Plainfield Tornado
Encyclopedia
The 1990 Plainfield tornado was a devastating tornado
that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 28, 1990. The violent tornado killed 29 people and injured 353. It is the only F5 tornado ever recorded in August and the only F5 tornado to ever strike the Chicago area. There are few known videos or photographs of the tornado.
s soared into the upper 70s °F. The presence of such a high dew point did not necessarily predict a severe thunderstorm outbreak; the prior day, similar conditions existed in northern Illinois with the exception of a warmer mid level troposphere
. A warmer atmosphere inhibits the rising of surface air through the atmosphere; a requirement for convective precipitation, that is, precipitation resultant from humid surface air ascending to condense in a cooler atmosphere
above, to occur. This warmer air aloft can describe either, or both, weak lapse rate
s thus weak instability or a capping inversion
.
The atmosphere on the 28th was significantly more unstable as the approach of a low-pressure system from the northwest cooled the mid levels (and also caused dynamic lifting) as instability continued to build in the capped, muggy environment, although the wind fields (strong, but out of the west-northwest and unidirectional) were not suitable for significant tornadic development. As a result of the very high low-level temperature and dew point, convective available potential energy
(CAPE) values were in excess of 8,000 J/kg; generally, values of 1,500 J/kg are considered to be moderately unstable, whereas values of more than 4,000 J/kg are considered "extreme". The lifted index
(LI), the dominant estimate of instability used at the time, was also extreme. Generally, an LI value of -6 °C or below readily supports severe thunderstorm development, but during the day the LI value ranged from -12 °C to -14 °C. Such extreme instability can lead to explosive thunderstorm development, very strong updrafts, and modulates the updraft to better enable tornadogenesis
.
Conditions were ripe for severe thunderstorm development, and with both low level and high level steering winds from the west-northwest, the National Severe Storms Forecast Center
issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch
for northern Illinois valid 1:30 p.m. through 8:00 p.m. CDT that night. The NSSFC predicted a derecho
-type event for later that night as rapidly developing thunderstorms along a cold front in Wisconsin
would be carried by the steering flow into the Chicago area. One of these storms developed supercell
ular characteristics south of Rockford
, steering 30 to 40 degrees to the right of prevailing steering winds. By now, mid-level steering winds had begun to veer, causing a wind profile slightly more favorable for tornadic development. This helped develop a high precipitation supercell.
The "HP" supercell produced multiple funnel sightings, hail damage, and damaging winds south of Rockford before heading southeast toward Will County and dropped a rain wrapped tornado. This is why many in the path did not see the actual tornado but more of a wall of water and dark clouds coming toward them. As the storm continued south it produced a 16-mile swath of damage ranging from F1 to F5. The National Weather Service in Rosemont, IL (serving all of Central and Northern Illinois at the time) did not issue a Tornado Warning until 10 minutes after the tornado had hit Plainfield. Using the traditional radar technology at the time (until the installation of NEXRAD Doppler Radar) the storm had a well defined "hook echo" meaning the radar was picking up the wrapping of the rain around the circulation of the tornado.
thunderstorm
, which initially formed in the vicinity of Janesville
in south central Wisconsin
, and produced a tornado near Pecatonica
in Winnebago County, Illinois
near Rockford which touched down at 1:42 p.m. That tornado did not live long, but the storm continued to move southeast towards the Aurora
area, but with no official touchdown and only minor roof damage.
Continuing to move to the southeast, the supercell spawned a tornado that touched down near Oswego
in Kendall County
, eventually and rapidly strengthening into a violent F5 tornado. The tornado traveled southeast into Wheatland Township Will County
, near the Wheatland Plains subdivision, northwest of Plainfield. At 3:30 p.m. CDT in Wheatland Township, the tornado damaged nearly all of the homes in a Wheatland Plains subdivision where there were several injuries, but no fatalities. 12 homes were destroyed in Wheatland Plains.
The tornado struck Plainfield, Illinois
around 3:28 p.m. Around 3:30 p.m., the tornado directly struck the Plainfield High School, killing three people, including a science teacher and two maintenance workers. Students who had been out practicing for the fall football programs ran into the high school to take shelter a few minutes before the storm hit. After an alarm was pulled by a dean in the main office, the volleyball players preparing for a game in the gymnasium rushed to the nearest door and took shelter in the hallway. It is reported that as soon as the last player was through the door, a coach quickly closed it, only for it to be immediately ripped back off by the storm. The gymnasium proceeded to fall apart and crash down filling the gap in the doorway. They took shelter in the same hallway as the football team, and once the tornado had passed, that was the only hallway left standing in the building.
