Plainfield Tornado August 28 1990

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Plainfield Tornado August 28 1990

• A look back and a look forward.
• Can it happen again?

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The Sad Numbers

• F5 Tornado ( Old Fujita Scale )
• Strongest August Tornado in US!
• Only F5 ever in Chicagoland Area
• 29 Deaths 350 Injured
• 150 million damage
• 1/4 mile wide damage path
• 16.4 miles long

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Previous Plainfield Tornadoes

• March 29 1920 F4 Cook Will Counties 20
  Fatalities 300 Injured
• 53 mile path 2 miles north of Channahon to
  Romeoville to Bellwood-Maywood area to Wilmette
  and out over Lake Michigan
• Damage worse over Maywood through Melrose Park
  near Kiddeland.

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Other Tornadoes

• June 20 1974 F2? Plainfield School
  District Administrative building partially
  destroyed. Damage estimated 500,000.
• April 27 1984 F3 Plainfield and Troy
  Townships 1 fatality 5 injured
• 14 homes destroyed 30 damaged

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F-Scale Rating of Significant Tornadoes Across
the Chicago Area (From NOAA)
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Significant Tornadoes by Decade
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Significant Tornadoes by Month
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Number of Multiple Significant Tornado Days by
Month
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Deaths Injuries Caused by F4 F5 Tornadoes
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Plainfield Aug 28 1990(Herald News Photo
Bob McDonald)
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• St. Marys Church RT 59 3 fatalities
• Plainfield HS 3 fatalities in area
• Curving road is Lockport Street
• Damage Rated F3 158 - 206mph

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Front of Plainfield HS( Photo by John Patsch)
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St Marys Church
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Lily Cache and Peerless subdivisions South of
Renwick Road ( Photo by Steve Sumner)
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Cresthill Lake ApartmentsWoman found her
children a short time later safe.
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Vehicles overturned
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Cresthill Apts. F3 Damage 158-206
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Crest Hill Lakes Apartments
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8 fatalities in apartment complex
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Looks Nice!(Photo by Steve Buyansky)
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Damage Path
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Damage Path
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Tornado Preceeded by Microbursts
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850mb or 5,000ft Winds/Temp/Moisture
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Slight Risk Issued
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Upgraded to Moderate
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MESOSCALE DISCUSSION ISSUED AT 1800z
SELS MESOSCALE DISCUSSION FOR SE WI/NRN IL/NW
IN CONCERNING...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
POTENTIAL VALID 281810Z - 282000Z WW WILL BE
NEEDED SHORTLY ACROSS NRN/IL AND NW/IN. TSMS
ARE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ALONG SURFACE COLD FRONT
NEAR THE WI/IL BORDER NNW OF ROCKFORD. ATMOSPHERE
IS EXTEMELY UNSTABLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT COUPLED
WITH AN INCREASING MID LEVEL WIND FIELD WILL
ENHANCE VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES INCREASING SEVERE
POTENTIAL. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE
INTENSIFYING AND BECOME SEVERE DURING THE NEXT
HOUR...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT ACROSS NRN IL/NW
IN THRU 21Z. ISOLD CELLS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS
ALONG/SOUTHEAST OF A JVL/MKE LINE BETWEEN
19-1930Z. ..SAMMLER.. 08/28/90
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Severe T-Storm Watch Issued 130 - 800 PM
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Radar Imagery
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Limitations of Analysis

• Radar in 1990 had 1957 technology which was
  updated in 1974 but had no doppler technology.
• The Marseilles radar was scheduled to be upgraded
  ( or added on) to partial doppler capability but
  was delayed to the expected deployment of the WSR
  88-D radars which are installed nationwide today.

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Doppler Radar at United Airlines

• Collins 5cm retrofitted Doppler on roof of
  Executive Offices in Elk Grove Village
• Corner of Algonquin Golf Roads
• Mets at time were concerned with developing
  60,000 - 65,000 ft t-storm blocking fix points to
  ORD and MDW and shutting down operations.
• Entire radar loop of storm was taped

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Doppler Radar at United Airlines

• However, RHI or range height indicator was used
  to determine how fast storm was building
  vertically so as to assist controllers and
  dispatchers in re-routing aircraft.
• Radar had a range of 40 miles and the southeast
  of the supercell moved beyond that range once it
  entered Plainfield.

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Doppler Radar at United Airlines

• Dr Ted Fujita visited UAL WX to view radar but
  results were inconclusive.
• One thing that was extremely noticeable (with
  RHI) was very wide and low reflectivity shaft on
  front end of storm indicating the wall cloud 50
  to 150 feet above the surface.
• This is extremely low and allowed NO VIEW OF
  FUNNEL and consequently no spotter reports of
  tornadoes

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Tornado Preceeded by Microbursts
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1927 UTC 327 PM F3 158-205 mph
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1948 UTC 348 PM F4/F5 250 - 275 mph
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2002 UTC 402 PM F4/F5 250- 275 mph
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2005 UTC 405 PMF3/F4 175 - 225 mph
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2034 UTC 434 PM F4 225-250 mph
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UTC 449PM Weakens to F1 70-100
mph
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Can It Happen Again?
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Can It Happen Again?Yes it can. F5 Moore, OK
1999
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Wind Speeds 300 mph
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F5 Oak Grove, Alabama 1998
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F5 Edgewater, Alabama
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Are we more vulnerable?

• Population change from 1990 - 2005
• Aurora 43, 409

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Are we more vulnerable?

• Population change from 1990 - 2005
• Aurora 43, 409
• Naperville 43, 407

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Are we more vulnerable?

• Population change from 1990 - 2005
• Aurora 43, 409
• Naperville 43, 407
• Joliet 29, 305

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Could we have another Aug 28 1990?

• In terms of weather YES !

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Could we have another Aug 28 1990?

• In terms of weather YES !
• In terms of weather analysis and prediction
• NO !

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Changes Since 1990

• More advanced Doppler Radar Technology
• Finer resolution satellite data
• More detailed surface analysis
• Finer resolution numerical models run every 6
  hours with some mesoscale models run every hour
  Rapid Update Cycle
• Better Spotter Training Programs
• Improvements in Broadcasts of Warnings/Watches
  from local TV stations

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What do we do at FoxChicago News?
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Work Then Have Fun !
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Severe Weather Policy

• Meteorologist on duty round the clock if
  potential for severe t-storms exist
• Program Cut-In for display of watch information
  and where and when potential t-storm development
  will be.

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Severe Weather Policy

• As soon as warning is issued by NWS, weather
  cut-in follows with hyper-local view of doppler
  radar with warning information and storm tracking
  info.
• BARONS Radar most likely will be implemented this
  Spring which will update radar sweeps in half the
  time!
• Street level mapping will follow.

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And More Fun!
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Mary Kay Kleist, Ed Curran, Jim Tillmon CH 2
Harry Volkman
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Frank Wachowski, Hank Yario, Ray Waldman NWS
(retired) Tom Skilling
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Jim Stefkovic NWS
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Steve Baskerville CH2
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Harry vowing he shall not return!
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(No Transcript)