Washington, The Most Evil Tornado Ever Recorded
Summary
TLDROn November 17, 2013, a devastating tornado struck Washington, Illinois, causing unprecedented destruction for the month. Despite the rare occurrence of tornadoes in November, especially in the Midwest, the Storm Prediction Center issued a high risk warning due to a powerful jet streak and warm, moist air. The tornado, initially an EF2, intensified to an EF4, leveling over 1,000 homes and causing $950 million in damages. Remarkably, the low death toll of three is attributed to early warnings by the National Weather Service and the presence of basements in homes. The community's resilience was evident as locals began rebuilding immediately, although they were denied federal aid by FEMA due to an outdated formula.
Takeaways
- đȘïž On November 17th, 2013, a powerful tornado devastated Washington, Illinois, causing extensive damage and loss of life.
- đ The tornado occurred in mid-November, an unusual time for such severe weather in the Midwest, highlighting the unpredictability of tornadoes.
- đš Meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare high risk warning for tornadoes, indicating a 30% chance, particularly for Illinois and Indiana.
- đ The tornado had a significant impact on residential areas, destroying over 1,000 homes and causing approximately $950 million in damages.
- đ€ Despite the severity of the tornado, the death toll was relatively low at three, attributed to effective warnings and the presence of basements in homes.
- đĄ Satellite imagery revealed cycloidal markings left by the tornado, indicative of sub-vortices within the tornado that caused concentrated destruction.
- đ The National Weather Service played a crucial role in minimizing casualties by issuing timely tornado warnings, allowing people to seek shelter.
- đ The town of Washington was directly in the tornado's path, with residents like Matt Wells capturing the event, showing the tornado's immense power.
- đïž The tornado's path of destruction extended over 45 miles, affecting multiple towns and causing widespread devastation.
- đ The community of Washington came together in the aftermath, cleaning up debris and supporting those who lost their homes.
- đ« Despite the significant impact, FEMA denied a $26 million grant for recovery efforts, citing a rule that the disaster did not meet the threshold for federal aid.
Q & A
What was the date of the Washington, Illinois tornado event described in the script?
-The Washington, Illinois tornado event took place on the morning of November 17th, 2013.
What were the two infamous tornadoes that occurred in Oklahoma City in May 2013?
-The two infamous tornadoes that occurred in the Oklahoma City area in May 2013 were the Moore EF5 and the 2.6-mile wide El Reno Beast.
Why was there a high risk of tornadoes forecasted for mid-November, which is not typically a tornado season in the Midwest?
-In mid-November, forecasters were monitoring a powerful jet streak overlapping an area with extremely warm and moist air in Illinois and Indiana, despite it being mid-November, which led to the Storm Prediction Center issuing a rare high risk for a 30% chance of tornadoes.
What was the initial speed and direction of the tornado that touched down near the city of Poria, Illinois?
-The tornado initially moved Northeast at a speed of 52 mph after touching down right on the Illinois River.
What was the first town the tornado hit after crossing the Illinois River?
-The first town the tornado hit after crossing the Illinois River was the town of Pon, Illinois.
How did the tornado affect the town of Pin, Illinois, and what was the damage level?
-The tornado affected over 179 homes and six businesses in Pin, Illinois, injuring 10 residents and causing EF2 level damage.
What was the significance of the secondary vortex merging with the main tornado?
-The secondary vortex merging with the main tornado rapidly intensified it, making an already bad situation even worse and leading to an unbroken swath of high-end EF4 level damage.
What was the final damage cost of the Washington tornado in terms of dollars?
-The final damage cost of the Washington tornado was about $950 million, making it one of the top 10 costliest tornadoes at the time.
Why did FEMA deny the request for federal aid for the town of Washington after the tornado?
-FEMA denied the request for federal aid because the threshold required for FEMA to approve the aid is equal to 1.35 times the state population, and the rule was not met given the Illinois state population at the time.
What was the death toll of the Washington tornado, and what factors contributed to the low number?
