This was by far one of the most widespread outbreaks of all time. Several of the most violent tornadoes in several areas across Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, one or two of which were also the deadliest, and a few coincidences were also confirmed across this outbreak. Almost 200 twisters were confirmed, with 13 EF4s and one EF5 tornado confirmed, and 73 fatalities with over 1,200+ injuries. Over $3.6 billion of damage was caused by this outbreak, making it the 2nd most destructive outbreak within the northern Midwest areas after the outbreak just 6 months prior [November 11, 2014] to this one. [That outbreak had 38 twisters, including two EF4s, with 29 fatalities, 11 in Xenia from a gigantic EF4, with over $4.2 billion in damage]. This outbreak also had multiple isolated supercells that produced multiple tornadoes each; although this was largely dismissed as a coincidence, the supercells were unusually close to the main supercell.
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 193 | 144 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 1 |
Meteorological Synopsis[]
On May 26th, the Storm Prediction Centre detected several isolated low-pressure areas dotted across several parts of Illinois, Indiana, northern Missouri, northwest Kentucky, and Ohio, which was the same unusual phenomena that generated the Washington tornado outbreak just less than 3 months prior and the same phenomena that caused an extremely destructive and deadly outbreak just over two months prior. The next day, an Enhanced Risk was issued for a vast majority of eastern and Central Illinois, large parts of Indiana, and southwest Ohio, with a Slight Risk over Missouri; however, just hours later, the low pressure systems got stronger, which prompted an Enhanced Risk for large parts of the affected areas, and several isolated portions of Illinois were considered under a High Risk.
Luckily, many warning systems were tested just hours earlier, which has likely saved many lives in the wake of this outbreak.
Notable Tornadoes[]
Several notable twisters formed in this outbreak, including a long-tracked, wedge sunrise EF1 tornado that killed four people.
Illinois[]
There were at least 66 tornadoes confirmed in Illinois; nearly triple of the state's average per year.
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 48 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 66 | |
| Deaths: 30 | Injuries: 525+ | |||||||
Le Roy-Saunemin Tornado[]
| EF1 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 6:43 AM CDT – 8:27 AM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 165 km/h (105 mph) (1-min) | ||
Ironically, this tornado formed just when the Sun was rising. It was also the first tornado of the outbreak to be seen clearly and that also wasn't an EF0. This tornado formed about 2 miles north of De Witt, or nearly 20 miles south of Le Roy. It intensified rapidly at first, but then slowed down on intensifying at around 6:55 AM. It was at its peak strength, with mobile Doppler radar confirming wind speeds of 161 miles per hour. But however, this was over open plains with almost no structures, and no homes were hit for the first 20 miles of its extremely long 63-mile path.It progressed north at approximately 45 miles per hour, and rapidly weakened at 6:57 AM CDT. The twister hit Le Roy about 26 minutes after forming, at 7:13 AM, but caused high-end EF1 damage. Three people were killed in Le Roy when a mobile home park sustained major damage, with 12 injuries there alone. It then left Le Roy, and continued on to Saunemin. Barely any structures were hit between the two towns. It then hit Saunemin at low-end EF1 strength, and killed a man in an automobile when he tried to outrun the tornado. The twister continued for an extra four miles, then dissipated. Two injuries were confirmed in Saunemin.
In all, the tornado killed four people, left 14 injured, with all but one fatality and two injuries confirmed in Le Roy. Three of the four deaths were in mobile homes, and the tornado caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage. It is also one of the longest-tracked tornadoes in recent Illinois history.
| EF3 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 7:22 AM CDT – 7:49 AM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 250 km/h (155 mph) (1-min) | ||
This tornado formed near Mattoon at around 7:22 AM, and intensified quickly. It first hit the Lake Land College, causing severe damage to the building just before crossing Interstate 57 and taking a path parallel to US 45. It then hit downtown Mattoon as a low-end EF3 at that point, with severe damage to almost the entire town. Nearly 9% of all 525+ injuries in Illinois occurred in Mattoon alone, with at least 47 injuries confirmed in Mattoon, along with three fatalities.
The tornado then continued northward, then turned just northeast, and directly hit the centre of Arcola, with the whole city confirming severe damage, along with around forty injuries and two more fatalities. Most of Arcola was almost entirely leveled with nearly 60% of all infrastructure having confirmed major damage. One last injury was confirmed in 1999 BMW 318i, which was totaled.
In total, this tornado tracked about 16.3 miles, was nearly 1/4 of a mile wide, killed five people, injured at least 88 people, and left over $40 million in damage.