The tornado then demolished the Plainfield School District Administration building, where the wife of a custodian was killed. The tornado crossed Route 59 (Division Street) and ripped into St. Mary Immaculate Church and school, claiming an additional 3 lives, including the principal of the school, a music teacher, and the son of the cook at the rectory. 55 homes were destroyed in Plainfield itself, and a strip mall and grocery store east of the high school and north of St. Mary Immaculate were damaged. Gravestones in the nearby cemetery were toppled.
The storm caught drivers by surprise on U.S. Route 30
just south of 143rd Street, where three drivers were killed.
The storm then worked its way southeast through the large city of Joliet
, damaging homes in the Crystal Lawns, Lily Cache and Warwick subdivisions killing 5 more people, one in Lily Cache subdivision of Plainfield, and two each in Crystal Lawns and Warwick subdivisions; an additional 3 people would later succumb from injuries sustained during the storm. The tornado ripped through the Grand Prairie Elementary School (Plainfield School District), causing significant damage. Observers watched from the doors at the Louis Joliet Mall, as the tornado passed just southwest of them. 69 homes were destroyed in Crystal Lawns, 75 homes were destroyed in Peerless Estates, 55 homes were destroyed in Lily Cache, and 50 homes were destroyed in Warwick. Most of the homes in Peerless Estates and Warwick were newly built.
The tornado then moved towards Crest Hill
. At 3:38 p.m. the storm ripped through the Crest Hill Lakes Apartment complex, where it caused F3 damage and claimed another eight lives, destroying one apartment building and half of another apartment building. Neither have been rebuilt. The tornado also ripped through the Colony West subdivision, destroying 12 townhomes, none of which have been rebuilt. A married couple died while in their car on Cedarwood Drive outside the apartment complex. The tornado then destroyed three apartment buildings on Elizabeth Court. Three more homes were destroyed in Bridalwreath, southeast of Elizabeth Court.
Further southeast, the tornado lost strength until lifting near Woodlawn Avenue and Campbell Street in Joliet. The parent thunderstorm continued until it crossed over the Indiana border, where it dissipated around 4:30 p.m.
The Plainfield Tornado caused over $140 million dollars worth of damage. As the storm tore through Plainfield, nine people were killed (one additional victim would die afterward, from carbon monoxide
poisoning, while guarding his home after the storm). The remaining victims were from Joliet and Crest Hill, in North Eastern Illinois. In all a total of 29 people would die because of the tornado. A total of 350 people were also injured in storm. This was the deadliest tornado event in the region since the Belvidere - Oak Lawn tornado outbreak of April 1967.
After the tornado, meteorologists studying tornadic patterns in the area found that a major tornado (F3 or higher) strikes Will County
about every 12 to 15 years. There have been no major tornadoes in the county since 1993. However, an F1 tornado swept through the historic Cathedral Area in the near west side of Joliet on April 20, 2004 (April 2004 Utica tornado outbreak). There was another tornado (EF0) in Plainfield in April 2007 that caused damage to a nursing home and a few homes. The twister lasted for three miles and ended up in Bolingbrook.
(Next Generation Radar) contributed greatly to the ability of meteorologists to recognize tornadic activity. Where previous generations of radar could show only reflectivity data and no direct information on air flows (although tornadic supercells and tornadic signatures such as the hook echo
and bounded weak echo region (BWER) were identifiable), NEXRAD contained the ability to detect the wind speed and direction inside the storm. The ability to see rotation inside a storm on both the microscale (tornadic) and mesoscale (supercellular) measurements has allowed forecasters to issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings in more timely fashion and with a higher probability of detection.
networks and the preparedness of these groups. Prior to 1990, the National Weather Service in Chicago was responsible for providing forecasts for the entire state of Illinois.
As the Chicago office was overwhelmed with its workload, no warnings were issued by the office until 2:32 p.m. — nearly an hour after the first tornado was sighted southeast of Rockford
. A second severe thunderstorm warning was issued almost an hour later at 3:23 p.m., but this provided no indication that a tornado was on the ground and did not mention the area where the tornado had tracked. No tornado warning was issued until after the tornado lifted.
