254
ABUS34 KSPI 252230
PNSSPI

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
530 PM CDT THU OCT 25 2001

A STORM ASSESSMENT WAS DONE BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN TODAY AFTER NUMEROUS DAMAGE REPORTS
FROM SEVERE WEATHER WHICH OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 24, 2001. HERE IS A
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS FROM THE FOLLOWING LOCATION.

MONTICELLO, IL (PIATT COUNTY) TORNADO

EYEWITNESSES REPORTED A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE SOUTHWEST
EDGE OF THE TOWN. AS IT DID...SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OF F2 INTENSITY...WHICH
CORRESPONDS WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 120 TO 130 MPH WAS NOTED
IN A SMALL AREA ROUGHLY 2 CITY BLOCKS LONG. A STORAGE BUILDING WAS
DESTROYED...AS WELL AS THE ROOF OF A CHURCH WAS COMPLETELY TAKEN
OFF AND BLOWN INTO THE ROOF OF A NEARBY 2 STORY APARTMENT BUILDING.
THE APARTMENT BUILDING SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE AND HAS BEEN
DEEMED UNINHABITABLE. A FARM IMPLEMENT BUILDING...WHICH WAS CLOSE
TO 200 FEET IN LENGTH...HAD ROUGHLY THREE QUARTERS OF THE BUILDING
DESTROYED. DAMAGE FOR THIS BUILDING WAS ESTIMATED AT NEARLY $2
MILLION...AS SEVERAL COMBINES INSIDE WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED OR
DESTROYED. DEBRIS FROM THE BUILDING WAS THROWN INTO A NEARBY
POWER SUBSTATION...CAUSING A COMPLETE POWER OUTAGE TO THE TOWN AS
WELL AS NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES. THE TORNADO APPEARED TO HAVE
LIFTED OFF THE GROUND AND STAYED AT TREE TOP LEVEL FOR THE
REMAINDER OF ITS LIFE THROUGH THE TOWN PRODUCING F0 DAMAGE...WHICH
CORRESPONDS TO ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 65 TO 70 MPH. THE FUNNEL LEFT
THE TOWN...WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE REPORTED 1 MILE NORTHEAST IN A
SUBDIVISION. MOST DAMAGE FOUND ALONG THE PATH WAS TREES BROKE OFF
AT THE TOP...WITH SEVERAL LARGE...HEALTHY TREES BEING UPROOTED. THE
TOTAL LENGTH OF THE DAMAGE PATH WAS 2.5 MILES...WITH AN AVERAGE
WIDTH OF 2 CITY BLOCKS.

BRAD KETCHAM AND LONNIE FISHER
METEOROLOGISTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL