Lapaz, IN Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Lapaz is about the same as Indiana average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Lapaz is about the same as Indiana average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #753
Lapaz, IN | 0.01 |
Indiana | 0.12 |
U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
Lapaz, IN | 0.0000 |
Indiana | 0.0000 |
U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #367
Lapaz, IN | 258.00 |
Indiana | 265.56 |
U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 2,970 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Lapaz, IN were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 7 | Cold: | 10 | Dense Fog: | 3 | Drought: | 1 |
Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 221 | Hail: | 699 | Heat: | 3 | Heavy Snow: | 88 |
High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 26 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 50 |
Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,687 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 65 | Winter Weather: | 15 |
Other: | 95 |
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Lapaz, IN.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Lapaz, IN.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Lapaz, IN.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 101 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Lapaz, IN.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
3.7 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°24'N / 86°28'W | 41°29'N / 86°17'W | 10.70 Miles | 250 Yards | 3 | 28 | 25.0M | 0 | Marshall |
7.5 | 1961-06-13 | 2 | 41°21'N / 86°20'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Marshall | |||
8.6 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°29'N / 86°17'W | 41°35'N / 86°04'W | 12.90 Miles | 250 Yards | 3 | 27 | 25.0M | 0 | St. Joseph |
9.9 | 1954-06-12 | 2 | 41°34'N / 86°11'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | St. Joseph | |||
10.6 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 41°19'N / 86°15'W | 41°24'N / 86°03'W | 11.60 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
12.6 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°21'N / 86°35'W | 41°24'N / 86°28'W | 6.40 Miles | 250 Yards | 4 | 27 | 25.0M | 0 | Starke |
13.3 | 2007-10-18 | 2 | 41°18'N / 86°10'W | 41°23'N / 86°02'W | 8.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 600K | 0K | Marshall |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the intersection of 12B and Gumwood Roads, just west of Bourbon. Initial damage comprised of damage to shingles on a few roofs as well as some tree damage. As the tornado moved northeast and intensified it blew down a 3/8 mile long stretch of power poles. A total of 16 homes suffered damage from the tornado, 3 were destroyed, 1 suffered major damage and 12 suffered minor damage. Some barns, storage sheds, silos and garages suffered damage of varying degrees as well. The tornado reached the higher end of EF2 as it entered into Kosciusko County. A Bourbon Fire Department grass truck crashed into a ditch during the storm, with the driver being taken to the hospital for unknown injuries. It is not known as to why the crash occurred. 3 other non-specific minor injuries were reported. Damage is estimated at around $600,000. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A combination of strong dynamics, wind shear, and rapid low level moisture return all combined to produce severe weather across much of Northern Indiana. One of several supercell thunderstorms produced a long tracked tornado which reached the high end of EF3. | |||||||||||
13.4 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°35'N / 86°12'W | 41°37'N / 86°04'W | 6.90 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 27 | 0K | 0 | St. Joseph |
14.8 | 1980-06-28 | 2 | 41°40'N / 86°15'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | St. Joseph | |||
15.2 | 1958-07-29 | 2 | 41°23'N / 86°35'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Starke | |||
15.2 | 1965-09-14 | 2 | 41°23'N / 86°35'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Starke | |||
15.2 | 1976-03-12 | 3 | 41°17'N / 86°39'W | 41°24'N / 86°28'W | 12.10 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Starke |