Mt Carbon-Murphysboro, IL[]
| EF4 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 8:16 AM CDT – 8:57 AM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 315 km/h (195 mph) (1-min) | ||
At 7:47 AM CDT, a tornado warning was issued for Jackson County 29 minutes before the funnel touched down 2 miles southeast of Mt Carbon, with a different storm moving the opposite direction of the other cell in Illinois at the time. The tornado quickly intensified before reaching Mount Carbon, toppling and uprooting hundreds of trees and causing significant damage to several out-of-town homes. When it hit near downtown Mt Carbon, at least 22 homes and structures sustained significant damage, seven being completely destroyed, and at least 61 other structures/homes, alongside three businesses being damaged. However, despite this, only four people were injured in Mt. Carbon due to warnings given out. It then rapidly intensified again and hit EF4 strength in Murphysboro's very eastern outskirts, and swept away an entire trailer home park with about 40 mobile homes, where four people were killed, and twenty were injured. Fortunately, most of the residents in the trailer park were taking shelter in the Victory Christian Fellowship church just off of Illinois Route 127. Even still, the church sustained significant damage from the tornado that was about 300 feet away. The tornado also destroyed an area of at least nine subdivisions, with thirty-three homes completely leveled and almost 500 damaged severely, with a Penn Aluminium manufacturing building was completely swept away by the powerful tornado, alongside nine other homes. Despite this, only thirty-two more injuries were confirmed throughout Murphysboro other than the trailer park. Near the end of its path, the tornado leveled the entirety of the Murphysboro High School, with 95% of the school leveled, where an employee was killed while trying to protect several students, with nineteen injuries in the school alone. The tornado then started weakening and tracking through open fields for the rest of its lifetime before dissipating just over 500 feet outside of the community of Oraville.
Overall, the tornado leveled at least 42 homes, left 559 damaged, killed five people and injured 53, nearly 1/10 of the state's injury total, with over $75 million of damage in a 26-mile path up to 1.1 miles wide.
Coal City, IL [1st tornado][]
| EF4 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 1:53 PM CDT – 2:12 PM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 340 km/h (210 mph) (1-min) | ||
This deadly tornado was the first of three to hit within six miles of Coal City. After roughly three hours of almsot no tornadic activity in Illinois, another storm formed at roughly 1:15 PM, moving northward at roughly 50 miles per hour at first. It gained intensity and pace rapidly, then dropped an immediately violent tornado on the ground just to the north of South Wilmington, heading northward at 55 to 60 miles per hour. It quickly intensified within a few minutes, and narrowly avoided hitting the 2 communities of Gardener and Braceville. Just outside of Braceville, it caused severe damage to half a dozen well-built homes, and damaged seven more homes before hitting Coal City. That damage at that point was considered an extremely high-end EF3. Seconds later, it crossed over Interstate 55, which luckily wasn't well-traveled at the time, but seven cars were still totaled by the storm, one being shredded beyond recognition. Miraculously, none of the motorists were injured or killed.
At 1:59 PM, it then directly started hitting Coal City's outskirts, causing catastrophic damage to many well-built homes. It was now nearly 3/4 of a mile wide at that point, and just over downtown, it turned slightly to the northwest. The massive funnel enveloped nearly half of the community. Two people were killed in demolished buildings in the downtown area, all of them from being crushed by debris. Numerous injuries were confirmed in the downtown as well.
Catastrophic damage to a house in suburb Coal City.
Many suburb homes were completely destroyed in the city, with one more death in the suburbs of Coal City. Twelve injuries were in the suburbs, with 54 in the downtown area where over 200 businesses, homes, and any building in its path were absolutely leveled. Almost immediately after this, it hit the small suburb community of Carbon Hill, leaving nearly 100% of the city with severe damage. Only a couple of buildings in the community sustained any lower than EF1 damage, with all of the buildings with tornadic damage. One fatality and three more injuries were claimed here.
It continued into rural areas, just barely avoiding the Felix Township area. At 2:06 PM Central Daylight Time, a Doppler on Wheels confirmed its wind speeds at 210 miles per hour, but it was over no buildings at that point. It left one more person injured in a well-built farmhouse that was almost completely swept away. The tornado then died out after 19 minutes of chaos just west of the city of Morris.
In total, the tornado claimed the lives of 4 people, left 70 others injured, with 228 homes destroyed, over 1,400 damaged, equating to nearly $125 million in damage within a 17-mile path up to 0.9 miles wide. This was the first of three deadly tornadoes to strike within the same general area within less than 30 minutes, all within the same supercell.