According to the Chicago Tribune, NWS Chicago had "the worst record in the nation" for issuing warnings for severe storms, only issuing warnings 24% of the time when a warning was justifiable. Even today, many meteorologists refer to the "Plainfield Syndrome" as the idea that it's better to issue too many warnings and be wrong than to miss one critical warning, as was the case for the Plainfield Tornado. At some point after the 1990 tornado, the National Weather Service reduced the Chicago office's workload by creating an office in Romeoville, Illinois
and allowing offices in the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Missouri
, Indianapolis, Indiana
and Paducah, Kentucky
to issue forecasts for their respective areas.
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 28, 1990. The violent tornado killed 29 people and injured 353. It is the only F5 tornado ever recorded in August and the only F5 tornado to ever strike the Chicago area. There are few known videos or photographs of the tornado.
Atmospheric conditions
For late August standards, August 28 was a very humid, very warm day. Temperatures reached into the low 90s ºF (about 11 °F warmer than the normal of 79 °F), but dew pointDew point
The dew point is the temperature to which a given parcel of humid air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into liquid water. The condensed water is called dew when it forms on a solid surface. The dew point is a saturation temperature.The dew point is...
s soared into the upper 70s °F. The presence of such a high dew point did not necessarily predict a severe thunderstorm outbreak; the prior day, similar conditions existed in northern Illinois with the exception of a warmer mid level troposphere
Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth's atmosphere. It contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapor and aerosols....
. A warmer atmosphere inhibits the rising of surface air through the atmosphere; a requirement for convective precipitation, that is, precipitation resultant from humid surface air ascending to condense in a cooler atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
above, to occur. This warmer air aloft can describe either, or both, weak lapse rate
Lapse rate
The lapse rate is defined as the rate of decrease with height for an atmospheric variable. The variable involved is temperature unless specified otherwise. The terminology arises from the word lapse in the sense of a decrease or decline; thus, the lapse rate is the rate of decrease with height and...
s thus weak instability or a capping inversion
Capping inversion
A capping inversion is an elevated inversion layer that caps a convective boundary layer.The boundary layer is the part of the atmosphere which is closest to the ground. Normally, the sun heats the ground, which in turn heats the air just above it. Thermals form when this warm air rises into the...
.
The atmosphere on the 28th was significantly more unstable as the approach of a low-pressure system from the northwest cooled the mid levels (and also caused dynamic lifting) as instability continued to build in the capped, muggy environment, although the wind fields (strong, but out of the west-northwest and unidirectional) were not suitable for significant tornadic development. As a result of the very high low-level temperature and dew point, convective available potential energy
Convective available potential energy
In meteorology, convective available potential energy , sometimes, simply, available potential energy , is the amount of energy a parcel of air would have if lifted a certain distance vertically through the atmosphere...
(CAPE) values were in excess of 8,000 J/kg; generally, values of 1,500 J/kg are considered to be moderately unstable, whereas values of more than 4,000 J/kg are considered "extreme". The lifted index
Lifted index
The lifted index is the temperature difference between an air parcel lifted adiabatically Tp and the temperature of the environment Te at a given pressure height in the troposphere of the atmosphere, usually 500 hPa...
(LI), the dominant estimate of instability used at the time, was also extreme. Generally, an LI value of -6 °C or below readily supports severe thunderstorm development, but during the day the LI value ranged from -12 °C to -14 °C. Such extreme instability can lead to explosive thunderstorm development, very strong updrafts, and modulates the updraft to better enable tornadogenesis
Tornadogenesis
Tornadogenesis is the process by which a tornado forms. There are many types of tornadoes, and each type of tornado can have several different methods of formation. Scientific study is ongoing, as some aspects of tornado formation remain a mystery....
.
Conditions were ripe for severe thunderstorm development, and with both low level and high level steering winds from the west-northwest, the National Severe Storms Forecast Center
Storm Prediction Center
The Storm Prediction Center , located in Norman, Oklahoma, is tasked with forecasting the risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the contiguous United States. The agency issues convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and watches as a part of this process...
issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe thunderstorm watch
[File:Annual_severe_thunderstorm_watch_frequency_in_the_United_States.svg|thumb|right|300px|Map of average annual severe thunderstorm watches in the United States between 1999 and 2008.Legend:...
for northern Illinois valid 1:30 p.m. through 8:00 p.m. CDT that night. The NSSFC predicted a derecho
Derecho
A derecho is a widespread and long-lived, violent convectively induced straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms in the form of a squall line usually taking the form of a bow echo...