-The death toll of the Washington tornado was three people. Factors contributing to the low number included the remarkable job done by the meteorologists at the National Weather Service who issued warnings well ahead of time, and the quality of construction in Washington, where most homes had basements providing a safe place for residents.
How did the town of Washington recover after the tornado, and what challenges did they face?
-The town of Washington recovered by locals getting to work cleaning up the debris, donating supplies, and housing those who lost their homes. However, they faced challenges when FEMA denied their request for federal aid, which highlighted the need for reform in federal disaster aid laws.
Outlines
đȘïž Tornado Devastation in Washington, Illinois
On November 17, 2013, Washington, Illinois, was struck by a powerful tornado, an event captured by Matt Wells. The tornado, one of the most unexpected for the region in November, was part of a severe weather pattern that had been building due to a powerful jet streak and warm, moist air. Despite the unusual timing, the Storm Prediction Center had issued a high risk warning for tornadoes. The tornado touched down near the Illinois River and moved northeast at 52 mph, causing EF2 damage in the town of Pin, injuring 10 residents. A second tornado, stronger than the first, developed and approached the town of Washington, where residents were urged to take shelter. The National Weather Service's timely warning likely saved many lives, but the tornado's intensity and speed led to significant destruction and the first victim, Steve Newow, who was unable to reach shelter in time.
đč Witness Accounts and the Tornado's Intensity
The narrative of the Washington tornado is further detailed through the accounts of residents and the video evidence captured during the event. Gary, who initially recorded the tornado, sought shelter in a bank as the storm intensified. The tornado's strength increased with the merging of a secondary vortex, leading to EF4 damage and the tragic death of Army veteran Charles C. The tornado's path through Washington was well-documented by residents like Greg Berkin, who filmed the tornado's raw power, and Chris Lancaster, who narrowly escaped injury despite his home's destruction. The tornado's aftermath was characterized by cycloidal markings, indicative of the sub-vortices within the tornado, and the event was part of a broader outbreak that saw 77 tornadoes on November 17th, 2013.
đïž Recovery and the Aftermath of the Tornado
In the wake of the tornado, the community of Washington came together to rebuild. Despite the denial of federal aid by FEMA due to an outdated threshold for disaster assistance, the locals worked tirelessly to clear debris and support those who lost their homes. The town's recovery efforts were remarkable, and the National Weather Service was credited for its role in minimizing casualties through effective warning systems. The Washington tornado stands out for its low death toll of three, a testament to the community's preparedness and the quality of construction, particularly the presence of basements that provided safe shelter.
đ Resilience and Lessons from the Washington Tornado
The Washington tornado serves as a case study in community resilience and the importance of accurate weather forecasting. The town's recovery was a demonstration of collective effort and determination, with the mayor advocating for FEMA reform to better support large states in the future. The low death toll, attributed to the National Weather Service's early warning and the structural integrity of homes with basements, highlights the significance of preparedness and construction standards in disaster mitigation. Washington's recovery also underscores the need for federal policies that reflect the realities of modern disaster patterns and the diverse needs of affected communities.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄTornado
đĄDebris
đĄEF5
đĄSuper Cell
đĄNational Weather Service
đĄWashington, Illinois
đĄFEMA
đĄJet Streak
đĄSub-Vortices
đĄRecovery Efforts
Highlights
Matt Wells witnessed a powerful tornado in Washington, Illinois on November 17th, 2013.
Millions of debris pieces orbited the tornado, indicating its immense power.
Matt escaped the tornado's path, unlike many others in town.
Two infamous tornadoes, Moore EF5 and El Reno, struck Oklahoma City in May 2013.
November is not typically a month for tornadoes, especially in the Midwest.
Storm Prediction Center issued a rare high risk for tornadoes in mid-November due to a powerful jet streak and warm, moist air.
The first tornado warning was issued for a dominant Super Cell near Poria, Illinois.
Tornado touched down on the Illinois River and moved towards the town of Pon.
Tornado warnings by the National Weather Service likely prevented greater loss of life.
A second tornado formed, stronger than the previous one, causing EF2 damage in Pin, Illinois.
The tornado intensified as a secondary vortex merged with the main circulation.
Charles C, an Army veteran, was critically injured and later died from his injuries.
Greg Berkin captured one of the most incredible tornado videos, showcasing the tornado's raw power.
The tornado demolished every home in its path in Washington, Illinois.
Matt Wells recorded the tornado's aftermath, showing millions of debris pieces.
The tornado left cycloidal markings, a signature of its power and path.
Over 1,000 homes were destroyed, causing nearly $1 billion in damage.
FEMA denied a $26 million grant for Washington, citing a rule that did not consider the disaster significant enough.
The low death count of three is attributed to effective warnings and quality construction.
Washington has fully recovered, with no visible signs of the tornado's path.
Transcripts
on the morning of November 17th 2013
Matt Wells would witness one of the most
frightening things anyone can ever see a
powerful tornado tearing up his hometown
of Washington
[Music]
Illinois if we look a little bit closer
we can see millions of pieces of debris
orbiting around the
tornado thankfully Matt was able to
escape from the path of the tornado but
that was not the case for everyone in
town
holy
this is the full story of the
Washington
tornado 6 months earlier in May of 2013
two of the most infamous tornadoes would
touch down in the Oklahoma City area the
Moore EF5 in the 2.6 M wide eleno Beast
while both of these tornadoes were
extremely unique they did both occur in
May by far the most active month for
severe weather in the United States and
as the year Drew on summer came and went
leading to fall a season that's not
typically associated with tornadoes
especially in the midwest however in mid
November the forecasters at the Storm
Prediction Center were monitoring a very
powerful jet streak overlapping an area
with extremely warm and moist air in
Illinois and Indiana despite it being
mid November all the ingredients for a
severe weather setup were taking shape
and as a result the storm Prediction
Center would issue a rare high risk for
a 30% chance of tornadoes centered on
Illinois and Indiana and on the morning
of Sunday November 17th While most were
going about their day whether it was at
church or shopping at a mall storms
would initiate across central Illinois
the high risk was underway
meteorologists monitoring the situation
would take note of a dominant Super Cell
near the city of Poria Illinois and
would issue the very first tornado
warning of the day and at 10:52 in the
morning a tornado would touch down right
on the Illinois River the tornado would
continue Northeast at 52 mph initially
traveling over Open Fields however it
was rapidly closing in on the town of
Pon Illinois peon if you were in the
path of this cell now is the time to
take shelter get to your basement get to
the centermost portion of your home and
take cover I am hearing things right now
Chuck I think we um we may need to take
shelter right now
we do we need to go off air we will be
back when we can right the tornado would
once again cross the Illinois River and
was about to Bear Down on the town of
pin Illinois the moment the tornado
moved into town was captured on video
and while it only appeared as a Dusty
circulation it would produce ef2 level
damage affecting over 179 homes six
businesses as well as injuring 10
residents which could have been much
worse if it weren't for the tornado
warning issued by the National Weather
Service Serv prior to the tornado
entering Town 4 and 1/2 miles after
touching down the pean tornado would
lift right on the doorstep of the
Henderson Funeral Home and while this
circulation had died the day was far
from over like a giant monster the storm
was taking a deep breath forming a new
hook on radar and sure enough at 10:59 a
second tornado would touch down
immediately after forming This Tornado
was already stronger than the pacin ef2
as the tornado moved nor Northeast it
would come within a few hundred yard of
the week Studio where the anchors took
shelter just a few minutes prior
ourselves we do video taken around this
time would show how the tornado was in
extremely compact circulation the
tornado would then pass through the
parking lot of the newly built Summit
Point Church and at 11:00 the National
Weather Service would broadcast an
extremely ominous message a confirmed
tornado was located near East Poria at
1058 a.m. Washington will be affected
around 11:05
a.m. the message was clear and the
people Downstream should have
immediately taken cover Steve newow
aware of the oncoming threat was
frantically looking for his pet cats
