The June 1990 Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak is a tornado outbreak that occurred in southern Illinois, central and southern Indiana, southwestern Ohio, and northern Kentucky on Saturday June 2 and Sunday June 3, 1990. By the end of the outbreak during the early morning hours on June 3, 66 tornadoes had struck the Ohio River Valley including seven of F4 intensity. One F4 tornado trekked 94 miles from southeastern Illinois into southern Indiana killing one person.
Thirty-seven tornadoes occurred in Indiana, a record for a single day. It eclipsed the previous record of 21 set during the Super Outbreak in April, 1974.[1] Twelve tornadoes struck Illinois.[2]
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The National Severe Storms Forecast Center put out a high risk for severe weather over much of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and northern Kentucky. A notable feature of this outbreak is that there was a sector of weak tornadoes north of Terre Haute, Indiana while a sector of strong and violent tornadoes developed south of the city. This could perhaps be attributed to the storms in central Indiana having weaker helicity—a measurement of storm rotation—resulting in many of the storms farther to the north being left-moving supercells. These types of supercells are generally weaker than their right-moving counterparts.
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
| 66 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | ||||||
| F0 | SW of Cantrill | Van Buren | 1635 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
One stick was sucked away. | |
| F2 | SW of Manchester | Van Buren | 1743 | 10.5 miles (16.8 km) |
Four fire sheds were taken off their foundation and a house was destroyed. | |
| F1 | S of Maquoketa | Jackson | 2012 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
One fire shed was slightly damaged: a door was ripped off and the power was cut off. | |
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F1 | N of Witcherville | Sebastian | 1700 | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
Severe damage to 29 homes. | |
| F0 | SE of Clarkedale | Crittenden | 0305 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
2 sticks were picked up and destroyed. | |
| Minnesota | ||||||
| F1 | S of Goodhue | Goodhue | 1750 | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
Tornado touchdown, A door was ripped off of a house | |
| Illinois | ||||||
| F2 | S of Findlay | Shelby | 2130 | 8 miles (12.8 km) |
75 homes were damaged or destroyed. | |
| F0 | SW of Arcola | Douglas | 2147 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
No damage. | |
| F1 | N of Casey | Clark | 2205 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
A house was destroyed. | |
| F1 | Springfield area (northern sections) | Sangamon | 2230 | 8 miles (12.8 km) |
125 sticks were swept up. | |
| F4 | Rinard to Olney | Wayne, Clay, Richland | 2245 | 23 miles (36.8 km) |
2 injuries - The Tornado formed in Wayne County, A woman was injured when the tornado sent her house flying—The tornado moved at a severe precaution rate where it damaged 400 houses in Wayne County—90 pivots were sucked up—one stick was sucked away—2 Fire sheds had severe damage—In Clay County, A basketball player was injured after the tornado blew his truck 50 feet into a field—450 houses were damaged or destroyed in Clay County—A pickup truck was thrown 60 feet into a river—And 3 Fire sheds had roofs taken off. | |
| F2 | SW of Wetzel, IL to NW of Montezuma, IN | Edgar, IL, Vermillion, IN | 2253 | 17.5 miles (28 km) |
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| F2 | SE of Logan, IL to NE of Bono, IN | Edgar, IL, Vermillion, IN | 2258 | 8 miles (12.8 km) |
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| F4 | Newton area | Jasper | 2307 | 12.5 miles (20 km) |
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| F4 | N of Aden, IL to NW of Orangeville, IN | Hamilton, IL, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Knox, IN, Gibson, Pike, Daviess, Martin, Orange, Lawrence | 2320 | 106 miles (169.6 km) |
1 death | |
| F1 | Oblong area | Jasper, Crawford | 2320 | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
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| F0 | S of Palestine | Crawford | 2340 | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
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| F2 | NE of Lawrenceville, IL | Lawrence, IL, Knox, IN | 2345 | 5 miles (8 km) |
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| Wisconsin | ||||||
| F2 | Fond du Lac area | Fond du Lac | 2200 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| F1 | SE of La Grange | Walworth | 2200 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) |
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| Indiana | ||||||
| F0 | NW of Dana | Vermillion | 2215 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| F0 | NW of Annapolis | Parke | 2223 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F0 | E of Waveland | Parke | 2228 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) |
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| F0 | SW of Minshall | Parke | 2245 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F0 | W of Fairbanks | Sullivan | 2245 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | E of Crawfordsville | Montgomery | 2250 | 10 miles (16 km) |
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| F0 | S of Hollandsburg | Parke | 2300 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) |
