Washington, The Most Evil Tornado Ever Recorded

Summary

On 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resilience was evident as locals began rebuilding immediately, although they were denied federal aid by FEMA due to an outdated formula.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

• 🌪️ On November 17th, 2013, a powerful tornado devastated Washington, Illinois, causing extensive damage and loss of life.
• 📅 The tornado occurred in mid-November, an unusual time for such severe weather in the Midwest, highlighting the unpredictability of tornadoes.
• 🚨 Meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare high risk warning for tornadoes, indicating a 30% chance, particularly for Illinois and Indiana.
• 🏠 The tornado had a significant impact on residential areas, destroying over 1,000 homes and causing approximately $950 million in damages.
• 👤 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.
• 📡 Satellite imagery revealed cycloidal markings left by the tornado, indicative of sub-vortices within the tornado that caused concentrated destruction.
• 🆘 The National Weather Service played a crucial role in minimizing casualties by issuing timely tornado warnings, allowing people to seek shelter.
• 🛑 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.
• 🏛️ The tornado's path of destruction extended over 45 miles, affecting multiple towns and causing widespread devastation.
• 🙏 The community of Washington came together in the aftermath, cleaning up debris and supporting those who lost their homes.
• 🚫 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

00:00

🌪️ 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.

05:01

📹 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.

10:02

🏗️ 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.

15:02

🌟 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.

Keywords

💡Tornado

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground, capable of causing significant destruction. In the video, the tornado in Washington, Illinois, is the central focus, described as a powerful and frightening force that devastated the town. The narrative details the formation, path, and impact of the tornado, highlighting its destructive power and the resulting damage.

💡Debris

Debris refers to the scattered fragments typically resulting from destruction. In the context of the tornado, debris includes millions of pieces from homes and buildings that were torn apart. The video describes the debris orbiting the tornado and likens it to confetti, emphasizing the sheer scale of the destruction caused by the tornado.

💡EF5

EF5 is the highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, used to classify the intensity of tornadoes based on damage caused. An EF5 tornado has wind speeds exceeding 200 mph. The video references the Moore EF5 tornado in Oklahoma, known for its extreme intensity, as a comparison to the severe weather conditions that led to the Washington tornado.

💡Super Cell

A super cell is a highly organized type of thunderstorm known for producing severe weather, including tornadoes. The video mentions a dominant super cell near Peoria, Illinois, which spawned the tornado. This highlights the role of specific weather patterns in the formation of the tornado.

💡National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a U.S. government agency responsible for providing weather forecasts, warnings, and other information. In the video, the NWS plays a crucial role in issuing tornado warnings that helped save lives. The timely warnings allowed residents to take shelter, significantly reducing the potential death toll.

💡Washington, Illinois

Washington, Illinois, is the town that was severely impacted by the tornado on November 17, 2013. The video details the extensive damage to homes, businesses, and lives in Washington, making it the focal point of the narrative. The community's response and recovery efforts are also highlighted.

💡FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for coordinating the federal government's response to natural disasters. In the video, FEMA's denial of a $26 million grant to Washington, Illinois, for recovery efforts is discussed. This decision is portrayed as controversial and highlights the challenges in obtaining federal aid for disaster recovery.

💡Jet Streak

A jet streak is a region of stronger winds within the jet stream, which can influence severe weather development. The video mentions a powerful jet streak overlapping with warm, moist air in Illinois and Indiana, setting the stage for the tornado outbreak. This illustrates the meteorological conditions that contributed to the tornado's formation.

💡Sub-Vortices

Sub-vortices are smaller, intense rotations within the main tornado circulation, often causing additional localized damage. The video describes how sub-vortices within the Washington tornado left cycloidal markings on the ground, referred to as the tornado's fingerprint. These features highlight the complex and powerful nature of the tornado.

💡Recovery Efforts

Recovery efforts refer to the actions taken by individuals and communities to rebuild and recover after a disaster. The video describes the immediate and determined efforts of Washington's residents to clean up debris, donate supplies, and support those who lost their homes. These efforts underscore the resilience and solidarity of the affected community.

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