ON OTHER SIDE.
03:16 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDN AlexisWarren, ILSPOTTER REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD JUST NORTH OH ROUTE 34 IN WARREN COUNTY.
03:20 UTCHAIL 0.75North HendersonMercer, IL
03:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGAlexisWarren, ILROOF BLOWN OFF BUILDING
03:30 UTCTSTM WND GST 80AlexisWarren, ILWINDS POSSIBLY HIGHER
03:35 UTCTSTM WND GST 60CambridgeHenry, IL
03:35 UTCHAIL 0.88CambridgeHenry, IL
03:45 UTCHAIL 0.75AltonaKnox, ILREPORT FROM ALTONA COOP OBSERVER
03:45 UTCHAIL 1.75AltonaKnox, ILREPORT FROM TRAINED SPOTTER VIA EMERGENCY MANAGER
03:48 UTCHAIL 2.75AltonaKnox, ILHAIL SIZE INCREASED FROM GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL...REPORT FROM TRAINED SPOTTER VIA EMERGENCY MANAGER.
03:52 UTCTSTM WND DMGGalesburgKnox, ILTRAILER ON WESTERN EDGE OF GALESBURG MOVED OFF FOUNDATION. SHED BLOWN DOWN. MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND TREE LIMBS DOWN. TREE BLOWN DOWN ON HOUSE. FREE STANDING METAL FLAGPOLE AT POST OFFICE BENT OVER.
03:52 UTCTSTM WND GST 70GalesburgKnox, ILREPORT FROM TRAINED SPOTTER NEAR GALESBURG AIRPORT.
03:52 UTCHAIL 0.75GalesburgKnox, ILREPORT FROM TRAINED SPOTTER NEAR THE GALESBURG AIRPORT
03:52 UTCHAIL 0.88GalesburgKnox, ILNICKEL SIZE HAIL
04:28 UTCHAIL 1.75AltonaKnox, ILREPORT VIA GALVA EMERGENCY MANAGER

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2006 tornado in IllinoisEvery tornado in Illinois since 1950Warnings in force in Illinois nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 13, 2006

17 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 137:10 PM CDTF0Tama, IA0.130
April 137:40 PM CDTF0Linn, IA1.0200$70,000
April 137:50 PM CDTF0Benton, IA4.8150$10,000
April 138:15 PM CDTF1Jones, IA3.78801$100,000
April 138:16 PM CDTF1Johnson, IA3.6350$20,000
April 138:29 PM CDTF2Johnson, IA4.558730$12 million
April 138:38 PM CDTF1Johnson, IA5.1700$70,000
April 138:45 PM CDTF1Muscatine, IA9.444011$120,000
April 138:48 PM CDTF1Muscatine, IA4.8176$80,000
April 139:13 PM CDTF0Muscatine, IA to IL6.4220$15,000
April 139:19 PM CDTF1Johnson, IA0.525$10,000
April 139:42 PM CDTF1Scott, IA1.5100$60,000
April 139:57 PM CDTF1Mercer, IL1.5100$50,000
April 1310:07 PM CDTF2Mercer, IL2.050$30,000
April 1310:12 PM CDTF1Mercer, IL0.8200$100,000
April 1312:25 AM CDTF0Logan, IL0.1100
April 1312:27 AM CDTF0Logan, IL3.8125$2.5 million

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.