Veterans Day Weekend tornado outbreak of 2002
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations. |
 |
|
| Date of tornado outbreak: | November 9 - November 11, 2002 |
| Duration1: | ~36 hours, majority of the tornadoes occurred on November 10, 2002 |
| Maximum rated tornado2: | F4 Van Wert Co., OH tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | 83 confirmed |
| Damages: | $160+ million |
| Fatalities: | 36, 1:6 ratio |
| Areas affected: | Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee Northeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Far Western Virginia, West Virginia |
|
1Time from first tornado to last tornado |
|
The Veterans Day Weekend Tornado Outbreak was a massive, rare outbreak of storms that occurred from the late afternoon hours on November 9 through the early morning hours on Veterans Day, November 11, 2002. Eighty-three tornadoes hit 17 states. Twelve tornadoes killed 36 people in five states. This was the first major outbreak of the 21st century, and is the second biggest in November.
Contents |
[edit] Autumn tornado season
The Midwest has two tornado seasons, one in the spring and less intense and more sporadic one in autumn. During the autumn season, the upper atmospheric dynamics are once again more often conducive for major tornado outbreaks. Upper atmospheric temperatures cool down as the calendar shifts towards winter and jet stream winds increase, as does intensity of low pressure systems.
[edit] Outbreak synopsis
The outbreak began in Arkansas in the late afternoon hours on Saturday, November 9, 2002. However, the brunt of the outbreak was on November 10. It began around 2 P.M. in Indiana and became widespread from Mississippi up through Ohio in the afternoon. Seventeen died in Tennessee, 12 in Alabama, 5 in Ohio, and 1 each in Pennsylvania and Mississippi.
The most notable and photogenic tornado of the outbreak was the one that occurred at Van Wert, Ohio. Van Wert has been hit before. The last time they were hit was during the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak. That tornado was an F4. During this outbreak, a theater was destroyed at around 3:30 P.M. The walls and roof were damaged or destroyed by the tornado and three cars were thrown into the front seats which minutes earlier had been completely filled with people. This very large tornado was also rated F4. This was the farthest north and east such an intense tornado has occurred that late in the year. Notably, no one was killed at the packed theater because the manager received warning via NOAA Weather Radio and evacuated everyone to safer shelter.
The lead time of this tornado was approximately 28 minutes. A tornado warning went out for Van Wert County at 3:02 P.M. This tornado outbreak was particularly noted because of the massive lead times on all the tornadoes, but there was a slight dispute because the northern tornadoes (such as Van Wert) occurred in severe thunderstorm watch boxes.
This outbreak was exceptional because of its extremely long duration, extremely large area effected, and very large number of tornadoes and intense tornadoes. It is among the most productive tornado events in recorded history.
The 2002 tornado season in perspective was extremely slow, the slowest the U.S. has seen since 1988. The year was due to have only one-quarter of the national average this year, but due to the sudden burst of tornado activity between November 5 and December 18, 2002 had one of the most active fall seasons in U.S. history.
[edit] Summary of the outbreak in Ohio
On November 10, 2002 tornadoes were reported in several counties of Ohio including Putnam County and Van Wert County. All schools in Van Wert County were cancelled on November 11 (including Van Wert City Schools, Crestview, and Lincolnview schools). Van Wert city schools were closed on the twelfth and thirteenth. The schools were also delayed on November 14 and 15th.
The tornado reported in Van Wert County in 2002 was a violent F4 tornado with 2 fatalities. There were also reported tornadoes in Paulding County and Putnam County in Ohio. Both of these tornadoes were a severe F3 tornado and there were 2 fatalities near Continental, Ohio. Overall, five people were killed because of these violent storms in Van Wert, Putnam, and Seneca County.
Governor Bob Taft declared a state of emergency for Van Wert County and Ottawa County because of the violent tornadoes that rocked northwest Ohio. The National Weather Service made sure the warnings were issued well in advance on November 10, 2002.
[edit] US Reaction
The national news stations covered the situation and local stations for months (still today).
