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.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 UTC | 06:00 UTC | Flash Flood Watch | LOT |
| 00:40 UTC | 06:33 UTC | Tornado Watch | LOT |
| 01:17 UTC | 02:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | LOT |
| 01:46 UTC | 02:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | LOT |
| 02:23 UTC | 02:50 UTC | Tornado Warning | LOT |
| 02:43 UTC | 03:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT |
| 02:59 UTC | 03:16 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT |
| 03:15 UTC | 03:27 UTC | Tornado Warning | LOT |
| 03:29 UTC | 06:30 UTC | Flood Advisory | LOT |
| 03:54 UTC | 07:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | LOT |
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.
- 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
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z
9.7 hours after it, 106 km from the path. June 6, 2010.
- 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
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) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:30 UTC | TORNADO | 3 W Lostant | La Salle, IL | HOMES BADLY DAMAGED AND TREES DOWN. |
| 01:33 UTC | TORNADO | Magnolia | Putnam, IL | REPORTED BETWEEN MAGNOLIA AND MC NABB MOVING EAST |
| 01:41 UTC | TORNADO | 2 S Lostant | La Salle, IL | NEAR INTERSECTION OF RT 18 AND INTERSTATE 39. |
| 01:45 UTC | TORNADO | 2 W Streator | La Salle, IL | NO SIGHTING OF TORNADO BUT DAMAGE SEEN. BARNS AND SILOS BLOWN OVER. DAMAGE TO ROOFS. SHEET METAL WRAPPED AROUND POLES. |
| 01:50 UTC | TORNADO | Streator | La Salle, IL | 2 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 UTC | TORNADO 2 | Streator | La 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 UTC | TORNADO | 6 E Streator | La Salle, IL | |
| 02:11 UTC | TORNADO | Streator | La Salle, IL | HEAVY DAMAGE IN STREATOR. PEOPLE TRAPPED IN HOMES AND TELEPHONE OUTAGES. |
| 02:18 UTC | TORNADO | 8 W Dwight | Livingston, IL | 2 MILES E OF RT 170 ALONG RT. 17 |
| 02:24 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 W Ottawa | La Salle, IL | NWS 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 UTC | TSTM WND GST 58 | Peru | La Salle, IL | |
| 02:26 UTC | TORNADO | Dwight | Livingston, IL | STATE POLICE CONFIRMED TORNADO JUST WEST OF INTERSTATE 55 AND SOUTH OF RT. 17 |
| 02:30 UTC | TORNADO 2 | 1 W Dwight | Livingston, 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 UTC | TORNADO | 3 E Dwight | Livingston, IL | ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ARE FOLLOWING A TORNADO ON THE GROUND 3 MILES EAST OF DWIGHT AND 1 MILE SOUTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 17. |
| 02:39 UTC | TORNADO | Dwight | Livingston, IL | HEAVY DAMAGE SOUTH PART OF TOWN. REPORTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT |
| 02:45 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 0 | 1 S Coal City | Grundy, IL | HEAVY RAIN AND ROTATION AT INTERSECTION OF BROADWAY AND BRACEVILLE. |
| 02:47 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nw Buckingham | Kankakee, IL | 17000W AND RT 115. TORNADO JUST DISSIPATED |
| 02:55 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.13 | 2 Wnw Marseilles | La Salle, IL | RAIN BEGAN AT 905 PM AND ENDED AT 955 PM. |
| 02:56 UTC | TORNADO | Lostant | La Salle, IL | DELAYED 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 UTC | TORNADO | 2 E Herscher | Kankakee, IL | ON RT 115. SPOTTER REPORTS TORNADO KEEPS TOUCHING DOWN AND LIFTING. |
| 03:09 UTC | TORNADO 0 | 6 Ne Fairbury | Livingston, IL | CORN WAS TWISTED IN A FIELD AND VENTS WERE TORN OFF A BARN ROOF. |
| 03:10 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Kankakee | Kankakee, IL | WATER RUNNING OVER E RIVER ROAD |
| 03:13 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Sw Cullom | Livingston, IL | |
| 03:25 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.28 | 4 E Mazon | Grundy, IL | RAIN FELL IN PAST 30 MINUTES. |
| 03:30 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.86 | 2 Nw Bonfield | Kankakee, IL | RAIN FELL IN LAST HOUR |
