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F3 tornado in Tazewell County, Illinois

Tornado May 13, 1995 · Tazewell County, Illinois

F3
Rating
25.0 mi
Path length
880 yd
Path width
25
Injuries
$4.0M
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 touched down along the Illinois River (3 NE of Goofy Ridge) and traveled to the northeast for 25 miles before lifting and dissipating in Tremont (Tazwell County). The tornado damaged or destroyed over 36 homes and mobile homes in Mason County and injured 23 people. Numerous trees were blown down, especially in the Sand Ridge State Forest, as well as, numerous power poles. In Tazwell County, 25 homes were either damaged or destroyed (seven homes were destroyed in a subdivision 1 S of South Pekin were two people suffered minor injuries). Numerous silos and machine sheds were destroyed. Damage was estimated around $4 million.

Began near Tremont (40.4200, -89.9300).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 10322827. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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