15.4 | 2007-10-18 | 2 | 41°23'N / 86°02'W | 41°26'N / 86°00'W | 5.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0K | Kosciusko |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado continued tracking northeast from Marshall county into extreme northwestern Kosciusko county. 116 structures were reported to have some sort of damage. 17 homes were destroyed, 6 suffered major damage and 17 minor damage. A horse was killed in a barn that was destroyed. Damage estimated around 3 million dollars. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A combination of strong dynamics, wind shear, and rapid low level moisture return all combined to produce severe weather across much of Northern Indiana. One of several supercell thunderstorms produced a long tracked tornado which reached the high end of EF3. | |||||||||||
15.7 | 1962-04-30 | 3 | 41°40'N / 86°31'W | 41°42'N / 86°04'W | 23.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 49 | 250K | 0 | St. Joseph |
15.9 | 1954-06-01 | 2 | 41°14'N / 86°14'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Marshall | |||
16.0 | 2001-10-24 | 3 | 41°37'N / 86°26'W | 41°45'N / 86°18'W | 15.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 1 | 2 | 3.0M | 0 | St. Joseph |
Brief Description: This tornado touched down just southwest of Crumstown in St Joseph county Indiana and moved northeast into Berrien county Michigan (see Storm Data for Michigan, Extreme Southwest for more information on the end portion of this tornado). In St Joseph county Indiana the most significant damage was across Crumstown, where F3 damage with a path width up to 3/4 mile occurred. The tornado then moved to near the Michiana Regional Airport and across the Indiana Turnpike causing F0-F1 damage. Two men were injured northwest of South Bend. One man later died from his injuries. The tornado moved into Berrien county Michigan 6 miles NNW of South Bend. | |||||||||||
16.8 | 1964-04-28 | 2 | 41°26'N / 85°59'W | 41°27'N / 85°59'W | 1.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Kosciusko |
16.8 | 1964-04-28 | 2 | 41°27'N / 85°59'W | 41°30'N / 85°59'W | 3.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Elkhart |
17.4 | 1967-10-24 | 2 | 41°35'N / 86°01'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Elkhart | |||
18.0 | 1988-10-16 | 2 | 41°28'N / 86°00'W | 41°33'N / 85°56'W | 6.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Elkhart |
18.3 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°35'N / 86°04'W | 41°38'N / 85°58'W | 5.60 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Elkhart |
18.6 | 1968-06-23 | 2 | 41°18'N / 86°36'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Starke | |||
18.9 | 2007-10-18 | 3 | 41°26'N / 86°00'W | 41°30'N / 85°53'W | 7.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 11.0M | 0K | Elkhart |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado continued northeast out of Kosciusko County into the southeast side of Nappanee where the most extensive damage occurred. The width of the tornado decreased to one quarter mile and intensified just south of US-6 and County Road 7 as wind speeds increased to around 165 mph, in the upper range of the EF3 rating. The tornado went through an area populated by homes, restaurants, convenience stores and 3 RV plants, all of which sustained varying degrees of damage. Local officials reported that 459 buildings were damaged. Of these, 352 were homes with 52 of those being destroyed or uninhabitable. 81 businesses were damaged and 26 destroyed. A few minor injuries were also reported, mainly from people trapped in some of the houses and a few businesses. The tornado continued into the Blackstone subdivision where numerous homes were damaged or destroyed. The tornado continued to west of New Paris near the intersection of County Roads 46 and 17 where it lifted. Numerous vehicles of all varieties sustained severe damage. Damage is estimated around $11 million. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A combination of strong dynamics, wind shear, and rapid low level moisture return all combined to produce severe weather across much of Northern Indiana. One of several supercell thunderstorms produced a long tracked tornado which reached the high end of EF3. | |||||||||||
19.3 | 2001-10-24 | 2 | 41°39'N / 86°08'W | 41°42'N / 86°01'W | 4.50 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.3M | 0 | St. Joseph |
19.5 | 1956-08-12 | 3 | 41°14'N / 86°15'W | 41°10'N / 86°03'W | 11.10 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
19.6 | 1965-11-26 | 3 | 41°42'N / 86°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Joseph | |
21.0 | 1958-05-31 | 2 | 41°40'N / 86°36'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | La Porte | |
21.8 | 1956-04-03 | 2 | 41°07'N / 86°23'W | 41°10'N / 86°19'W | 4.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fulton |