tragically he did not make it downstairs
in time and would be the first victim of
the
tornado satellite imagery shows how the
tornado shredded these two homes into
tiny little pieces the tornado would
continue its March Northeast at over 55
mph it was right around this time Gary
deers and his son would record the
Tornado from the Northwest it's
up at the beginning of Gary's video the
tornado had the same appearance as it
did earlier in its life a large funnel
with a circulation
underneath you can also clearly hear the
jet-like Roar from the tornado a sound
that's only associated with strong
tornadoes you can hear it
holy crap as they continued to record
Gary would make the correct decision to
take cover in a bank and it was right
around this time when they would capture
one of the most pivotal moments in the
entire life of the
tornado to the southeast of the tornado
a secondary Vortex would merge with the
main torn adic circulation this process
would rapidly intensify the tornado
making an already bad situation even
worse from this moment on the tornado
would produce an unbroken swath of
high-end ef4 level damage sadly Army
veteran Charles C was caught right in
the crosshairs he would initially
survive but in critical condition 6
weeks later Charles would
pass the tornado was now entering the
town of Washington Illinois and it was
only getting
stronger Washington resident Greg berkin
would have by far the best view of the
tornado as it went into town you can see
in his video all the Dead Leaves flying
through the air something that almost
never happens in tornado videos because
tornadoes don't typically occur at this
time of year especially in Illinois it's
also in my opinion one of the most
incredible tornado videos you can really
see the raw power of the tornado as it
moves across the Horizon and while I
appreciate this video Greg really should
have taken cover although I'm not going
to lie I probably would have been
outside doing the same thing get
downstair get
downstair the tornado then crossed
Washington Road and was now moving into
the much more densely populated part of
town it was also around this time Chris
Lancaster would begin recording the
Tornado from his back patio notice how
in Chris's video the tornado wasn't
moving side to side rather it was
getting larger and larger and while
Chris was in danger other residents were
already feeling the impact of the
tornado 82-year-old Roseman Allison was
taking cover as her home took a direct
hit tragically the injuries she would
sustain would be too much she would pass
9 days
later the tornado would continue
marching its way through town at an
incredible pace of over 55 mph
demolishing every single home in its
path and it was only getting stronger
and stronger eventually impacting
McKenzie Street where it would fully
sweep three homes off of their
foundations leaving only the hardwood
floors and stairwell to the basements
right as the tornado was doing some of
its worst damage Mark Wells would begin
recording out his back
door holy moly all
right holy
all right I got to go I'm coming honey
mark would make the correct choice and
take cover in his basement with his
daughter Josie oh my
[Music]
God despite the horrifying sounds of the
tornado Mark and his daughter would
survive however their home was gone the
neighbors homes to the north were even
worse as they were completely swept off
of their foundations
now going back to Chris Lancaster who is
still recording the Tornado from his
back patio and as the tornado got closer
and closer the winds would get
progressively stronger and stronger
until it became too much and the home
would catastrophically fail sending
Chris
flying Chris was just barely south of
the main core of the tornado and
miraculously he would escape with only a
few cuts on his face the tornado was now
leaving Washington and it was at this
moment Matt Wells began recording his
encounter from the north directly in the
path but he was making the wise choice
to Drive West away from the
tornado millions of pieces of debris
swirled around the tornado almost
resembling confetti however this
confetti was fragments of homes from the
town of
Washington this video is in my opinion
one of the most incredible tornado
videos ever captured and it shows just
how strong the Washington tornado became
now compare this to what it looked like
right before it hit town the difference
is
ridiculous as the tornado left
Washington it was doing another
incredible thing that can only be seen
from satellite imagery it would leave
behind cycloidal marking
these markings are caused by the sub
vortices within the tornado which are
areas of concentrated power that are
both rotating and translating resulting
in this distinctive pattern in the
ground what I consider to be a tornado's
fingerprint after over 12 miles the
tornado was still going strong meanwhile
