Tornadoes
Tornado Summary Graphic (includes tracks from the 7/14 event)
Areas of continued damage assessment (includes both the 7/14 and 7/15 events)
Downloadable KMZ File with All Tornado Tracks (To Be Added Later)
Downloadable Shapefile with All Tornado Tracks (To Be Added Later)
Below is a summary of all of the NWS damage survey findings in the NWS Chicago forecast areafrom this severe weather event. An interactive map with all of this information can be found on ourDamage Assessment Toolkit Viewer website(to see the data from this event, make sure that the date range in the top right cornerincludes this event's date). Instructions for how to download survey data (KMZ files and shapefiles) are availablehere.
1.) Byron Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: An EF-0 tornado tracked through Byron, producing tree damage across town and blowing roofing material off of a car wash. |
2.) Davis Junction Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: An EF-0 tornado tracked through the north side of Davis Junction, producing a corridor of tree damage. |
3.) Southern Winnebago County Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: A tornado tracked for approximately 1.2 miles along Montague Road southwest of Rockford, causing damage to corn crops, trees, and power lines. |
4.) Sugar Grove to Aurora Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
5.) Sugar Grove to North Aurora Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
6.) Yorkville to South Naperville Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: Extensive tree damage along the path, including some uprooted and snapped trees. Some structural damage. |
7.) Minooka to Joliet Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
8.) Western Joliet to Lockport Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: Roof damage to Plainfield South High School, followed by tree damage until additional roof damage was noted at St John Lutheran Church, continuing eastward. The path just barely started in Kendall County before continuing into Will County and ending at I-355 in Lockport. |
9.) Channahon to Matteson Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
10.) Glen Ellyn to Lombard Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: This tornado touched down in the vicinity of Bryant Avenue and Revere Road just south of Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. It tracked northeast and produced a concentrated corridor of tree damage between Spring and Woodstock Avenues and immediately south of Roslyn Road where several large, healthy trees were either snapped or had limbs removed. Structural damage was generally limited, although gouges in stucco on the northwest corner of a residence on Cumnor Avenue was noted. The tornado tracked across the Veterans Memorial Tollway and continued to produce tree damage in the vicinity of the Madison Elementary School. A portion of a roof was damaged to one residence on Elizabeth Street. Damage became increasingly sparse towards Fairfield and Edgewood avenues where the tornado lifted. |
11.) Villa Park Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: This brief tornado started near Kenilworth and Cornell Avenues northeast of Saint Alexander Catholic Church where a highly localized corridor of tree damage was noted. To the southwest, broader straight line wind damage was noted. This tornado crossed St Charles Road and lifted west of Kingery Highway. This tornado was on the ground for about one minute. |
12.) Manteno Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
13.) Broadview Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
14.) Justice Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: This tornado appears to have touched down near the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal immediately north of the Tri-State Tollway. It tracked across a mobile home park where it caused damage to trees and homes north of Park Ave consistent with an EF-0 with winds near 80 mph. To the south, additional damage to trees was aligned in a generally easterly and northeasterly direction, consistent with straight line wind damage. The tornado crossed Garden Lane where several large, healthy trees were either uprooted or snapped. Minor shingle, siding, and fascia damage was also observed, and a greenhouse was also blown about 75 feet to the north. Damage in this area was consistent with an EF-1 tornado with winds near 90 mph. This tornado then continued into Resurrection Cemetery. Damage then broadened considerably east of South Roberts Road, indicating the tornado likely lifted and transitioned to a concentrated corridor of straight line winds. |
15.) Crestwood to Blue Island Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
16.) Peotone Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
17.) Oak Forest Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
18.) Flossmoor - Thornton Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: Mostly tree damage with some structural damage in Thornton. |
19.) Chicago: Near West Side Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: Extensive tree damage along the path, including some large trees uprooted. Also, some minor structural damage. |
20.) Chicago: Chicago Lawn - West Englewood Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: This tornado began on the southwest side of Marquette Park where several large willow trees were snapped near their bases. A concentrated corridor of tree damage continued northeast across the park and golf course. All of the EF-1 damage with this tornado took place within Marquette Park. Damage, primarily to trees, continued in a generally northeast path through the West Englewood neighborhood. The tornado lifted east of William Ogden Park. Sporadic damage, consistent with straight line winds, continued east all the way to the lakefront. |
21.) Chicago: West Town Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: An EF-0 tornado with peak winds around 85 mph started near N Kedzie Ave and W Augusta Blvd and continued southeastward before lifting near W Erie St and N Damen Ave. Damage along the path of the tornado consisted of uprooted trees, large downed tree branches, windows blown out of buildings, damage to roofing materials, and damaged siding of buildings. |
22.) Grant Park Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: (To be added later) |
23.) Cedar Lake - Valparaiso Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: This tornado touched down near Eagle Lake in eastern Will County, IL, producing damage to an outbuilding and several trees. The tornado continued east-northeast towards Cedar Lake, IN, where it damaged a chimney and garage of a home just east of US-41, resulting in the EF-1 rating. From here, the tornado continued northeast across the northern edge of Cedar Lake towards the southern edge of Crown Point, causing damage to trees along the way. The damage in Crown Point was mainly to trees, but an industrial building did sustain roof and siding damage as the tornado exited Crown Point near Indiana State Route 53. The tornado then continued across I-65 through eastern Lake County and into Porter County. Damage along this part of the path was to trees as the tornado had weakened a bit. However, the tornado did re-intensify as it tracked into Valparaiso, IN, where it continued to down large tree limbs and even caused damage to a home and vehicle as a result of fallen trees. The tornado lifted just north of Evans Avenue in Valparaiso east of Indiana State Route 49. This EF-1 tornado traveled 29.1 miles during its 28 minute lifespan, but caused no injuries or fatalities. One fatality in Cedar Lake was caused by straight-line winds south of the tornado's track downing a tree onto a house. |
24.) Shelby - Wheatfield Township Tornado
(click on image to enlarge) |
Summary: The tornado started to form just west of state route 55 north of Shelby, IN in Lake County and tracked east-northeast, crossing over I-65 and US Highway 231 into northern Jasper County before finally weakening in Wheatfield Township. Damage consisted of downed trees, large tree branches falling onto roofs, and roof paneling being peeled off a storage facility. |
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
EF0 Weak 65-85 mph | EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph | EF2 Significant 111-135 mph | EF3 Severe 136-165 mph | EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph | EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph |
When a tornado is known to have occurred but does not cause damage to any qualified damage indicators, or if the only damage is located in an area that is inaccessible to NWS storm survey personnel, then a tornado may be assigned the EF-Unknown (EF-U) rating.