Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2006

F0 tornado, Neoga, Illinois, April 2, 2006

This F0 tornado ran 0.8 miles across Cumberland County on April 2, 2006, touching down at 6:42 PM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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 mphthis tornado

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

  2. F173 to 112 mph

    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
F0
Date
April 2, 2006
Touchdown
6:42 PM CDT (23:42 UTC)
Path length
0.8 miles (1.3 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Cumberland County
Touchdown point
39.320, -88.450
Lift-off point
39.320, -88.450
Record number
256

What the Weather Service recorded

The tornado briefly touched down damaging the roof of a school and blowing down several large trees.

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

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 22:45 UTC and running to 02:11 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
22:45 UTC02:11 UTCTornado WatchILX
23:44 UTC00:11 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningILX

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 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:55 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.

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z

11.7 hours before the tornado, 93 km from the path. April 2, 2006.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2006-04-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -108484, lifted condensation level 985 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2006-04-02The 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 255 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 47 knots.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-108484 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
985 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
255 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
297 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
1.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z

0.3 hours after it, 93 km from the path. April 3, 2006.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2006-04-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1184 joules per kilogram, CIN -39, lifted condensation level 746 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2006-04-03The 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 253 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 36 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 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
1184 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1184 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
746 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
276 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
4.9
0-3 km lapse rate
5.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Mattoon/Charlest (MTO), 23 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
21:53 UTC6859150° 13 kt1003.4
22:53 UTC6860160° 14 kt221000.7
23:18 UTC6860.8190° 15 kt241002.4
23:53 UTC6761190° 12 kt221003

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

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:41 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
23:14 UTCTORNADO 12 Wnw OconeeShelby, ILPATH LENGTH AT LEAST 6 MILES. MAY HAVE MOVED IN FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY. CROSSED INTO CHRISTIAN COUNTY AROUND 615 PM. MOVED ACROSS SOUTHEAST AND EAST SIDE OF PANA. DAMAGED TREES, ROOFS. DISSIPATED 1 MILE EAST NORTHEAST OF
23:15 UTCTSTM WND DMG8 E VandaliaFayette, ILOUT BUILDINGS DESTROYED, SHEET METAL IN POWER LINES...TREES DOWN.
23:20 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 W Tower HillShelby, ILDAMAGE FROM 4 MILES WEST TO 2 MILES EAST OF TOWER HILL. NUMEROUS POWER LINES AND POLES DOWN. DAMAGED A ROOF AND DESTROYED A BARN. ESTIMATED WIND SPEED 80 TO 100 MPH.
23:20 UTCTORNADO 1AssumptionChristian, ILPATH LENGTH 1 MILE, MAX WIDTH 100 YARDS. DAMAGED TREES AND ROOF AT SLOAN IMPLEMENT, AND DOOR AT FORD DEALERSHIP.
23:25 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 E Tower HillShelby, ILPOWER POLES BROKEN OFF EAST OF TOWER HILL. REPORTED BY NWS TRAINED SPOTTER.
23:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Sw ShumwayEffingham, ILMETAL OFF ROOFS REPORTED BY NWS SPOTTER.
23:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGHordClay, IL2 POLES DOWN.
23:40 UTCTSTM WND DMG8 S SullivanMoultrie, ILTRAILER DESTROYED.
23:40 UTCTSTM WND DMGEffinghamEffingham, ILSIX SEMIS BLOWN OVER. 20 HOMES WITH ROOF AND SIDING DAMAGE IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. SEVERAL TREES UPROOTED.
23:40 UTCTSTM WND GST 63EffinghamEffingham, ILLAST OF 3 GUSTS OF 63 MPH
23:41 UTCTSTM WND DMGWindsorShelby, ILPART OF ROOF MISSING OFF OF COOP WEATHER OBSERVER HOUSE.
23:43 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Nw NeogaShelby, ILDOOR RIPPED OFF SHED.
23:44 UTCTSTM WND DMGNeogaCumberland, ILDOWNED POWER LINES, CANOPIES OFF OF BUILDINGS AND ROOF OFF OF SCHOOL. REPORTED BY NEOGA FIRE DEPARTMENT.
23:44 UTCTSTM WND DMGNeogaCumberland, ILDOWNED POWER LINES, CANOPIES OFF OF BUILDINGS AND ROOF OFF A LARGE PART OF THE SCHOOL. SEVERAL LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN AT PARK. CARPORT BLOWN INTO A FENCE. METAL POLE SNAPPED OFF GAS STATION SIGN.
23:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGSullivanMoultrie, ILPOWER LINES DOWN.
23:45 UTCHAIL 1SullivanMoultrie, IL
23:45 UTCHAIL 1.25SullivanMoultrie, ILHAIL DAMAGE TO VINYL WALL SIDING AND ROOF SHINGLES.
23:50 UTCHAIL 0.753 S MattoonColes, IL500N AND 1100E.
23:50 UTCHAIL 0.88LovingtonMoultrie, IL7/8 INCH HAIL REPORTED BY NWS TRAINED SPOTTER
23:53 UTCTSTM WND DMGNewtonJasper, ILWIDESPREAD DAMAGE. NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. WEST WALL OF BUSINESS BLOWN IN.
23:53 UTCTSTM WND DMGNewtonJasper, ILMETAL BUILDINGS ON WEST SIDE DAMAGED. TRAILERS FLIPPED AT DEALERSHIP. EMPTY FUEL TAKS FLIPPED ATOP EMPTY LP TANKS.
23:53 UTCTSTM WND GST 75NewtonJasper, IL75 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED BY COOP WEATHER OBSERVER
23:55 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Nw HammondPiatt, ILPOWER LINES DOWN.
23:58 UTCTSTM WND DMGGarrettDouglas, IL1 TREE DOWN, STORAGE SHED GONE, MACHINE SHED ROOF GONE, DAMAGE TO HOME AND GARAGE.
23:59 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 N MattoonColes, ILROOF OFF A BUILDING ALONG US-45.
00:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 S Ste. MarieJasper, ILMACHINE SHED DESTROYED AND GRAIN BINS DAMAGED. TIME ESTIMATED.
00:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGArthurMoultrie, ILFARM BUILDINGS LOST PART OF THEIR ROOFS.
00:01 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 E Ste. MarieJasper, ILTREE FELL ON A PICKUP.
00:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 E CamargoDouglas, ILHUGE TREE SNAPPED, POWER POLES SNAPPED, METAL SHED BLOWN OVER.
00:05 UTCTSTM WND GST 56OblongCrawford, ILREPORTED BY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OBSERVER PROGRAM NETWORK.
00:12 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S WestfieldClark, IL3 POWER POLES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED.
00:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGKansasEdgar, ILTREE DOWN ON A ROOF.