back in town the people of Washington
emerged from the debris I got her grab
her
okay go
due to favorable atmospheric conditions
the tornado persisted well past the town
of Washington and was now closing in on
the town of ronoke Illinois the tornado
would pass only a few hundred yards from
The Parson manufacturing plant the same
facility that took a direct hit from a
violent F4 tornado back in
2004 the tornado continued Northeast at
over 50 mph mostly over Open Fields
however it was Now setting its sights on
another town Mano Illinois where Carla
Ki was recording the tornado as she was
driving South on Interstate 39 little
did she know she was directly in the
path of the violent
tornado Carlo would barely escape the
tornado's wrath as the core of the
tornado passed only a few hundred yards
to the
north we're getting hit with some hail
some
debris at this point the tornado had
been on the ground for over 35 Mi but it
was still going strong after barely
missing the town of Mano Illinois almost
killing Carla keki it would nearly hit
Dana Illinois continue Northeast and at
11:47 the tornado would lift near the
town of longpoint Illinois the
Washington tornado had left a path of
destruction of over 45 mil destroying
over 1,000 homes which equated to about
$950 million in damage putting it in the
top 10 costliest t tornadoes at the time
and even though the Washington tornado
had lifted the supercell was still going
strong and would put down two other ef2
tornadoes I also want to mention the
deadly tornado that happened down south
in new menen Illinois killing three and
an ef3 tornado that would affect
brookport Kentucky killing another three
people in total over 77 tornadoes would
touch down on November 17th 2013 a time
of year that really shouldn't see any
tornadoes but that's not the end of the
story how are the people of Washington
going to recover from a tornado that
destroyed over 1,000 homes in town
almost immediately the locals would get
to work cleaning up the debris donating
supplies and housing the unfortunate
ones who now no longer had a home and
while the people were putting their
Blood Sweat and Tears into fixing their
Hometown the mayor would ask for help
from the federal government applying for
a $26 million Grant from FEMA
unfortunately FEMA would deny the
request citing a rule the threshold
required for FEMA to approve the aid is
equal to a135 time the state population
and given that the Illinois state
population at the time was around 13
million for some reason FEMA did not
Grant Washington any federal aid which
is disgusting the Washington tornado was
one of the most impactful tornadoes ever
yet for some reason FEMA did not
consider that disaster enough that Mak
makes zero sense and it really sets a
horrible precedent and basically says
any tornado that occurs in a highly
populated state like Illinois is not
going to get any help from the federal
government we really feel that the
federal law uh that the FEMA follows
needs uh fundamental reform and
Improvement uh it really is U unfair to
large states like Illinois and other
large states as well uh that have big
cities in them but also many rural areas
and the formula that FEMA has followed
with respect to Aid to municipalities
and counties just isn't fair and while
the situation surrounding the FEMA
funding is extremely disheartening I do
want to talk about some of the positive
takeaways one of the most remarkable
things about the Washington tornado is
that it only killed three people and
well yes three people is three too many
given the situation of a violent tor
going directly through a densely
populated area three dead is very low so
why did only three die in my opinion the
main reason for the low death count was
the remarkable job done by the
meteorologists at the National Weather
Service while the Washington tornado was
a freak tornado the meteorologist saw it
coming they warned it and got the
message out well ahead of time informing
everyone in its path to get to cover
saving countless lives now now compare
that to the plane field F5 another
violent tornado that occurred in
Illinois but had no tornado warning the
confusion surrounding the planfield
tornado was a huge issue and is the main
reason why 20 people died because none
of those 20 knew what was coming their
way another reason for the low death
count was the quality of construction in
Washington most of the homes had
basement meaning almost everybody had a
safe place to go now compare that to Mo
Oklahoma where almost none of the homes
have basement and sadly the EF5 tornado
that went through Moore Oklahoma earlier
the same year would kill a far greater
number at
24 in the Years following Washington
would fully recover it's now nearly
impossible to see where the tornado went
through town
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