[edit] Tornado table
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
| 83 | 20 | 34 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
[edit] November 9, 2002
| F# | Location | County | Time (CDT) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F2 | W of Osceola, AR to NE of Covington, TN | Cross, AR, Crittenden, Mississippi, Tipton, TN | 2115 | 50.6 miles (81 km) | In Arkansas, 2 farm houses and a mobile home were destroyed while a church, five homes and three mobile homes were damaged. Several other farm buildings were damaged along with trees and power lines being blown down. In Tennessee, 28 mobile homes, 5 houses and one business were destroyed. Over 275 other structures were damaged and one injury was recorded. | |
| Tennessee | ||||||
| F2 | NE of Belis | Crockett | 2215 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Six mobile homes and four houses were destroyed. Over 60 other structures were damaged | |
| F2 | SW of Huntingdon | Carroll | 2226 | 10 miles (16 km) | 2 deaths The two fatalities were recorded in a mobile home park that was hit by a tornado. In addition to destroyed mobile homes, three houses, two businesses and a farm building were destroyed. 40 other structures were damaged. | |
| F1 | NW of Jackson | Madison | 0010 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Tornado hit a subdivision and several buildings of Union University were heavily damaged. One home was destroyed and 140 others damaged as well as 500 cars around the campus area. The same area was hit by an EF4 tornado during the Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak on February 5, 2008. | |
| F0 | E of Clarksville | Montgomery | 0050 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Damaged limited to trees | |
| F1 | S of Adams (1st tornado) | Montgomery | 0100 | 0.3 mile (0.5 km) | 2 deaths The fatalities were inside one of three mobile homes that were blown or lifted off its foundation. 60 homes and one building were damaged. | |
| F0 | S of Adams (2nd tornado) | Montgomery | 0105 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F2 | W of Portland | Sumner | 0200 | 2.6 miles (4.2 km) | 7 homes, one business and 7 mobile homes were destroyed, 18 outbuildings, 16 barns, 29 homes, eight mobile homes, two churches and one business suffered minor to major damage. A building in an industrial park near Portland sustained heavy damage as well. 6 injuries were recorded. | |
| Missouri | ||||||
| F0 | N of Jackson | Cape Girardeau | 2258 | 0.8 mile (1.3 km) | A trailer was destroyed while one metal barn and a few homes had roof/shingle damage | |
| Kentucky | ||||||
| F1 | SW of Scottsville | Allen | 0200 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | One mobile home tumbled down a large hill while additional minor structural damage was reported. | |
| Sources:Storm Data, November 9, 2002 | ||||||
[edit] November 10, 2002 event
| F# | Location | County | Time (CDT) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | ||||||
| F1 | SW of Hartford | Blackford | 1330 | 5 miles (8 km) | One home and two mobile homes were destroyed while a supermarket and a motel was damaged. 3 people were injured. | |
| F0 | S of Bluffton | Wells | 1346 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Damage to two outbuildings | |
| F3 | NE of Berne | Adams | 1359 | 5 miles (8 km) | A mobile home was destroyed and there was extensive damage to well built homes and barns. | |
| Illinois | ||||||
| F0 | N of De Soto | Jackson | 1332 | 9 miles (14.4 km) | Minor shingle damage to a barn and trees were also damaged | |
| F0 | W of West Frankfort | Franklin | 1341 | 0.5 mile (0.8 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| Ohio | ||||||
| F4 | SW of Van Wert to SE of Napoleon | Van Wert, Paulding, Putnam, Defiance, Henry | 1415 | 52.8 miles (84.5 km) | 4 deaths In Van Wert County, 164 homes and 27 businesses were damaged including 43 homes and 5 businesses that were destroyed. Fatalities in that county were from a thrown car and a destroyed home. A cinema in Van Wert was heavily damaged and three county engineer buildings were destroyed. In Paulding County, only one structure was left standing in Roselms. In Putnam County, two people were killed inside a mobile home that was thrown and destroyed. In Defiance County, five homes were damaged slightly while damage in Henry County was limited to outbuildings and trees. 17 others were injured by the tornado, all in Van Wert County. | |
