Damage Surveys of June 7 Tornadoes
Tornado Damage Surveys for June 7, 2008
By Jim Allsopp, Bill Wilson, Gino Izzi, Paul Merzlock, Paul Sirvatka, and Matt Wojtowicz
The first tornado occurred in Livingston County southwest of Dwight. It began near 2000E and 2900N Roads. Power poles were snapped along 2900N. On 2100E Road, north of 3000N Road a barn lost half of its roof. At 3100N a house had roof damage and tree damage. The tornado ended near 2200E and just south of 3200N.
This tornado had a path length of 3.6 miles and maximum width of 40 yards. It began at 431 PM and ended at 445 PM. It was rated EF1.
The second tornado occurred near the southwest Will/northwest Kankakee County border, just northwest of Essex. It began just west of 17000W Road, just south of County Line Road. Here it uprooted large trees and snapped a small hardwood tree. It briefly crossed the far northwest corner of Kankakee County, then moved north of County Line Road back into Will County. Tree tops were sheared at Essex Road and Cooper Road. At McGuire Road a clear path could be seen in the trees. At Route 113 and Smiley Road, near Custer Park, the tornado snapped and uprooted trees. Across the Kankakee River a 2 story house had its roof completely removed and there was extensive tree damage. The tornado was rated EF2 at this point. The tornado crossed Route 102 near Ritchie where trees were damaged. The tornado crossed Old Chicago Road near Kahler Road where power lines were down, a shed and barn were damaged, and there was minor damage to a house. A shed was destroyed. The tornado weakened as it moved from Symerton and Kennedy Roads to Warner Bridge and Arsenal Roads. There was no damage except to one tree. There was minor damage to a barn and tree limbs north of Arsenal Road before the tornado dissipated.
This tornado had a path length of 13.6 miles and a maximum width of about 200 yards. It began at 518 PM and ended at 546 PM. It was rated EF2.
The next Will County tornado began northeast of Wilton Center, just north of Route 52 and east of Elevator Road, where there was minor tree damage. Based on photos and eyewitness reports, the tornado grew to be about 400 yards wide at this point, but this was an open area with few trees or structures in the path. At 120th Avenue a garage was destroyed and all that remained was a cinder block base. A metal outbuilding was severely damaged. This tornado ended at Manhattan-Wilton Road just west of Route 45.
This tornado had a path length of 1.8 miles and maximum width of 400 yards. It began at 551 PM and ended at 554PM. It was rated EF2.
The third Will County tornado began along Pauling Road just west of Center Road, south of the Green Garden Country Club. A garage was leveled, and a house had part of its roof torn off and damage to second story exterior walls. At the southwest corner of Bruns and 88th Avenue, barns and trees were damaged. The tornado continued along Bruns Road between 80th and 88th Avenues. On the south side of the Bruns road a barn and an outbuilding were completely destroyed. The house lost a large section of the southeast wall on the second floor. Another house was heavily damaged with siding and a west wall blown off. North of Bruns Road, there was a barn that was practically destroyed with only a partial wall standing. A horse barn was destroyed with the stables intact and horses still standing there. In the backyard of the next home, there were trees blown down and debris, such as trailers and a small row boat were blown into the creek immediately north of Bruns road. A chain link fence was pulled from the ground. Many trees were uprooted and /or blown over and power lines were down on the ground or hanging on trees. The next house had damage to two garages. The doors were blown out of both garages and the roof of one garage was severely damaged. The house had siding and roof shingles blown off. A house at the east end of this section of Bruns Road, closest to 80th Avenue had siding blown off and chimney damage. The tornado was rated F2 based on damage along Bruns Road. The tornado apparently ended southwest of the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Manhattan-Monee Road, where there was minor tree damage.
This tornado had a path length of 3.7 miles and a maximum path width of 150 yards.
It began at 555 PM and ended at 608 PM. It was rated EF2.
The tornado redeveloped near Ridgeland Avenue and Dralle Road, where a high tension metal truss tower collapsed and four others were damaged. Power lines blocked I-57. The tornado destroyed a mobile home and outbuildings east of Ridgeland between Dralle and Stuenkel Roads before crossing I-57. The tornado was rated EF2 in this area. Six people were injured in vehicles on I-57. East of I-57 at Stuenkel Road a large warehouse had bay doors blown in, much of the roof collapsed, and the west wall blown in. Power poles were pushed over along South Central Avenue. The tornado continued northeast through an open area before hitting a subdivision on the northwest corner of Steger Road and Cicero Avenue. Large tree limbs were down and a couple trees were uprooted. Homes were somewhat sheltered by large trees and only sustained minor damage. One home near Cicero Avenue had part of its roof torn off. East of Cicero Avenue, the tornado weakened slightly as it moved through an apartment complex. Only minor damage to roofs, soffits and siding was noted. The tornado hit another subdivision along Imperial Drive. A few homes had garages partially collapsed or destroyed. The tornado then passed through an open area before crossing Governors Highway and the Illinois Central tracks, just south of Sauk Trail. The tornado hit an apartment complex just east of the highway and railroad tracks. One three story building had much of the roof ripped off and part of the third floor exterior walls blown down. Carports were collapsed and other buildings had minor damage. The tornado was rated EF2 in this area. The tornado moved through the intersection of Sauk Trail and Richton Square Road where a grocery store and car wash sustained damage. The tornado then weakened to EF0 intensity as it continued northeast across Central Park Avenue and the northwest part of Central Park. Only minor damage to trees was observed in a subdivision in this area. The tornado crossed the E J and E tracks, then it damaged a roof at an apartment complex near North Street and Orchard Drive. The last signs of tree damage were just southwest of the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Western Avenue.
This tornado had a path length of 5.8 miles and maximum width of about 150 yards. It began at 613 PM and ended at 630 PM. It was rated EF2.
Another tornado briefly swept through a subdivision in Lansing. This tornado began east of Burnham Road near 179th Street and ended near the Indiana state line and 177th Street. This tornado damaged tree limbs. A fallen limb damaged a car.
This tornado had a path length of .7 miles and width of about 50 yards. It began at 648 PM and ended at 649 PM. It was rated EF0.
Special thanks to Paul Sirvatka, Professor of Meteorology at College of DuPage for assistance with the damage survey.
Return to News Archive