22.2 | 2001-10-24 | 2 | 41°26'N / 86°54'W | 41°40'N / 86°32'W | 33.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 1 | 0 | 750K | 0 | La Porte |
22.3 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 41°10'N / 86°06'W | 41°12'N / 86°03'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marshall |
22.9 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°24'N / 86°55'W | 41°30'N / 86°35'W | 18.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | La Porte |
23.5 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°31'N / 86°04'W | 41°42'N / 85°44'W | 21.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 31 | 252 | 0K | 0 | Elkhart |
23.8 | 1951-06-21 | 3 | 41°07'N / 86°25'W | 41°07'N / 86°21'W | 2.70 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton |
24.5 | 1958-06-24 | 2 | 41°45'N / 86°07'W | 41°45'N / 85°58'W | 7.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | St. Joseph |
24.6 | 1951-06-21 | 3 | 41°07'N / 86°29'W | 41°07'N / 86°25'W | 2.70 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Pulaski |
25.0 | 1956-06-26 | 2 | 41°49'N / 86°16'W | 0.10 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Berrien | |
25.0 | 1960-05-21 | 2 | 41°34'N / 86°46'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | La Porte | |||
25.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 41°12'N / 86°03'W | 41°25'N / 85°39'W | 25.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 39 | 0K | 0 | Kosciusko |
25.8 | 1957-03-14 | 2 | 41°39'N / 86°44'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | La Porte | |||
26.1 | 1960-06-16 | 2 | 41°50'N / 86°16'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Berrien | |||
26.9 | 1962-04-30 | 3 | 41°42'N / 86°04'W | 41°46'N / 85°49'W | 13.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Elkhart |
26.9 | 1957-06-14 | 3 | 41°04'N / 86°18'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fulton | |||
26.9 | 1998-08-25 | 2 | 41°51'N / 86°14'W | 41°47'N / 85°59'W | 9.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Cass |
Brief Description: ONE MOBILE HOME WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED ON SOUTH SIDE OF JUNO LAKE AND SEVERAL OTHER HOMES AROUND JUNO, PAINTER, EAGLE AND CHRISTAN LAKE SUFFERED MINOR TO MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AN RV WAS TOSSED ABOUT AND ROTATED 180 DEGREES WHICH CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE. NUMEROUS TREES WERE COMPLETELY FLATTENED WHICH ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO HOMES. MANY ROADS WERE BLOCKED BY FALLEN TREES...SNAPPED POWER POLES AND DOWNED POWER LINES. THIS TORNADO BEGAN IN NILES AND PEAKED IN INTENSITY AND WIDTH 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF EDWARDSBURG WHERE IT WIDENED OUT TO ONE HALF MILE. IT CONTINUED ON TOWARD THE TOWN OF BRISTOL IN NORTHEAST ELKHART COUNTY BEFORE LIFTING. | |||||||||||
27.0 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°37'N / 86°04'W | 41°43'N / 85°40'W | 21.60 Miles | 333 Yards | 31 | 252 | 0K | 0 | Elkhart |
27.0 | 1998-06-11 | 2 | 41°06'N / 86°40'W | 41°09'N / 86°30'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 1.0M | 100K | Pulaski |
Brief Description: 4 TRAILER HOMES DESTROYED, SEVERAL OTHERS SUFFERED MINOR TO MAJOR DAMAGE, ONE HOME AND BARN DESTROYED, SEVERAL OTHER HOMES SUFFERED MODERATE DAMAGE. TORNADO STARTED IN RIPLEY AND TRACKED EAST NORTHEAST TO MONTEREY BEFORE IT LIFTED. EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG THE TORNADOES PATH. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions for June 11, 1998... Morning sfc and upper air analysis revealed a potent upper short wave trough across North Dakota with an intensifying area of sfc low pressure across southwest Kansas. An unseasonably strong 140 knot jet streak was ejecting out of this trough across Kansas with the left front exit region progged into central Indiana after 18Z. Increasing moisture convergence and theta-e advection along the northward lifting warmfront was seen as 850 mb winds were forecast to increase to 55 knots. By 21Z, the sfc low had moved into eastern Iowa and deepened to 994 mb. The prestorm enviornment was characterized by moderate to extreme instability (LI values -7 to -9 and CAPE values in excess of 2000 J/kg) with temperatures in the lower 80s and dewpoints in the low/mid 70s. This combined with a dry punch at 700mb and deep layer shear along the warm front, where storm relative helicity values increased to 400 M2/S2, lay the foundation for an outbreak of damaging tornadoes across Indiana. | |||||||||||
