NOUS43 KILX 161515 CCA PNSILX ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-162300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED...CORRECTION SENT 7/16 1016 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1100 PM CDT THU JUL 15 2004
...SURVEY RESULTS OF ROANOKE TORNADO ON JULY 13...
...DAMAGE RATED AT F4 ON THE FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE...
PERSONNEL FROM A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUICK RESPONSE TEAM AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN LINCOLN...ALONG WITH THE WOODFORD COUNTY ESDA...CONDUCTED DAMAGE SURVEYS ON JULY 14 AND JULY 15 OF THE ROANOKE TORNADO WHICH OCCURRED ON JULY 13. HERE ARE THE RESULTS.
PEAK INTENSITY: F4 PATH LENGTH: 9.6 MILES AVERAGE PATH WIDTH: 400 YARDS MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: .25 MILES TIME ON GROUND: 23 MINUTES
THE MOST SEVERE DAMAGE WAS RATED AT F4 ON THE FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE WITH AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 210 TO 240 MPH. THE F4 DAMAGE AREA EXTENDED FROM THE PARSON'S MANUFACTURING PLANT (AT THE JUNCTION OF STATE HIGHWAYS 116 AND 117 - 4 MILES WEST OF ROANOKE) EASTWARD FOR 1 MILE. BESIDES THE PLANT...THIS AREA INCLUDED FOUR FARMSTEADS.
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 234 PM CDT APPROXIMATELY 1.75 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF METAMORA...IN WESTERN WOODFORD COUNTY. THE TORNADO TRAVELED SOUTHEAST FOR ABOUT 2.5 MILES, BEFORE BEGINNING A TEMPORARY EASTWARD JOG BETWEEN COUNTY ROADS 1300E AND 1400E. THE TORNADO CURVED SOUTHEAST AGAIN...STRIKING THE PARSONS MANUFACTURING PLANT AROUND 241 PM CDT. THE PLANT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY THE TORNADO. APPROXIMATELY 140 PEOPLE WERE IN THE PLANT AT THE TIME...BUT ALL PERSONNEL MADE IT TO STORM SHELTERS IN TIME (APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE TORNADO ARRIVED). STEEL BEAMS AND METAL SIDING FROM THE PLANT WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 3/4 MILE EAST IN A FARM FIELD.
FROM THE PLANT...THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST...JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 116/117...AFFECTING 4 FARMSTEADS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TO 1 MILE EAST OF THE PLANT. TWO OF THE FARMSTEADS CLOSEST TO THE PLANT (ABOUT 1/2 TO 3/4 MILE EAST) HAD THE 2-STORY HOUSES COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY...WITH ONLY DEBRIS REMAINING IN THE BASEMENTS AND NEARBY PROPERTY. THE OTHER TWO FARMSTEADS HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE 2-STORY HOUSES...WITH OUTBUILDINGS DEMOLISHED. THE CENTER OF THE TORNADO TRACKED ABOUT 100 YARDS SOUTH OF THE HOUSES LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD.
FROM THE PLANT TO THE FARMSTEADS...THE AVERAGE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS 400 YARDS...AND WAS CLOSE TO 1/4 MILE WIDE AT TIMES. THE GREATEST TORNADO INTENSITY WAS DURING THIS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE STRETCH AND HAS BEEN RATED F4 ON THE FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
AT THIS POINT...THE TORNADO BEGAN TO MOVE MORE EAST-SOUTHEAST...AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A BARN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROADS 1300N AND 1600E...ABOUT 2.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ROANOKE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST-SOUTHEAST AND DAMAGED A HOUSE ABOUT 1.25 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ROANOKE...NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROADS 1300N AND 1700E. THE TORNADO CROSSED 1300N SHORTLY AFTERWARD...AND CURVED SHARPLY TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE TORNADO LIFTED AROUND 254 PM ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROANOKE...AT COUNTY ROAD 1900E.
FUJITA (F-SCALE) INTENSITIES:
F0 40-72 MPH F1 73-112 MPH F2 113-157 MPH F3 158-206 MPH F4 207-260 MPH F5 261-318 MPH
$$ PRZYBYLINSKI/MILLER/KELLY/AUTEN/GEELHART