| 04:15 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Kankakee | Kankakee, IL | ROADWAY FLOODED AT HARRIS AND RT 50 |
| 04:20 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Kankakee | Kankakee, IL | ROADWAY FLOODED AT GREENWOOD AND FAIR ST |
| 04:35 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.9 | Sse Bourbonnais | Kankakee, IL | RAIN FELL IN THE LAST HOUR. |
| 04:45 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Bradley | Kankakee, IL | UNDERPASS 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.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 5 | 1:46 PM EDT | EF0 | Richland, OH | 0.5 | 20 | $35,000 | ||
| June 5 | 2:30 PM EDT | EF1 | Orleans, VT | 2.1 | 83 | $25,000 | ||
| June 5 | 2:40 PM EDT | EF1 | Holmes, OH | 12.8 | 100 | $550,000 | ||
| June 5 | 4:14 PM EDT | EF0 | Coos, NH | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| June 5 | 5:19 PM EDT | EF1 | Oxford, ME | 4.2 | 300 | |||
| June 5 | 6:11 PM CDT | EF0 | Warren, IA | 1.1 | 30 | |||
| June 5 | 7:34 PM CDT | EF0 | Knox, IL | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 5 | 7:40 PM CDT | EF1 | Jackson, IA | 2.2 | 150 | 1 | $250,000 | |
| June 5 | 7:56 PM CDT | EF2 | Knox, IL | 5.7 | 50 | $420,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:00 PM CDT | EF0 | Clinton, IA | 0.4 | 100 | |||
| June 5 | 8:04 PM CDT | EF2 | Peoria, IL | 2.1 | 50 | $85 million | ||
| June 5 | 8:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Peoria, IL | 4.9 | 100 | $85,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:10 PM CDT | EF2 | Putnam, IL | 8.0 | 880 | $1.0 million | ||
| June 5 | 8:18 PM CDT | EF1 | Peoria, IL | 3.9 | 75 | $170,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:28 PM CDT | EF0 | LaSalle, IL | 1.3 | 30 | $5,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:32 PM CDT | EF0 | LaSalle, IL | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| June 5 | 8:32 PM CDT | EF0 | Peoria, IL | 2.0 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:34 PM CDT | EF2 | Marshall, IL | 17.6 | 800 | 17 | $7.0 million | |
| June 5 | 8:50 PM CDT | EF0 | LaSalle, IL | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| June 5 | 8:51 PM CDT | EF2 | Tazewell, IL | 0.8 | 250 | $560,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:53 PM CDT | EF2 | Woodford, IL | 2.3 | 250 | $70,000 | ||
| June 5 | 8:58 PM CDT | EF3 | Livingston, IL | 8.6 | 440 | $750,000 | ||
| June 5 | 9:12 PM CDT | EF2 | Livingston, IL | 6.0 | 300 | 1 | 13 | $3.0 million |
| June 5 | 9:31 PM CDT | EF0 | Livingston, IL | 3.8 | 20 | $20,000 | ||
| June 5 | 10:38 PM EDT | EF2 | Fulton, OH | 7.2 | 700 | $500,000 | ||
| June 5 | 11:00 PM EDT | EF1 | Lucas, OH | 3.4 | 100 | $75,000 | ||
| June 5 | 10:02 PM CDT | EF1 | Kankakee, IL | 0.6 | 30 | $500,000 | ||
| June 5 | 10:08 PM CDT | EF0 | Livingston, IL | 0.4 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| June 5 | 10:18 PM CDT | EF3 | Kankakee, IL | 7.8 | 175 | 1 | $600,000 | |
| June 5 | 10:19 PM CDT | EF1 | Kankakee, IL | 0.6 | 50 | $75,000 | ||
| June 5 | 11:20 PM EDT | EF4 | Millbury tornado, OH | 8.8 | 400 | 7 | 28 | $102 million |
| June 5 | 11:28 PM EDT | EF2 | Berrien, MI | 3.4 | 200 | $150,000 | ||
| June 5 | 11:36 PM EDT | EF1 | Berrien, MI | 1.4 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| June 5 | 10:57 PM CDT | EF0 | Logan, IL | 5.9 | 300 | $80,000 | ||
| June 5 | 11:59 PM EDT | EF2 | Cass, MI | 2.7 | 200 | $100,000 | ||
| June 5 | 12:03 AM EDT | EF1 | Calhoun, MI | 1.6 | 300 | $2.0 million | ||
| June 5 | 11:06 PM CDT | EF0 | DeWitt, IL | 5.9 | 300 | $90,000 | ||
| June 5 | 12:32 AM EDT | EF2 | Saint Joseph, MI | 10.7 | 200 | $300,000 | ||
| June 5 | 1:03 AM EDT | EF1 | White, IN | 12.6 | 150 | 2 | $600,000 | |
| June 5 | 1:25 AM EDT | EF1 | Carroll, IN | 6.3 | 150 | 1 | $185,000 | |
| June 5 | 1:41 AM EDT | EF3 | Miami, IN | 7.5 | 250 | 1 | $875,000 | |
| June 5 | 1:48 AM EDT | EF1 | Lenawee, MI | 2.5 | 250 | $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.