27.2 | 1989-09-01 | 2 | 41°04'N / 86°23'W | 1.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton | |
27.5 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 40°57'N / 86°28'W | 41°10'N / 86°06'W | 24.10 Miles | 1760 Yards | 6 | 138 | 0K | 0 | Fulton |
29.0 | 1979-04-12 | 2 | 41°51'N / 86°23'W | 41°54'N / 86°20'W | 3.30 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Berrien |
29.5 | 1976-03-12 | 3 | 41°41'N / 86°56'W | 41°37'N / 86°42'W | 12.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | La Porte |
29.7 | 1956-08-12 | 3 | 41°10'N / 86°03'W | 41°05'N / 85°50'W | 12.30 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kosciusko |
30.3 | 1976-03-12 | 2 | 41°46'N / 86°43'W | 41°52'N / 86°34'W | 10.10 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Berrien |
31.0 | 1980-07-05 | 2 | 41°43'N / 85°49'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Elkhart | |||
31.2 | 1961-03-04 | 2 | 41°46'N / 86°45'W | 41°50'N / 86°39'W | 6.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Berrien |
33.2 | 1967-10-24 | 2 | 41°26'N / 85°40'W | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Kosciusko | |||
33.4 | 1961-07-23 | 3 | 41°20'N / 85°41'W | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Kosciusko | |||
34.2 | 1981-06-20 | 2 | 41°57'N / 86°21'W | 1.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Berrien | |
34.3 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°37'N / 85°42'W | 41°38'N / 85°40'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Elkhart | ||
34.5 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 41°25'N / 85°39'W | 41°26'N / 85°38'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Elkhart | ||
34.8 | 1958-05-31 | 2 | 41°43'N / 86°53'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | La Porte | |||
35.5 | 1986-06-19 | 2 | 41°55'N / 86°00'W | 1.30 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cass | |
36.3 | 1957-06-14 | 2 | 41°13'N / 85°41'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kosciusko | |||
36.4 | 2010-06-05 | 2 | 41°57'N / 86°05'W | 41°57'N / 86°02'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Cass |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: After leaving behind a swath of microburst winds, the storm intensified with a tornado touching down about a half mile southwest of Southwestern Michigan College, near Dowagiac. The circulation initially impacted the Pokagan subdivision with numerous homes suffering varying degrees of damage (DI: FR12 DOD: 4). The circulation continued east-southeast through mainly open and wooded areas, severely damaging numerous trees. The most extensive tree damage occurred near Michigan 62, west of Twin Lake Road where a 600 yard wide area of trees suffered extensive damage. The circulation was likely embedded within a much larger area of rear flank downdraft winds. The circulation then turned more southeast and hit a cemetery on Michigan 62, south of Cass Street. The circulation quickly dissipated after this point. Maximum winds are estimated at around 115 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A warm front worked north towards lower Michigan during the evening hours of the 5th. Storms were initially slow to organize, but quickly intensified and became super cellular as they moved off Lake Michigan. A combination of tornadoes and micro bursts were found in surveys across Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties. | |||||||||||
36.7 | 1972-06-14 | 2 | 41°58'N / 86°29'W | 41°59'N / 86°26'W | 1.30 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Berrien |
36.8 | 2010-06-05 | 2 | 41°58'N / 86°30'W | 41°59'N / 86°26'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0K | Berrien |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey of the area between Baroda and Stevensville indicated damage consistent with a tornado. The damage started on Marrs Road, just west of Stevensville-Baroda Road. and continued east-northeast. The damage started with a travel trailer being thrown and destroyed as well as some tree damage. The circulation tracked mainly over open fields until reaching an area of homes on Lincoln Ave where the entire roof was ripped off a home (DI: FR12, DOD: 6) and another home suffered slightly less roof damage. The circulation continued northeast, crossing Hollywood Road, north of Linco Road. Several one year old 24 inch diameter power poles were snapped (DI: ETL; DOD 4). In addition, a harrow and trailer were thrown from a barn roughly 150 to 200 yards into a field. The circulation appears to dissipate north of Linco Road, on Scottdale Road. The tornado was roughly 200 yards wide at its peak. Maximum winds are estimated at around 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A warm front worked north towards lower Michigan during the evening hours of the 5th. Storms were initially slow to organize, but quickly intensified and became super cellular as they moved off Lake Michigan. A combination of tornadoes and micro bursts were found in surveys across Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties. | |||||||||||
