June 2, 1990 Tornado Outbreak

On June 2, 1990, a large and widespread tornado outbreak occurred across parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley. Through the early morning of June 3, there were a total of 65 tornadoes, 37 of which occurred across Indiana.

The most heavily damaged area was from Southeast Illinois through Southern Indiana and into Southwestern Ohio. There were several strong to violent tornadoes across this corridor including seven that were determined to be F4 in intensity on the Fujita scale.

Tornado Tracks from the June 2-3, 1990 Tornado Outbreak
(Click to Enlarge)

There was also a swath of weak to strong tornadoes from East Central Illinois through Central Indiana and more isolated tornadoes across Northern Indiana, Southeastern Lower Michigan and Southern Kentucky.

For Indiana, the 37 tornadoes was a record for one day (previously 21 on April 3, 1974), and the monthly total of 44 tornadoes (previously 30 in June 1973) was also a record. It also deadliest tornado outbreak since April 3, 1974 as 12 Hoosiers lost their lives, 7 in Petersburg.

According to Red Cross surveys of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky found 313 homes (237 in Indiana) and 141 mobile homes (106 in Indiana) destroyed and another 892 homes (665 in Indiana) and 173 mobile homes damaged (158 in Indiana) in addition to the numerous uprooted trees and destroyed barns.


Tornado near Loogootee. Photo by Deputy Sheriff Tony Dant.	Tornado at Loogootee. Photo from Loogootee Tribune.	Tornado in rural area between Monroe City and Petersburg. Petersburg would suffer more deaths than any other town on June 2, 1990. Photo by Bill Stedman.	Aerial view of damage on the south side of Bedford near the intersection of State Roads 37 and 50. Photo from the Bloomington Herald Times.

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June 2, 1990 Tornado Outbreak