Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2010

EF3 tornado, Aroma Park to Tallmadge, Illinois, June 5, 2010

From Aroma Park to Tallmadge, this EF3 tornado ran 7.8 miles across Kankakee County on June 5, 2010, touching down at 10:18 PM CDT and reaching 175 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 1, and did $600,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

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

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

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

  3. EF2111 to 135 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. EF3136 to 165 mphthis tornado

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

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

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

  6. EF5over 200 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
EF3
Date
June 5, 2010
Touchdown
10:18 PM CDT (03:18 UTC)
Lifted
10:37 PM CDT (03:37 UTC)
On the ground
19 minutes
Path length
7.8 miles (12.5 km)
Path width
175 yards (160 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$600,000
County
Kankakee County
Touchdown point
41.064, -87.752
Lift-off point
41.083, -87.606
Record number
1006052118-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Severe thunderstorms, including a few long tracked supercells moved across central and northern Illinois, producing damaging winds, hail and tornadoes.

The tornado began 3 miles northwest of St. Anne in Kankakee county. The tornado developed just west of 6000E Road and tracked to the east, where it produced damage to a home and a garage along the road. At this location, a single family home collapsed upon itself, leaving it inhabitable. The garage sustained damage to its roof and exterior walls. The tornado was rated EF2 with winds estimated at around 113 mph.||The tornado continued to move to the east northeast, where it increased in intensity as it encountered yet another family home at the intersection of Route 1 and 4000S Road. This home and the garage/barn next to it sustained considerable damage, leaving the home inhabitable. The damage to the home consisted of all the walls collapsing, with all remaining debris from the house tossed to the northeast. The garage walls collapsed with the contents tossed to the east. Two four-wheelers and a four-door automobile inside the garage were lifted and flipped over as the tornado passed. Further north along Route 1, there was minor structural damage to a couple of homes and several trees uprooted. Damage at this location was rated EF3 with winds estimated at around 142 mph and a path width of 175 yards.||As this tornado continued to the northeast, it lost its intensity as it came across another residence at the intersection of 4000S Road and 8500E Road. Here, a house sustained partial damage to its roof with several surrounding trees having limbs sheared at the top. The tornado weakened at this point, and damage was rated EF1 with winds estimated at around 97 mph and a path width of 50 yards.||The tornado moved to the northeast through a wooded area, causing damage to many trees along its way. The more significant damage occurred near the intersection of 13000E Road and Gamble Road in the Hopkins Park area, where several healthy large hardwood tree tops were sheared or broken. Some homes were damaged by falling trees. The tornado continued to weaken and damage was rated EF1, with winds estimated at around 88 mph, and a path width of 50 yards. It was along 13000E Road where the tornado appeared to lift, with no other damage evident beyond this point.

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

The warnings

9 minutes of warning. NWS LOT issued a tornado warning for this county at 03:09 UTC, 9 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 04:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 00:40 UTC and running to 06:33 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
12:00 UTC06:00 UTCFlash Flood WatchLOT
00:40 UTC06:33 UTCTornado WatchLOT
02:14 UTC03:00 UTCTornado WarningLOT
02:23 UTC03:15 UTCTornado WarningLOT
02:59 UTC03:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOT
03:09 UTC04:00 UTCTornado WarningLOT
03:29 UTC06:30 UTCFlood AdvisoryLOT
03:42 UTC04:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOT
03:54 UTC07:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningLOT

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 Moderate Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 01:06 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), 00:00Z

3.3 hours before the tornado, 129 km from the path. June 6, 2010.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2010-06-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1457 joules per kilogram, CIN -146, lifted condensation level 1235 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2010-06-06The 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 249 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 53 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
1457 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-146 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2628 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1235 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
352 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
6.8
0-3 km lapse rate
6.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z

8.7 hours after it, 129 km from the path. June 6, 2010.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2010-06-06Temperature 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 0, lifted condensation level 616 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2010-06-06The 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 -92 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 62 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Surface CAPE
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
616 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Kankakee (IKK), 14 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
01:22 UTC78.871.6210° 9 kt1002.4
01:42 UTC78.869.8210° 13 kt1001.7VCTS
02:02 UTC78.869.8210° 10 kt171001.4VCTS
02:22 UTC78.869.8210° 15 kt1001.4
02:44 UTC75.271.6210° 13 kt211001VCTSRA