-type event for later that night as rapidly developing thunderstorms along a cold front in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
would be carried by the steering flow into the Chicago area. One of these storms developed supercell
Supercell
A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, continuously-rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms...
ular characteristics south of Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, steering 30 to 40 degrees to the right of prevailing steering winds. By now, mid-level steering winds had begun to veer, causing a wind profile slightly more favorable for tornadic development. This helped develop a high precipitation supercell.
The "HP" supercell produced multiple funnel sightings, hail damage, and damaging winds south of Rockford before heading southeast toward Will County and dropped a rain wrapped tornado. This is why many in the path did not see the actual tornado but more of a wall of water and dark clouds coming toward them. As the storm continued south it produced a 16-mile swath of damage ranging from F1 to F5. The National Weather Service in Rosemont, IL (serving all of Central and Northern Illinois at the time) did not issue a Tornado Warning until 10 minutes after the tornado had hit Plainfield. Using the traditional radar technology at the time (until the installation of NEXRAD Doppler Radar) the storm had a well defined "hook echo" meaning the radar was picking up the wrapping of the rain around the circulation of the tornado.
Event summary
The tornado formed from a supercellSupercell
A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, continuously-rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms...
thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
, which initially formed in the vicinity of Janesville
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
in south central Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and produced a tornado near Pecatonica
Pecatonica, Illinois
Pecatonica, Illinois is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 295,266, which is an increase of 6.1% from 278,418 in 2000...
near Rockford which touched down at 1:42 p.m. That tornado did not live long, but the storm continued to move southeast towards the Aurora
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
area, but with no official touchdown and only minor roof damage.
Continuing to move to the southeast, the supercell spawned a tornado that touched down near Oswego
Oswego, Illinois
Oswego is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 30,355. Its population has more than doubled since the 2000 census count of 13,326...
in Kendall County
Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and...
, eventually and rapidly strengthening into a violent F5 tornado. The tornado traveled southeast into Wheatland Township Will County
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
, near the Wheatland Plains subdivision, northwest of Plainfield. At 3:30 p.m. CDT in Wheatland Township, the tornado damaged nearly all of the homes in a Wheatland Plains subdivision where there were several injuries, but no fatalities. 12 homes were destroyed in Wheatland Plains.
The tornado struck Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 special census, the population is 37,334.The Village includes land in Plainfield and Wheatland townships. Part of Plainfield is located in Kendall County...
around 3:28 p.m. Around 3:30 p.m., the tornado directly struck the Plainfield High School, killing three people, including a science teacher and two maintenance workers. Students who had been out practicing for the fall football programs ran into the high school to take shelter a few minutes before the storm hit. After an alarm was pulled by a dean in the main office, the volleyball players preparing for a game in the gymnasium rushed to the nearest door and took shelter in the hallway. It is reported that as soon as the last player was through the door, a coach quickly closed it, only for it to be immediately ripped back off by the storm. The gymnasium proceeded to fall apart and crash down filling the gap in the doorway. They took shelter in the same hallway as the football team, and once the tornado had passed, that was the only hallway left standing in the building.
The tornado then demolished the Plainfield School District Administration building, where the wife of a custodian was killed. The tornado crossed Route 59 (Division Street) and ripped into St. Mary Immaculate Church and school, claiming an additional 3 lives, including the principal of the school, a music teacher, and the son of the cook at the rectory. 55 homes were destroyed in Plainfield itself, and a strip mall and grocery store east of the high school and north of St. Mary Immaculate were damaged. Gravestones in the nearby cemetery were toppled.
The storm caught drivers by surprise on U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 in Illinois
In the state of Illinois, U.S. Route 30 is an east–west arterial surface road in northern Illinois. It runs from across the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa to Lynwood at the Indiana state line. This is a distance of ....
just south of 143rd Street, where three drivers were killed.
The storm then worked its way southeast through the large city of Joliet
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, damaging homes in the Crystal Lawns, Lily Cache and Warwick subdivisions killing 5 more people, one in Lily Cache subdivision of Plainfield, and two each in Crystal Lawns and Warwick subdivisions; an additional 3 people would later succumb from injuries sustained during the storm. The tornado ripped through the Grand Prairie Elementary School (Plainfield School District), causing significant damage. Observers watched from the doors at the Louis Joliet Mall, as the tornado passed just southwest of them. 69 homes were destroyed in Crystal Lawns, 75 homes were destroyed in Peerless Estates, 55 homes were destroyed in Lily Cache, and 50 homes were destroyed in Warwick. Most of the homes in Peerless Estates and Warwick were newly built.