| F3 | E of Bellefontaine | Logan, Union | 1538 | 9 miles (14.4 km) | Two semi-trailers and a shed roof were damaged in Logan County while in Union County, nine homes were damaged, four of them destroyed. A modular home, several barns, sheds and cars were also destroyed. A 400-foot metal hi-tension cellular tower toppled causing extensive vehicular damaged. 2 people were injured inside the modular home. | |
| F1 | W of Richwood | Union | 1551 | 0.5 mile (0.8 km) | Damage to a barn and a home. | |
| F1 | E of Cygnet | Wood | 1554 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) | Three garages, one barn and a city maintenance garage in and around Jerry City were destroyed. Nine homes were also damaged including one home which it was moved off its foundation. | |
| F2 | N of Fostoria | Hancock, Seneca | 1557 | 9 miles (14.4 km) | Eight homes were destroyed and many others severely damaged as the tornado began 1 mile southwest of the city and cut a path running in a northeasterly direction through Fostoria to a point almost 5 miles northeast of town. One fertilizer plant southwest of town near the tornado's origination was completely destroyed, two businesses were heavily damaged and several barns were either destroyed or damaged. Two railroad cars were derailed when they were blown over near the Tiffin St crossing on the west side of town and a storage tank was damaged. Also in Fostoria, the hospital sustained damage while at the airport an administrative building and a hangar were damaged. | |
| F0 | Marion | Marion | 1610 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F0 | SE of Perrysburg | Wood | 1610 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Brief touchdown with no damage | |
| F3 | SE of Tiffin | Seneca | 1615 | 21 miles (33.6 km) | 1 death Second tornado that hit the town of Tiffin with the Honey Creek subdivision been heavily impacted as six homes were destroyed and several others damaged. Numerous other structures throughout the town were destroyed or damaged. Near Republic, one person was killed when a house was swept off its foundation. Across Seneca County, 32 homes and businesses were destroyed and nearly 80 others damaged by this tornado. | |
| F1 | NW of Millbury | Wood | 1619 | 0.5 mile (0.8 km) | Five homes sustained roof damage | |
| F1 | Fremont | Sandusky | 1620 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | Several homes had minor to moderate damage while a motor home and seven barns were destroyed. Several antique cars inside a barn were also destroyed. | |
| F2 | Port Clinton | Ottawa | 1630 | 10 miles (16 km) | 24 homes and 16 apartments were destroyed while 140 others structures were damaged some of them very heavily. 4 people were injured. The Port Clinton hospital and high school were also damaged. | |
| F1 | W of Norwalk | Huron | 1642 | 7.5 miles (12 km) | A few barns were destroyed while a few homes also sustained damaged. The Lyme Township hall was heavily damaged as well as its garage and several trucks and heavy equipment were destroyed. | |
| F1 | SW of Ontario | Richland | 1645 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A cinder block building was leveled and there was extensive damage to one home. | |
| F2 | W of West Salem | Ashland, Medina | 1648 | 9.5 miles (15.2 km) | 5 homes were destroyed, about 40 others were damaged as well as other structures. The steeple of a church was also toppled and a couple of public buildings were damaged in Polk. In Medina County, an auto shop and a barn were destroyed and several homes were damaged at varying degrees. | |
| F1 | NW of Milan | Erie | 1650 | 5 miles (8 km) | Several barns were destroyed and a few homes were damaged. Transmission poles were also toppled. | |
| F2 | SE of West Salem | Wayne | 1720 | 5 miles (8 km) | Two homes were destroyed, three others severely damaged while several others had minor damage. | |
| F1 | W of Massillon | Stark | 1727 | 3.3 miles (5.3 km) | 23 structures sustained damage including homes and businesses. | |
| F2 | Macedonia to Twinsburg | Summit | 1800 | 3.3 miles (5.3 km) | Several homes were destroyed and a total of over 100 homes were damaged at varying degrees. | |
| F1 | SE of Solon | Cuyahoga | 1808 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Over 100 homes, a middle school and a business were damaged | |
