Tornado outbreak of April 7-9, 2020

the Tornado outbreak of April 7-9, 2020 was a significant tornado outbreak which impacted portions of the midwestern and southeastern United States on April 7, 8, and 9, 2020. The outbreak also produced unprecedented flash flooding in the Chicagoland area on April 7.

April 7 -
On the morning of April 7, a storm system entered the midwestern United States, the intense storm system began to produce supercells over the upper Great Lakes during the mid-morning hours, and a high risk was introduced in the 1630 outlook.

As the supercells moved southeast, the first tornado watch of the day was issued at 1701 for southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

A high risk of flash flooding was also in place for the region. The watch was a PDS tornado watch, noting the possibility for "Several tornadoes, a few intense and long-track".

CAPE levels continued to indicate a major tornado outbreak was on the horizon, and in the 2000 outlook, the Storm Prediction Center introduced a 45% + significant chance of tornadoes for much of northern and central Indiana. Widespread violent tornadoes were noted as a possibility in the outlook.

At 2056, tornado watch #122 was issued for much of Indiana, it was the third ever watch with a >95% chance of all hazards. By 2130, a intense line of tornadic thunderstorms had entered northern Indiana, producing the strongest tornado of the outbreak at 2213 near Warsaw, Indiana.

The tornado had a estimated peak wind gust of 291 mph as it moved through northern Warsaw. The tornado was rated a EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

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