National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

ABUS34 KPAH 300107
PNSPAH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
807 CDT MON APR 29 2002
 
...PRELIMINARY TORNADO ASSESSMENT FOR UNION AND JOHNSON COUNTIES IN 
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...

*** DENOTED UPDATED INFORMATION

A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH 
KENTUCKY HAS COMPLETED AN AERIAL SURVEY OF THE STORM DAMAGE IN UNION 
AND JOHNSON COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THE FOLLOWING ARE 
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THIS INVESTIGATION THAT IS ONGOING.

*  EVENT DATE:  28 APR 2002

***EVENT TYPE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS REFLECT 2 SEPARATE                
               TORNADOES.                        

***ESTIMATED MAX WIND SPEED: UNION...JOHNSON COUNTY TORNADO - 180 MPH
                             SOUTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY TORNADO - 130 MPH

***ESTIMATED INITIAL TIME OF TOUCHDOWN IN UNION COUNTY...118 AM CDT  

***DAMAGE PATH WIDTH: UNION...JOHNSON COUNTY TORNADO - 400 YARDS...  
                      AT ONE OF ITS WIDEST POINTS.
                      SOUTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY...400 YARDS AT ONE OF 
                      ITS WIDEST POINTS.

***  DAMAGE AREA: THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN 4 AND 1/2 MILES 
     WEST OF MILL CREEK (UNION COUNTY). THE TORNADO THEN TRAVELED    
     EAST ACROSS THE REST OF UNION COUNTY AND HIT THE TOWN OF        
     DONGOLA. THEN THE TORNADO MOVED INTO JOHNSON COUNTY...AND       
     DIRECTLY AFFECTED THE TOWN OF CYPRESS. THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED   
     JUST EAST OF CYPRESS AT AROUND 200 AM. THE TORNADO TRAVELED A TOTAL
     OF 16 MILES AND WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN F3 TORNADO.

     ANOTHER TORNADO THEN TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY...
     ALONG HIGHWAY 45...3 MILES SOUTH OF VIENNA. PRELIMINARY         
     ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT            
     APPROXIMATELY 206 AM. THE TORNADO MOVED EAST TO I-24 AND        
     CONTINUED MOVING EAST TO GANNTOWN. THE TORNADO TRAVELED A TOTAL 
     OF 7 MILES AND WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN F2 TORNADO. 

***DAMAGE PATH LENGTH: SEE ABOVE

*  DAMAGE: NUMEROUS HOMES AND BUSINESSES 

*  DAMAGE COST: TBD 

***INJURIES: 8 INJURIES IN UNION COUNTY. 2 INJURIES                  
             IN JOHNSON COUNTY. 

***FATALITIES: 1 IN DONGOLA (UNION COUNTY)...69 YR OLD WOMAN. THIS   
               WOMAN WAS TRYING TO FLEE HER MOBILE HOME TO SAFETY.   
               SHE GOT IN HER CAR...STARTED THE ENGINE AND TURNED    
               THE LIGHTS ON. SHE WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE CAR AND FOUND 
               DEAD UNDER A STRUCTURE ACROSS THE ROAD FROM WHERE THE 
               VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND STILL RUNNING.

  
PERSONNEL FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PADUCAH REMAIN 
ON SITE. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS IT BECOMES 
AVAILABLE. 

$$
SHANKLIN/ZAGORSKI/POOLE