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

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 03:18 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
02:26 UTCTORNADODwightLivingston, ILSTATE POLICE CONFIRMED TORNADO JUST WEST OF INTERSTATE 55 AND SOUTH OF RT. 17
02:30 UTCTORNADO 21 W DwightLivingston, IL*** 6 INJ *** EF2 TORNADO DAMAGE CONFIRMED 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF IL ROUTE 17 AND 1/2 MILE EAST OF I-55. APPROX 12 MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED, SEVERAL MORE DAMAGED. 6 INJURIES, 1 SERIOUS. STORM SURVEY CONTINUES, THIS INFORMATION
02:34 UTCTORNADO3 E DwightLivingston, ILILLINOIS STATE POLICE ARE FOLLOWING A TORNADO ON THE GROUND 3 MILES EAST OF DWIGHT AND 1 MILE SOUTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 17.
02:39 UTCTORNADODwightLivingston, ILHEAVY DAMAGE SOUTH PART OF TOWN. REPORTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT
02:45 UTCHEAVY RAIN 01 S Coal CityGrundy, ILHEAVY RAIN AND ROTATION AT INTERSECTION OF BROADWAY AND BRACEVILLE.
02:47 UTCTORNADO1 Nw BuckinghamKankakee, IL17000W AND RT 115. TORNADO JUST DISSIPATED
03:01 UTCTORNADO2 E HerscherKankakee, ILON RT 115. SPOTTER REPORTS TORNADO KEEPS TOUCHING DOWN AND LIFTING.
03:10 UTCFLASH FLOODKankakeeKankakee, ILWATER RUNNING OVER E RIVER ROAD
03:13 UTCTORNADO5 Sw CullomLivingston, IL
03:23 UTCTORNADO2 N St. AnneKankakee, IL2 TORNADOS ON GROUND.
03:25 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.284 E MazonGrundy, ILRAIN FELL IN PAST 30 MINUTES.
03:30 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.862 Nw BonfieldKankakee, ILRAIN FELL IN LAST HOUR
03:55 UTCTORNADO2 N St. AnneKankakee, ILTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. RUPTURED GAS LINES. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON SCENE.
03:55 UTCTORNADOSt. AnneKankakee, ILHOUSE DESTROYED AT INTERSECTION 3795S AND 6000E
03:57 UTCTORNADO3 N St. AnneKankakee, ILNUMEROUS TREES DOWN. ROOFS BLOWN OFF HOUSES.
04:15 UTCFLASH FLOODKankakeeKankakee, ILROADWAY FLOODED AT HARRIS AND RT 50
04:20 UTCFLASH FLOODKankakeeKankakee, ILROADWAY FLOODED AT GREENWOOD AND FAIR ST
04:35 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.9Sse BourbonnaisKankakee, ILRAIN FELL IN THE LAST HOUR.
04:45 UTCFLASH FLOODBradleyKankakee, ILUNDERPASS FLOODED AT BROOKMOUNT AND SCHUYLER

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2010 tornado in IllinoisEvery tornado in Illinois since 1950Warnings in force in Illinois nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 5, 2010

42 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 51:46 PM EDTEF0Richland, OH0.520$35,000
June 52:30 PM EDTEF1Orleans, VT2.183$25,000
June 52:40 PM EDTEF1Holmes, OH12.8100$550,000
June 54:14 PM EDTEF0Coos, NH0.140
June 55:19 PM EDTEF1Oxford, ME4.2300
June 56:11 PM CDTEF0Warren, IA1.130
June 57:34 PM CDTEF0Knox, IL0.110
June 57:40 PM CDTEF1Jackson, IA2.21501$250,000
June 57:56 PM CDTEF2Knox, IL5.750$420,000
June 58:00 PM CDTEF0Clinton, IA0.4100
June 58:04 PM CDTEF2Peoria, IL2.150$85 million
June 58:10 PM CDTEF1Peoria, IL4.9100$85,000
June 58:10 PM CDTEF2Putnam, IL8.0880$1.0 million
June 58:18 PM CDTEF1Peoria, IL3.975$170,000
June 58:28 PM CDTEF0LaSalle, IL1.330$5,000
June 58:32 PM CDTEF0LaSalle, IL0.250
June 58:32 PM CDTEF0Peoria, IL2.0100$100,000
June 58:34 PM CDTEF2Marshall, IL17.680017$7.0 million
June 58:50 PM CDTEF0LaSalle, IL0.120
June 58:51 PM CDTEF2Tazewell, IL0.8250$560,000
June 58:53 PM CDTEF2Woodford, IL2.3250$70,000
June 58:58 PM CDTEF3Livingston, IL8.6440$750,000
June 59:12 PM CDTEF2Livingston, IL6.0300113$3.0 million
June 59:16 PM CDTEF0Livingston, IL2.420$100,000
June 59:31 PM CDTEF0Livingston, IL3.820$20,000
June 510:38 PM EDTEF2Fulton, OH7.2700$500,000
June 511:00 PM EDTEF1Lucas, OH3.4100$75,000
June 510:02 PM CDTEF1Kankakee, IL0.630$500,000
June 510:08 PM CDTEF0Livingston, IL0.450$2,000
June 510:19 PM CDTEF1Kankakee, IL0.650$75,000
June 511:20 PM EDTEF4Millbury tornado, OH8.8400728$102 million
June 511:28 PM EDTEF2Berrien, MI3.4200$150,000
June 511:36 PM EDTEF1Berrien, MI1.4100$100,000
June 510:57 PM CDTEF0Logan, IL5.9300$80,000
June 511:59 PM EDTEF2Cass, MI2.7200$100,000
June 512:03 AM EDTEF1Calhoun, MI1.6300$2.0 million
June 511:06 PM CDTEF0DeWitt, IL5.9300$90,000
June 512:32 AM EDTEF2Saint Joseph, MI10.7200$300,000
June 51:03 AM EDTEF1White, IN12.61502$600,000
June 51:25 AM EDTEF1Carroll, IN6.31501$185,000
June 51:41 AM EDTEF3Miami, IN7.52501$875,000
June 51:48 AM EDTEF1Lenawee, MI2.5250$500,000

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.