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F3 tornado in Logan County, Illinois

Tornado May 9, 1995 · Logan County, Illinois

F3
Rating
40.0 mi
Path length
880 yd
Path width
6
Injuries
$10.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 880 yards (0.50 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A tornado developed 3 NE of Salisbury and moved northeast lifting 5 NE of Beason in Logan County at 1756 CST. The path width varied from one-quarter to three-quarters of a mile and was on the ground for 40 miles. The tornado caused significant damage in Cantrall (three homes destroyed, 10 had major damage, 11 had minor damage, and the roof and interior of a grade school suffered extensive damage). In the Brookwood Hills Subdivision in Menard County (3 SE Athens), one home was destroyed, one had major damage, 12 homes suffered minor damage, and one farm in the area sustained damage to barns and silos. In Elkhart, 50 to 75 homes were damaged, as well as, several businesses. In Flamingo Heights subdivision (4S of Lincoln), all 23 homes were damaged. Numerous power lines, poles, trees, and a 400 foot cellular tower were blown down. With all of the damage, only six people suffered minor injuries. Preliminary damage estimates were $1 million in Sangamon County, $1 Million in Menard County, and over $8 million in Logan County.

Began near Cantrall (39.8800, -89.7300).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 10320429. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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