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 2, 2006

66 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 23:47 PM CDTF0Davis, IA0.230
April 23:57 PM CDTF0Davis, IA0.125
April 24:03 PM CDTF2Van Buren, IA3.0100$30,000
April 24:15 PM CDTF1Van Buren, IA2.050$10,000
April 24:18 PM CDTF1Jefferson, IA0.350$10,000
April 24:19 PM CDTF1Van Buren, IA3.050$10,000
April 24:25 PM CDTF2Ralls, MO3.5350
April 24:46 PM CDTF2Washington, IA1.075$30,000
April 24:59 PM CDTF1Sharp, AR9.5100$100,000
April 25:00 PM CDTF0Saint Francois, MO0.150
April 25:00 PM CDTF1Washington, IA0.150$10,000
April 25:05 PM CDTF0Sainte Genevieve, MO2.040
April 25:06 PM CDTF0Warren, IA0.230
April 25:15 PM CDTF2Saint Clair, IL7.0100111
April 25:15 PM CDTF0Macoupin, IL2.030
April 25:15 PM CDTF0Macoupin, IL0.530
April 25:16 PM CDTF0Henderson, IL0.025
April 25:20 PM CDTF1McDonough, IL12.0233$150,000
April 25:21 PM CDTF0Madison, IL16.050
April 25:30 PM CDTF1Madison, IL2.0100
April 25:31 PM CDTF0Polk, IA0.230
April 25:35 PM CDTF0Macoupin, IL0.120
April 25:37 PM CDTF3Randolph, AR to MO77.08802177$86 million
April 25:41 PM CDTF0Montgomery, IL1.050
April 25:46 PM CDTF1Sangamon, IL0.5200
April 25:49 PM CDTF1Sangamon, IL2.0100
April 25:50 PM CDTF2Montgomery, IL20.0200
April 25:56 PM CDTF1Sangamon, IL1.0100
April 25:56 PM CDTF1Montgomery, IL2.2100
April 25:58 PM CDTF1Sangamon, IL1.0100
April 25:59 PM CDTF0Sangamon, IL1.350
April 26:00 PM CDTF2White, AR6.3100
April 26:06 PM CDTF1Sangamon, IL0.850
April 26:08 PM CDTF1Christian, IL6.33001
April 26:13 PM CDTF1Sangamon, IL1.51001
April 26:14 PM CDTF1Christian, IL6.0150
April 26:17 PM CDTF0Christian, IL0.150
April 26:20 PM CDTF1Christian, IL1.0100
April 26:22 PM CDTF0Menard, IL0.340
April 26:29 PM CDTF3Woodruff, AR38.05005$5.0 million
April 26:30 PM CDTF0Macon, IL0.130
April 26:30 PM CDTF2Macon, IL4.5300
April 26:32 PM CDTF0Logan, IL1.080
April 26:36 PM CDTF0Logan, IL2.550
April 26:36 PM CDTF1Macon, IL7.51503
April 26:43 PM CDTF0Scott, MO1.550$20,000
April 27:01 PM CDTF0DeWitt, IL0.130
April 27:08 PM CDTF0McLean, IL0.130
April 27:12 PM CDTF0McLean, IL0.550
April 27:13 PM CDTF1McLean, IL1.050
April 27:15 PM CDTF0Champaign, IL0.130
April 27:22 PM CDTF0McLean, IL2.650
April 27:25 PM CDTF0Champaign, IL0.350
April 27:31 PM CDTF0Ballard, KY0.130
April 27:32 PM CDTF3Dyer, TN18.08801670$20 million
April 29:07 PM EDTF1Lawrence, IN0.5100$100,000
April 28:09 PM CDTF3Gibson, TN31.0880644$27 million
April 29:25 PM EDTF1Tippecanoe, IN0.5100$50,000
April 29:37 PM EDTF1Jackson, IN0.5100$200,000
April 28:43 PM CDTF3Gibson, TN8.088026$15 million

All 67 of them

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.