| F1 | W of West Union | Adams | 1915 | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) | One barn was destroyed while a church, three barns and two homes were damaged. | |
| Georgia | ||||||
| F0 | NW of Macon | Bibb, Monroe | 1621 | 0.8 mile (1.3 km) | Minor shingle damage to homes although some homes were damaged by fallen trees. | |
| F2 | S of Adairsville | Bartow | 0035 | 12 miles (19.2 km) | Seven chicken houses and a barn were destroyed killing 7500 chickens. About 15 homes were damaged | |
| F2 | W of Dawsonville | Cherokee, Pickens, Dawson | 0048 | 23 miles (36.8 km) | 28 homes, two mobile homes, two businesses and several other structures were destroyed while over 150 other homes and two churches had varying levels of damage. Several livestocks were killed and 13 people were injured including 3 at a popular restaurant. | |
| Tennessee | ||||||
| F0 | N of Sunbright | Morgan | 1735 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F1 | SW of Huntsville | Scott | 1740 | 4.1 miles (6.6 km) | Several homes were damaged | |
| F0 | SE of Milan | Carroll | 1740 | 0.3 mile (0.5 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F1 | N of Manchester (1st tornado) | Coffee | 1742 | 4.1 miles (6.6 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F2 | E of Shelbyville | Bedford, Coffee | 1745 | 5 miles (8 km) | 5 homes and a mobile home were destroyed and 6 homes were damaged. A TVA tower was also toppled and 3 injuries were recorded. | |
| F1 | SE of Huntsville | Scott | 1750 | 4.2 miles (6.7 km) | 24 homes, six mobile homes, one modular home and one business were damaged, three of the mobiles destroyed. | |
| F0 | N of Medon | Madison | 1755 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | A barn was destroyed and a mobile home and a tavern were damaged | |
| F2 | N of Manchester (2nd tornado) | Coffee | 1852 | 12.3 miles (19.7 km) | 2 deaths The two fatalities occurred inside a mobile home. 24 homes and 9 mobiles were destroyed, while 51 homes, 5 mobile homes and 14 outbuildings were damaged. | |
| F1 | S of Crab Orchard | Cumberland | 1908 | 3.4 miles (5.4 km) | A tractor trailer was blown onto its side. | |
| F3 | NW of Oliver Springs | Morgan | 1931 | 8.3 miles (13.3 km) | 7 deaths 63 homes were damaged, 24 were destroyed. 18 mobile homes were damaged, 12 other destroyed. 28 people were injured | |
| F2 | S of Lake City | Anderson | 1954 | 5.5 miles (8.8 km) | 32 homes were damaged, 3 destroyed. 9 mobile homes were damaged. | |
| F2 | N of Spencer | Van Buren | 2010 | 2.9 miles (4.6 km) | A frame house was destroyed | |
| F1 | NW of Pikeville | Bledsoe | 2030 | 6.2 miles (9.9 km) | Five homes were damaged | |
| F0 | S of Crossville(1st tornado) | Cumberland | 2046 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Weak tornado with no damage | |
| F3 | S of Crossville (2nd tornado) | Cumberland | 2143 | 12.2 miles (19.5 km) | 4 deaths 33 homes and mobile homes were destroyed, 128 other damaged. One public building was also damaged. All fatalities occurred inside mobile homes. | |
| Alabama | ||||||
| F3 | N of Fayette to S of Arley | Fayette, Walker, Winston | 1852 | 44.3 miles (70.9 km) | 4 deaths An elementary school and several homes were heavily damaged. Close to 40 people were injured. | |
| F3 | NE of Fayette to E of Cullman | Fayette, Walker, Winston, Cullman | 2015 | 72.6 miles (116.2 km) | 7 deaths Close to 500 structures were damaged or destroyed | |
| F1 | SE of Berry | Fayette | 2110 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | A lumber mill and a mobile home were damaged | |
| F1 | Dora | Walker | 2138 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | Several structures in Dora were damaged including roof damage to homes. | |
| F2 | W of Bessemer | Tuscaloosa, Jefferson | 2222 | 15.2 miles (24.3 km) | A manufacturing facility was damaged. Several homes and businesses sustained varying degree of damage. | |
| F1 | S of Allgood | Blount, Etowah | 2222 | 10.6 miles (17 km) | Several structures were damaged. Two cows were killed by falling trees. | |
| F1 | N of Steele | St. Clair | 2241 | 3.2 miles (5.1 km) | Three homes were damaged | |
| F2 | SE of Centre | Cherokee | 2320 | 10.5 miles (16.8 km) | 1 death 88 homes were damaged or destroyed. 4 people were injured. | |
| Pennsylvania | ||||||