Braidwood-Diamond-Coal City, IL [2nd tornado][]
| EF4 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 1:56 PM CDT – 2:03 PM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 275 km/h (170 mph) (1-min) | ||
This was the 2nd tornado in Coal City on May 28th. It formed just hundreds of feet north of the Braidwood Generating Station, and quickly gained intensity before hitting extreme west Braidwood just over a minute after forming. About 14 homes were destroyed in Braidwood, with 69 homes damaged, with 12 out of the 14 homes destroyed being improperly anchored or poorly built. Two people were injured in this location just before it turned to the northwest at 1:58 PM. It then hit western parts of the small community of Diamond, and hit EF4 intensity at 1:59 PM. Thirty-one homes were completely destroyed in the community, with over 150 damaged, and it then hit northeastern parts of Coal City at peak intensity seconds after. It killed one person in an improperly-anchored house that was absolutely swept away. People were almost caught off-guard by the 2nd tornado, hence nearly 100 people were injured. In Coal City, 40 homes were destroyed, with 77 damaged. It then continued into rural areas at 2:02 PM, and quickly died out at 2:03 PM Central Daylight Time.
It tracked a path of 6.6 miles in length and just over 1/6 of a mile wide, but caused one fatality and 93 injuries in its short lifespan. Eighty-five homes were destroyed, with 303 being damaged, causing roughly $35 million in damage overall.
Braidwood, IL [3rd tornado][]
| EF3 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 2:05 PM CDT – 2:11 PM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 230 km/h (140 mph) (1-min) | ||
This tornado formed just south of the town of Braidwood, and caused minimal damage for the first mile of its path. It then intensified quickly, causing significant damage to multiple homes in the town, and leaving several poorly built or improperly-anchored homes severely damaged or destroyed. Nearly a dozen businesses in the downtown area were badly affected by the tornado. Only a few signs of EF3 damage were found in its path, but it was nearly 1/4 of a mile wide at that point. At 2:09 PM, in the very northern parts of Braidwood, it killed a 31-year-old man in a mobile home, with all 6 of his other family members injured while their trailer home was swept away. Continuing over open fields for the rest of its life, it died out at 2:11 PM, just two minutes after claiming the one fatality.
In its path, eighteen homes were destroyed, with roughly 250 damaged. Its path was about 5.6 miles in length and was nearly 1/4 of a mile wide at its largest. It killed one person, and injured twelve, six of them being from the trailer where the fatality was confirmed. This was the last of the three tornadoes that hit near Coal City, Illinois. Nearly $25 million in damage was confirmed from this tornado.
Bourbonnias-Manteno-Peotone-Monee, IL[]
| EF5 tornado (NWS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Duration | 2:49 PM CDT – 3:35 PM CDT | ||
| Intensity | 350 km/h (220 mph) (1-min) | ||
This tornado formed just to the east of Bradley, Illinois, within Bourbonnias' city limits; just to the north of Kankakee, roughly 30 minutes after a tornado warning was issued for Kankakee County. Initially a rope tornado, it caused generally low-end EF1 damage at first, but however, it gained strength rapidly just minutes after forming, causing low-end EF3 damage to large swaths of well-built homes off of US 52. Several homes were destroyed, leaving two residents injured. However, shortly after crossing over US-52, it struck a large mobile home complex at EF3 strength, which would end up largely swept away or absolutely leveled. A couple was killed at this location when the tornado swept away their mobile home, with their son sustaining life-threatening injuries. At least 57 other injuries were confirmed at this location, alongside about $20 million in damage.
Widespread EF-4 damage in Manteno.
Traveling largely somewhat parallel to Interstate 57, it rapidly intensified and fluctuated between EF2 and EF4 strength for a period of a few minutes, before striking Manteno, causing EF3 to EF4 damage throughout over 85% of the town. At least 22 people were injured there, but miraculously, no fatalities took place. Large swaths of high-end EF4 damage were confirmed within the Manteno city limits, with entire rows of well-built homes absolutely leveled, with cars thrown considerable distances, with seven injuries taking place within the Manteno Elementary School (which suffered severe damage), with the local middle and high school, both getting hit directly, sustaining significant to severe damage with entire walls removed. Manteno sustained considerable to severe damage throughout a large portion of the town, including several rows of mobile homes which were completely swept away. Several homes were also completely swept away at the location, although it was later determined that they were not anchored properly.
Ground scouring roughly 1.5 miles outside of Peotone
It then hit a large farm south of Peotone at EF5 strength after rapidly intensifying, although only at that intensity briefly. It caused significant ground scouring as deep as 18 inches, and swept away a well-built home at the same location, heavily injuring the sole occupant.
WIP