Tornados Affecting Counties in Illinois and Indiana

On Sunday, June 20, a tornado struck the Chicago suburbs with dozens of crippled homes, toppled trees, and power outages left in its wake. The storm, which is now confirmed to have been an EF-1 Tornado (Enhanced Fujita Scale), reportedly had wind speeds nearing 100 miles per hour. Several people sustained injuries as a result of the disaster, including some who required hospitalization.

Initially touching down just after 11:00 PM near Woodridge, the tornado followed an eastward path towards Interstate 355, then headed toward the southwestern district of urban Chicago along the same trajectory. In Woodridge, there were 100 damaged buildings and at least three hospitalizations recorded. In nearby Naperville, eight individuals were hospitalized, and 130 homes were damaged, 20 of which were ultimately deemed uninhabitable.

The tornado was part of a series of storms affecting the rest of Illinois as well as Indiana. Tornado warnings circulated through the Illinoisan localities of Central Will County, Lake County, southwest Porter County, and northeast Newton County. In Indiana, officials transmitted storm alerts for northwest Jasper County and Porter County. Despite the precautions taken by the National Weather Service, there were no reported tornadoes in any of the noted areas; however, these locations did experience severe thunderstorms that were capable of producing tornadoes. As a result, residents encountered power outages and minor damage to a few buildings.

The tornado, ranked an EF-1 tornado, is classified using the Enhanced Fujita Scale, first implemented in February 2007. The scale assesses both measured wind speeds and physical impairment succeeding a tornado to approximate wind gust speeds and overall strength. The scale ranges from EF-0 (wind speed between 65 and 85 miles per hour with minimal property damage) to EF-5 (over 200 miles per hour with significant property damage). Introduced in 1971 by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita, the original scale ranged from F-0 through F-5 but placed greater weight on the aftermath over wind speed. Therefore, the Enhanced Fujita Scale is considered a more accurate reflection of severity due to its encompassing multiple tornado characteristics.

Although Sunday evening’s storm inflicted considerable devastation and injury, there was, fortunately, a lack of fatalities. The National Weather Service’s response and the efforts of local emergency task forces demonstrated the safety afforded by scientific knowledge on the topic of natural disasters, enabling actions such as weather warnings and crisis preparedness. As research continues in the realm of environmental disasters, community response to such events will only improve, thus creating a safer and more aware world. The correlation between research and protection is evident, and society must continue to support scientists in hopes of minimizing future disasters.

To address the damages that did occur, however, donations can be made at this time to The American Red Cross, which is providing immediate relief to tornado victims in Fairdale, Illinois. To help the Red Cross with relief efforts, you can donate by going to RedCross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.