June 10th 2003 
Severe Weather Event - Bow Echo 

Overview:

More Information:
Nolan T. Atkins and Christopher Bouchard (Lyndon State College), Ron W. Przybylinski and Gary K. Schmocker (NOAA/NWS St. Louis MO), and Robert J. Trapp (Purdue University) Damaging Surface Wind Mechanisms within the 10 June 2003 Saint Louis Bow Echo event during BAMEX. Preprints, 22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms Hyannis, MA Amer. Meteor. Soc., 4.5.

Damage Survey

Overview Map

6:15 PM Radar Image

Dupo, Illinois Tornado

The first tornado touchdown occurred around 555 pm CDT and just west of Highway 3 -  1.5 miles north of Dupo Illinois. The roof of one home was partially lifted while several large trees were severed or uprooted. The roof of a nearby garage was also lifted and tossed 80 yards across Highway 3. The tornado touched down a second time on McBride Ave between Highway 3 and Interstate 255 and damaged four homes and four house trailers.  Parts of the roof of each home were tossed 50 to 70 yards to the east. Two of the four house trailers sustained considerable damage.  Small 2 x 2 missiles of debris were driven into two of the four house trailers.  Several large trees were severed or snapped at the base of the trunk. Along Interstate 255, one tractor trailer was overturned.  On Stolle Road (1/2 mile east of Interstate 255, several large trees were either uprooted or snapped at the base.  The damage was suggestive of both a small tornado and downburst winds.  Total length of the tornadic damage path was approximately 1/2 mile long while the width of the damage path varied from 50 to 75 yards.  The tornadic damage was rated F0 over these areas. 

Dupo Tornado Track

Dupo Damage Photo

Dupo Damage Photo

Dupo Damage Photo

Caseyville, Illinois Tornado

The second tornado touchdown occurred along the southwest and south sides of the town of Caseyville Illinois. The tornado initially touched down at approximately 605 pm CDT along Forest Blvd 1/5 mile east of Interstate 255.  Over twelve witnesses observed the tornado along the leading edge of the bowing squall line as they saw debris tossed several hundred feet into the air.  The tornado traveled east slightly southeast along Forest Blvd and West Lincoln Avenue. Three house trailers were severely damaged by the tornado between 85th and Black Lane. Two injuries occurred in two of the three house trailers.  Numerous large trees were severed or downed by the tornado. The roof of a large machine shed on Black Lane was uplifted and displaced several hundred yards to the east.  The tornado then ripped through a auto salvage area where several vehicles were over-turned, damaged or destroyed.  The width of this damage area was 50 to 100 yards wide while damage intensity was rated F1.  The tornado continued to travel eastward causing damage to two homes and a camper and completely destroying another house trailer.  Some of the remains of this house trailer were observed 3/4 mile to the east just west of Highway 157. Pieces of metal were wrapped around snapped power poles while one 2 x 4 was driven into the front windshield of a pickup truck. The width of this damage area varied from 50 to 75 yards while the damage intensity was rated high-end F1 - low-end F2. 

The tornado continued eastward and caused showed a convergence pattern in a nearby wheat field south of West Lincoln Ave.  The tornado then caused minor damage to six new homes 100 to 300 yards south of West Lincoln Ave and 1/4 to 1/2 mile west of Highway 159.   Roofs from five homes were partially uplifted and tossed 200 to 400 yards downwind to the east.  One home under construction was completely destroyed.  The width of the damage area varied from 75 to 150 yards.  The damage intensity was rated the lower end of F1.       

The tornado continued eastward up the ridge east of Highway 157.  Several large trees were snapped or uprooted just east of 157.  Additional tree damage was found along Hill Road east of Highway 157.  One home on Hill Road sustained minor roof damage.   The tornado crossed East O'Fallon Drive and severed or uprooted several large trees. One home sustained minor roof damage while machine shed and garage near a second home was severely damaged. The tornadic damage track ending just west of Highway 159.   Width of the damage area again varied from 75 to 100 yards while the damage intensity was rated between F0 and lower end of F1.   

Total damage track of the Caseyville tornado was 3.0 miles in length 

Caseyville Tornado Track

Caseyville Damage Photo

Caseyville Damage Photo

Caseyville Damage Photo

Kaskaskia River Valley and Plum Hill, Illinois Tornadoes

Another tornado caused brief damage to a farmstead over south-central Clinton County Illinois.  The tornado occurred 4 miles south of Germantown Illinois at 6:30 pm cdt. The farmstead was located in the Santa Fe flood plain along and north of the Kaskaskia River.  A barn, machine shed, and silo sustained the greatest degree of damage while there was minor damage to the farm home.   Debris from the farmstead was thrown 200 yards to 1/4 mile to the northeast.  The tornadic damage track was 40 yards wide and 1.25 miles long.  The tornadic damage was rated F0. 

The bow echo system on June 10, 2003 spawned another tornado over parts of west-central Washington county Illinois.  This tornadic damage track was relatively long (14 miles in length) compared to the other tornadic damage tracks on this day.  Twelve machine sheds, barns, homes, other type of out-buildings sustained varying degrees of damage while numerous trees were along the tornado's path were either severed or uprooted.    Debris at several locations along the damage path were driven into the ground 1 to 2 feet deep at 45 to 60 degree angles.  A satellite tornadic damage track was observed approximately 100 yards north of the primary track approximately 1 mile south of Addleville Illinois.  The damage track of the satellite tornado was 1/4 mile long and 20 yards wide.  In contrast to the other tornadoes on this day, this tornado occurred south of the apex of the bow echo.  The tornado initially touched down at 635 pm cdt.  The width of the damage track varied from 40 to 60 yards while the total length of the damage track was 7.0 miles.  The damage was rated F1 intensity.

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