Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2010

EF0 tornado, Sunbury to Cardiff, Illinois, June 5, 2010

From Sunbury to Cardiff, this EF0 tornado ran 2.4 miles across Livingston County on June 5, 2010, touching down at 9:16 PM CDT and reaching 20 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $100,000 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 mphthis tornado

    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 mph

    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
EF0
Date
June 5, 2010
Touchdown
9:16 PM CDT (02:16 UTC)
Lifted
9:20 PM CDT (02:20 UTC)
On the ground
4 minutes
Path length
2.4 miles (3.8 km)
Path width
20 yards (18 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$100,000
County
Livingston County
Touchdown point
41.103, -88.491
Lift-off point
41.099, -88.447
Record number
1006052016-01

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.

A secondary tornado occurred 3 miles northwest of Dwight in northern Livingston County. The tornado began near the intersection of Rd 3300N and 2300E, where it caused minor damage to a home and surrounding trees. The tornado continued to the southeast where it derailed a train off its tracks near 2400E Road. At this point, the tornado moved east causing minor damage to some area trees before crossing Interstate 55, where it then lifted. The tornado was rated EF0 with winds estimated at around 80 mph and a path width of 20 yards.

A tornado formed along the north side of 3100 N Road, between 3100 E Road and 3200 E Road, for one quarter of a mile. The tornado was rated EF0 here. There was additional minor damage to tree limbs and a metal farm outbuilding for about half a mile along the north side of 3100 N Road, between 3400 E Road and 3500 E Road. The tornado here was rated EF0 with a path width of 20 yards.

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

The warnings

30 minutes of warning. NWS LOT issued a tornado warning for this county at 01:46 UTC, 30 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 02:30 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
01:17 UTC02:00 UTCTornado WarningLOT
01:46 UTC02:30 UTCTornado WarningLOT
02:23 UTC02:50 UTCTornado WarningLOT
02:43 UTC03:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOT
02:59 UTC03:16 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOT
03:15 UTC03:27 UTCTornado WarningLOT
03:29 UTC06:30 UTCFlood AdvisoryLOT
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

2.3 hours before the tornado, 106 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

9.7 hours after it, 106 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 radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:14 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
01:30 UTCTORNADO3 W LostantLa Salle, ILHOMES BADLY DAMAGED AND TREES DOWN.
01:33 UTCTORNADOMagnoliaPutnam, ILREPORTED BETWEEN MAGNOLIA AND MC NABB MOVING EAST
01:41 UTCTORNADO2 S LostantLa Salle, ILNEAR INTERSECTION OF RT 18 AND INTERSTATE 39.
01:45 UTCTORNADO2 W StreatorLa Salle, ILNO SIGHTING OF TORNADO BUT DAMAGE SEEN. BARNS AND SILOS BLOWN OVER. DAMAGE TO ROOFS. SHEET METAL WRAPPED AROUND POLES.
01:50 UTCTORNADOStreatorLa Salle, IL2 TORNADOES ON THE GROUND. ONE WAS DUE WEST OF STREATOR. THE OTHER WAS 1 MILES WEST OF STREATOR AND WAS REPORTED 50 FEET WIDE.
01:51 UTCTORNADO 2StreatorLa Salle, IL*** 17 INJ *** NWS SURVEY TEAM AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT APPROXIMATELY 30 HOMES DAMAGED INCLUDING 3 DESTROYED IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF STREATOR.
01:59 UTCTORNADO6 E StreatorLa Salle, IL
02:11 UTCTORNADOStreatorLa Salle, ILHEAVY DAMAGE IN STREATOR. PEOPLE TRAPPED IN HOMES AND TELEPHONE OUTAGES.
02:18 UTCTORNADO8 W DwightLivingston, IL2 MILES E OF RT 170 ALONG RT. 17
02:24 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 W OttawaLa Salle, ILNWS SURVEY TEAM REPORTS TWO LARGE TREES DOWN ALONG 2803 ROAD 5 MILES ESE OF NORTH UTICA. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 60-70 MPH BASED ON THE DAMAGE.
02:25 UTCTSTM WND GST 58PeruLa Salle, IL
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
02:55 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.132 Wnw MarseillesLa Salle, ILRAIN BEGAN AT 905 PM AND ENDED AT 955 PM.
02:56 UTCTORNADOLostantLa Salle, ILDELAYED REPORT. ON I-39 JUST SOUTH OF LOSTANT...SEMIS BLOWN OFF I-39 EAST INTO CORNFIELD. SEMIS WERE ESTIMATED AT SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET INTO CORNFIELD.
03:01 UTCTORNADO2 E HerscherKankakee, ILON RT 115. SPOTTER REPORTS TORNADO KEEPS TOUCHING DOWN AND LIFTING.
03:09 UTCTORNADO 06 Ne FairburyLivingston, ILCORN WAS TWISTED IN A FIELD AND VENTS WERE TORN OFF A BARN ROOF.
03:10 UTCFLASH FLOODKankakeeKankakee, ILWATER RUNNING OVER E RIVER ROAD
03:13 UTCTORNADO5 Sw CullomLivingston, IL
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
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 59:31 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 510:18 PM CDTEF3Kankakee, IL7.81751$600,000
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.