The tornado then moved towards Crest Hill
Crest Hill, Illinois
Crest Hill is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,329 at the 2000 census and the 2010 census population estimate was 20,867.-Geography:Crest Hill is located at...
. At 3:38 p.m. the storm ripped through the Crest Hill Lakes Apartment complex, where it caused F3 damage and claimed another eight lives, destroying one apartment building and half of another apartment building. Neither have been rebuilt. The tornado also ripped through the Colony West subdivision, destroying 12 townhomes, none of which have been rebuilt. A married couple died while in their car on Cedarwood Drive outside the apartment complex. The tornado then destroyed three apartment buildings on Elizabeth Court. Three more homes were destroyed in Bridalwreath, southeast of Elizabeth Court.
Further southeast, the tornado lost strength until lifting near Woodlawn Avenue and Campbell Street in Joliet. The parent thunderstorm continued until it crossed over the Indiana border, where it dissipated around 4:30 p.m.
The Plainfield Tornado caused over $140 million dollars worth of damage. As the storm tore through Plainfield, nine people were killed (one additional victim would die afterward, from carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
poisoning, while guarding his home after the storm). The remaining victims were from Joliet and Crest Hill, in North Eastern Illinois. In all a total of 29 people would die because of the tornado. A total of 350 people were also injured in storm. This was the deadliest tornado event in the region since the Belvidere - Oak Lawn tornado outbreak of April 1967.
Tornado table
| F# Fujita scale The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation... |
Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
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| F1 | SE of Pecatonica Pecatonica, Illinois Pecatonica, Illinois is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
Winnebago Winnebago County, Illinois Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 295,266, which is an increase of 6.1% from 278,418 in 2000... |
1842 | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
||
| F5 | Oswego Oswego, Illinois Oswego is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 30,355. Its population has more than doubled since the 2000 census count of 13,326... to Joliet Joliet, Illinois Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing... |
Kendall Kendall County, Illinois Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and... , Will Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... |
2030 | 16.4 miles (26.2 km) |
29 deaths | |
| Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
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| F2 | Komoka area | Middlesex Middlesex County, Ontario Middlesex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario. Landlocked, the county is bordered by Huron and Perth counties on the north, Oxford County on the east, Elgin County on the south, and Chatham-Kent and Lambton County on the west.The seat is the city of London, although the city... |
2110 | unknown | ||
| F3 | Frome/Port Stanley Port Stanley, Ontario Port Stanley is a community in the Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, Elgin County, located on the north shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Kettle Creek.-History:... area |
Elgin Elgin County, Ontario Elgin County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario with a current population of approximately 46,000. The county seat is St. Thomas.It consists of:*Town of Aylmer*Municipality of Bayham*Municipality of Central Elgin... |
2130 | unknown | ||
| F1 | Newtonville Newtonville, Ontario Newtonville is a community located in the Municipality of Clarington, Ontario, Canada. It is located about 30 km E of Oshawa and about 10 km west of Port Hope on the former Highway 2.... area |
Durham Durham County, Ontario Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,... |
2220 | unknown | ||
| Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
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| F1 | S of Petersburg Petersburg, Michigan Petersburg is a city in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,167 at the 2000 census. Petersburg is named after Richard Peters, who sold the land necessary to found the town in 1836. It was originally called Summerfield and Peters was its first postmaster, but it was... |
Monroe Monroe County, Michigan Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area... |
2150 | 15 miles (24 km) |
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| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
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| F0 | NW of Falconer Falconer, New York Falconer is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,540 at the 2000 census.The Village of Falconer is within the Town of Ellicott. Falconer is on the eastern edge of the City of Jamestown, New York.- History :... |
Chautauqua Chautauqua County, New York -Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394... |
2250 | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
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| F0 | W of Limestone Limestone, New York Limestone is a hamlet in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 411 at the 2000 census.... /Allegany State Park Allegany State Park Allegany State Park is a state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County just north of Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. It lies within the Allegheny Highlands forests ecoregion.The Red... |
Cattaraugus Cattaraugus County, New York Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:... |
2315 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F2 | E of Hector Hector, New York Hector is a town in the northeastern corner of Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 4,854 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Hector Ely, who at the time was the firstborn son of the town founders... |
Schuyler Schuyler County, New York As of the census of 2000, there were 19,224 people, 7,374 households, and 5,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile . There were 9,181 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile... |
2320 | 2.5 miles (4 km) |
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| F0 | Syracuse Syracuse, New York Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603... area |
Chautauqua Chautauqua County, New York -Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394... |
0001 | 6 miles (9.6 km) |
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| F1 | SW of Gulph | Herkimer Herkimer County, New York Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part... |
0020 | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
||
| F0 | SE of Duane Lake Duane Lake, New York Duane Lake is a census-designated place in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 357 at the 2000 census.The census designated place is named after a small lake in the south part of the Town of Duanesburg.-Geography:... |
Albany Albany County, New York Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204... |
0130 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) |
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| Sources: Tornado History Project Storm Data - August 28, 1990, 1990 Ontario tornadoes | ||||||
Tornado preparedness
The Plainfield Tornado challenged both meteorologists and citizens in terms of tornado preparedness. Substantial safety measures were enacted in the years following the tornado; among these are frequent and regular tornado drills performed in schools.After the tornado, meteorologists studying tornadic patterns in the area found that a major tornado (F3 or higher) strikes Will County
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
about every 12 to 15 years. There have been no major tornadoes in the county since 1993. However, an F1 tornado swept through the historic Cathedral Area in the near west side of Joliet on April 20, 2004 (April 2004 Utica tornado outbreak). There was another tornado (EF0) in Plainfield in April 2007 that caused damage to a nursing home and a few homes. The twister lasted for three miles and ended up in Bolingbrook.
