EF1 Tornado — Carroll, Illinois

2023-03-31 · near Mt Carroll, Carroll, Illinois

Event narrative

A brief tornado occurred near Mt. Carroll as a line of supercell thunderstorms swept northeast over Illinois on March 31st. This tornado was found using satellite information to identify a damage track. There was confirmed powerline damage in that track.

Wider weather episode

A very strong system developed on the morning of March 31st and tracked across the state of Iowa. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist air into the Midwest, which combined with a very favorable wind profile to create a volatile environment for severe thunderstorms. Discrete supercell thunderstorms occurred initially, but quickly transitioned into a QLCS mode. This system produced a historic tornado outbreak for the area, with a record 29 tornadoes on the day, including 13 rated EF-2, 1 rated EF-3, and 1 rated EF-4. This was the first EF-4 tornado in the NWS Quad Cities service area since 1995. 11 injuries were reported, with no known fatalities. In addition to the numerous tornadoes, there were many large hail and damaging wind reports. Maximum straight line thunderstorm winds were estimated at 80 to 90 mph.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.0489, -89.9733)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1086457. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.