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| F1 | NW of Thorntown | Boone | 2310 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) |
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| F0 | NE of Georgetown | Cass | 2310 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F3 | Loogootee area | Daviess, Martin | 2319 | 7 miles (11.2 km) |
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| F1 | NE of Frankfort | Clinton | 2325 | 6 miles (9.6 km) |
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| F2 | S of Worthington | Greene | 2330 | 10 miles (16 km) |
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| F1 | SE of Lebanon | Boone | 2335 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F0 | E of Lebanon | Boone | 2337 | 6 miles (9.6 km) |
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| F1 | NE of Elizaville | Boone | 2343 | 7 miles (11.2 km) |
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| F4 | S of Hartleyville to E of Shawswick | Lawrence | 2350 | 11 miles (17.6 km) |
1 death | |
| F4 | Petersburg area | Gibson, Pike | 0017 | 13 miles (20.8 km) |
6 deaths | |
| F0 | E of Cicero | Hamilton | 0020 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) |
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| F2 | E of New Maysville | Putnam, Hendricks | 0030 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) |
1 death | |
| F2 | S of Wolflake | Noble | 0040 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) |
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| F1 | W of Orleans | Orange | 0054 | 11.5 miles (18.4 km) |
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| F1 | E of Reddington | Jackson, Jennings | 0055 | 10 miles (16 km) |
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| F2 | NE of Fleming to NE of Zenas | Jennings | 0105 | 18 miles (28.8 km) |
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| F0 | NW of Millhousen | Decatur | 0115 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F0 | Campbellsburg area | Washington | 0117 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) |
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| F4 | N of Worthington to W of Rockford | Jackson | 0120 | 18 miles (28.8 km) |
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| F2 | NW of Harristown | Washington | 0203 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) |
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| F3 | N of Plattsburg to NE of Five Points | Washington, Jackson, Scott, Jefferson | 0225 | 41 miles (65.6 km) |
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| F2 | NE of Nebraska to SE of New Alsace | Ripley, Dearborn | 0230 | 23 miles (36.8 km) |
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| F2 | N of Wyandotte | Crawford, Harrison | 0230 | 11 miles (17.6 km) |
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| F3 | E of Greenville to Sellersburg | Floyd, Clark | 0257 | 12 miles (19.2 km) |
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| F4 | NE of Yorkville, IN to Mason, OH | Dearborn, IN, Hamilton, OH, Butler, Warren | 0300 | 33 miles (52.8 km) |
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| F3 | SE of Marysville, IN to N of Bedford, KY | Clark, IN, Jefferson, Trimble, KY | 0340 | 17 miles (27.2 km) |
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| Kentucky | ||||||
| F1 | Flat Gap area | Johnson | 1900 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
An estimated $250,000 in damage was caused.[3] | |
| F1 | W of Maytown | Menifee | 2315 | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
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| F1 | N of Malone | Morgan | 2325 | 6 miles (9.6 km) |
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| F3 | La Grange area | Oldham, Henry | 0330 | 10 miles (16 km) |
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| F2 | N of Shelbyville | Shelby | 0414 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| F1 | N of Oakville | Logan | 0434 | 11 miles (17.6 km) |
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| F1 | S of Burlington | Boone | 0440 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) |
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| F1 | S of Franklinton | Henry | 0455 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| Michigan | ||||||
| F1 | NW of Oxbow | Newaygo | 2359 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
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| F1 | Hanover area | Jackson | 0030 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F2 | N of Guthrie to NE of Dexter | Washtenaw | 0110 | 15 miles (24 km) |
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| Ohio | ||||||
| F0 | Clarksville area | Clinton | 0445 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| F2 | SW of Saltair | Clermont | 0550 | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
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| Source: Tornado History Project - June 2, 1990 Storm Data | ||||||
| State | Deaths Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 | Edwards | 1 |
| Indiana | 8 | Lawrence | 1 |
| Pike | 6 | ||
| Putnam | 1 | ||
| Totals | 9 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
Petersburg, Indiana was the hardest hit town affected by the outbreak. It was one of two towns in Indiana that were hit by an F4 tornado. Six of the 12 people killed in Indiana were in Petersburg.
Other hard hit towns were Bedford, Indiana and Newton, Illinois. Bedford was the other town struck by an F4 tornado. One person was killed and nearly 50 more were injured. Newton also received extensive damage, but no one was killed.