| F2 | Sharpsville | Mercer | 1854 | 7 miles (11.2 km) | 1 death 15 homes were destroyed while 42 homes sustained minor to major damage. One business was destroyed another one damaged. | |
| F1 | Cochranton | Crawford | 1930 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A barn and a cottage were destroyed while three homes and a barn were damaged. | |
| Mississippi | ||||||
| F3 | S of Columbus | Lowndes, MS, Lamar, AL | 1908 | 29.2 miles (46.7 km) | One home was de-roofed in Alabama while 60 homes were heavily damaged in Columbus, Mississippi and several buildings at the Mississippi University for Women and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science were heavily damaged. 55 people were injured. | |
| F1 | Crawford, Mississippi | Winston, MS, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Pickens, AL | 1920 | 49 miles (78.4 km) | 1 death Damage in Alabama was limited to trees but several homes were destroyed in Mississippi. | |
| F2 | E of Pickens | Attala, Leake | 1930 | 10 miles (16 km) | One home and a barn were damaged | |
| F1 | N of New Hope | Lowndes, MS, Pickens, AL | 1936 | 9.5 miles (15.2 km) | Damage in both states was limited to trees | |
| F1 | S of Louisville | Winston | 2020 | 15 miles (24 km) | Two mobile homes were destroyed while several homes and outbuildings were damaged | |
| F1 | SE of Canton | Madison | 2034 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F1 | S of Columbia | Marion | 0050 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | One mobile home was destroyed while a mobile home and house were damaged. | |
| Kentucky | ||||||
| F0 | N of Liberty | Casey | 1930 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F0 | SE of Hustonville | Lincoln | 1945 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| Louisiana | ||||||
| F1 | NW of Covington | St. Tammany | 0055 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Three homes and a few outbuildings were damaged. | |
| Sources:Storm Data, November 10, 2002 | ||||||
[edit] November 11, 2002 event
| F# | Location | County | Time (CDT) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | ||||||
| F0 | S of Piedmont | Anderson, Greenville | 0422 | 6 miles (9.6 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| F1 | S of Simpsonville | Greenville | 0430 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | One hotel sustained extensive damage to its roof while outbuildings, a scoreboard and fences were destroyed. Other structures sustained damage and 2 tractor trailers were blown over | |
| F0 | NW of Troy | McCormick | 0445 | 9 miles (14.4 km) | Damage limited to trees but 2 people were injured by a tree crushing a vehicle. | |
| F0 | S of Willington | McCormick | 0520 | 5 miles (8 km) | Damage to trees and power lines | |
| F1 | W of Newberry | Newberry | 0542 | 1.5 mile (2.4 km) | Damage to trees and power lines | |
| F1 | N of Little Mountain | Newberry | 0635 | 1.2 mile (1.9 km) | A few homes sustained minor damage while a shed was blown down | |
| Georgia | ||||||
| F0 | NW of Lincolnton | Lincoln | 0515 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Damage limited to trees | |
| Sources:Storm Data for November 11, 2002 | ||||||
[edit] See also
| State | Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 | Cherokee | 1 |
| Walker | 10 | ||
| Winston | 1 | ||
| Mississippi | 1 | Lowndes | 1 |
| Ohio | 5 | Putnam | 2 |
| Seneca | 1 | ||
| Van Wert | 2 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 1 | Mercer | 1 |
| Tennessee | 17 | Carroll | 2 |
| Coffee | 2 | ||
| Cumberland | 4 | ||
| Montgomery | 2 | ||
| Morgan | 7 | ||
| Totals | 36 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Veterans Day Tornado Outbreak (NWS Birmingham, AL)
- November 10, 2002 (NWS Huntsville, AL)
- Severe Weather Event - November 10-11, 2002 (NWS Jackson, MS)
- Tornadoes in Middle Tennessee on November 10, 2002 (NWS Nashville, TN)
- Tornadoes devastate parts of northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana (NWS Northern Indiana)
- Severe Weather Outbreak - November 10, 2002 (Midwestern Regional Climate Center)
- NWS Service Assessment
- The severe weather outbreak of 10 November 2002: Lightning and radar analysis of storms in the deep South (22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society)
- Video of the Van Wert, Ohio F4 tornado, from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
|
|||||