Deployment of NEXRAD
The development of NEXRADNEXRAD
NEXRAD or Nexrad is a network of 159 high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of Commerce...
(Next Generation Radar) contributed greatly to the ability of meteorologists to recognize tornadic activity. Where previous generations of radar could show only reflectivity data and no direct information on air flows (although tornadic supercells and tornadic signatures such as the hook echo
Hook echo
The hook echo is one of the classical hallmarks of tornado-producing supercell thunderstorms as seen on a weather radar. The echo is produced by rain, hail, or even debris being wrapped around the supercell...
and bounded weak echo region (BWER) were identifiable), NEXRAD contained the ability to detect the wind speed and direction inside the storm. The ability to see rotation inside a storm on both the microscale (tornadic) and mesoscale (supercellular) measurements has allowed forecasters to issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings in more timely fashion and with a higher probability of detection.
Forecast criticism
In the months following the tornado, the National Weather Service was heavily criticized for providing no warning of the approaching tornado. The NOAA Disaster Survey Report was highly critical of the forecast process within the Chicago office as well as coordination with local spotterSkywarn
SKYWARN is a program of the United States' National Weather Service . Its mission is to collect reports of localized severe weather. These reports are used to aid forecasters in issuing and verifying severe weather watches and warnings and to improve the forecasting and warning processes and the...
networks and the preparedness of these groups. Prior to 1990, the National Weather Service in Chicago was responsible for providing forecasts for the entire state of Illinois.
As the Chicago office was overwhelmed with its workload, no warnings were issued by the office until 2:32 p.m. — nearly an hour after the first tornado was sighted southeast of Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. A second severe thunderstorm warning was issued almost an hour later at 3:23 p.m., but this provided no indication that a tornado was on the ground and did not mention the area where the tornado had tracked. No tornado warning was issued until after the tornado lifted.
According to the Chicago Tribune, NWS Chicago had "the worst record in the nation" for issuing warnings for severe storms, only issuing warnings 24% of the time when a warning was justifiable. Even today, many meteorologists refer to the "Plainfield Syndrome" as the idea that it's better to issue too many warnings and be wrong than to miss one critical warning, as was the case for the Plainfield Tornado. At some point after the 1990 tornado, the National Weather Service reduced the Chicago office's workload by creating an office in Romeoville, Illinois
Romeoville, Illinois
Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,153 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the population has grown to 36,837. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near the newly constructed I-355 extension south from the Stevenson Expressway to I-80...
and allowing offices in the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
to issue forecasts for their respective areas.
See also
- List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornado-related deaths at schools
- April 2004 Utica tornado outbreak — a similarly unexpected tornado outbreak caused largely by relatively minor changes in the surrounding meteorological environment.
External links
- Map of August 28, 1990 Tornadoes Tornado History Project
- Tornado Disaster -- Illinois, 1990 (CDC, MMWR 40(2); 33-36)
- Plainfield, IL Tornado 1990
- Video Clips of the Aftermath
- Plainfield Tornado History (Plainfield Public Library)
- Plainfield Tornado - 20 Years Later (WGNWGN-TVWGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
) - Reflections on the Plainfield tornado by Tom Skilling
- Federal Disaster Declaration (Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
)