National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

 

ABUS34 KPAH 092321
PNSPAH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
620 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003

...STORM DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FOR THE PULASKI-MASSAC-POPE COUNTY 
TORNADO IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...
 
NWS OFFICIALS HAVE CONDUCTED 2 AERIAL AND 3 GROUND STORM DAMAGE 
SURVEYS ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THE FOLLOWING INCLUDES THE 
FINDINGS OF THE SURVEYS. 

* EVENT DATE: TUESDAY MAY 6 2003

* EVENT TYPE: F4 TORNADO  

* ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS:  210 MPH

* ESTIMATED TIME: TORNADO FORMED IN PULASKI COUNTY IL AT 
    APPROXIMATELY 932PM AND REMAINED ON THE GROUND UNTIL    
    APPROXIMATELY 1042PM.       
                   
* EVENT LOCATION: FROM 1 MILE WEST OF GRAND CHAIN IL IN PULASKI 
COUNTY...EAST THROUGH THE MERMET LAKE CONSERVATION AREA IN MASSAC 
COUNTY TO 1 MILE NORTH OF GOLCONDA IL IN POPE COUNTY.

* DAMAGE AREA DIMENSIONS: AVERAGE = 2/3 OF A MILE WIDE
                                    33 CONTINUOUS MILES LONG
 
* INJURIES:  APPROXIMATELY 30
     
* FATALITIES: TWO
   1 MALE 48 YEARS OLD JUST EAST OF GRAND CHAIN, IL (PULASKI COUNTY) 
   1 FEMALE 65 YEARS OLD JUST NW OF JOPPA, IL (MASSAC COUNTY)        
                                             

* DAMAGE: A FEW FRAME HOMES WERE COMPLETELY LEVELED OR MOVED OFF 
THEIR FOUNDATIONS. DOZENS OF HOMES, GARAGES, BARNS, AND OUTBUILDINGS 
SEVERELY DAMAGED. NUMEROUS MOBILE HOMES DISINTEGRATED. MANY VEHICLES 
WERE LIFTED, ROLLED, OR THROWN... UP TO 100 YARDS OR MORE. NUMEROUS 
CASES OF MISSILING WERE OBSERVED INCLUDING GLASS EMBEDDED IN TREES. 
MOST TREES IN THE DAMAGE PATH WERE UPROOTED, STRIPPED, OR LEVELED 
AND IN SOME CASES DEBARKED.     

$$

POOLE/SHANKLIN/KEENEY