37.0 | 1976-03-12 | 3 | 41°42'N / 86°58'W | 41°41'N / 86°56'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Porter | ||
37.1 | 1956-04-03 | 3 | 40°59'N / 85°58'W | 1.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kosciusko | |
37.4 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 40°55'N / 86°31'W | 40°57'N / 86°28'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 7 | 0K | 0 | Pulaski |
38.7 | 1994-04-26 | 2 | 41°06'N / 86°53'W | 20.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Pulaski | |
Brief Description: The tornado touched down near Francesville in southwest Pulaski County then tracked northeast across the entire county entering extreme northeast Fulton county 1.1 miles northeast of Monterey at 2313 EST. It then crossed into extreme southwest Marshall county 3.7 miles southwest of Culver at 2315 EST and lifted at 2321 EST about 2.5 miles southeast of Culver. The tornado destroyed five farm buildings, and damaged numerous others. One home was destroyed. A mobile home was lifted off the ground and placed on top of a car. Dozens of large trees were uprooted at Tippecanoe River State Park north of Winamac. The tornado damage path was intermittent. | |||||||||||
38.9 | 1976-03-04 | 2 | 41°57'N / 86°34'W | 42°05'N / 86°13'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Berrien |
39.1 | 1963-04-17 | 4 | 41°06'N / 86°54'W | 41°05'N / 86°52'W | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Pulaski | ||
39.2 | 1962-04-30 | 3 | 41°18'N / 87°02'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Porter | |||
39.3 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°21'N / 87°12'W | 41°24'N / 86°55'W | 14.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Porter |
39.3 | 1953-05-17 | 2 | 41°47'N / 85°46'W | 41°51'N / 85°40'W | 6.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | St. Joseph |
39.7 | 2009-08-19 | 2 | 41°36'N / 87°04'W | 41°39'N / 87°01'W | 4.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0K | Porter |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down in southern Chesterton east of 11th Street and southwest of South Park Drive. The tornado quickly intensified as it moved to the northeast and caused the partial collapse of a gymnasium roof at the Chesterton Junior High School. A wind gust to 105 mph was measured by an anemometer near the school. This damage along with numerous trees that were either uprooted or sheared off was caused by tornado winds reaching 110 mph. The tornado was rated EF1 at this point with a path width of 40 yards. The tornado continued to track to the northeast across the New York Central railroad tracks toward Grant Avenue where the roof of a warehouse had been peeled off and thrown about 15 yards behind the building to the north. The tornado continued to the northeast where an apartment building on Brown Avenue lost its entire roof. This damage was caused by tornado winds reaching 120 mph. The tornado damage was rated EF2 through this area with a path width of 60 yards. In the city of Chesterton, 211 structures sustained damage; 8 were completely destroyed; 54 suffered major damage, such as trees falling through roofs. The remaining 149 structures sustained damage such as missing shingles or damaged gutters. Multiple vehicles were damaged by falling debris from buildings or trees. Numerous power lines were blown down along with utility poles blown down or snapped. This EF2 damage continued northeast where an entire field of healthy old hardwood tree trunks were snapped off or uprooted. The tornado then started to slightly weaken as it approached the Interstate 94 eastbound exit/westbound entrance ramps at Indiana Highway 49. A home south of the interstate had a garage roof blown off with still numerous trees uprooted or sheared off. Tornado wind speeds here were estimated at 100 mph with an EF1 rating. Similar tree damage was noted along a path that continued to go to the northeast across Highway 49 and toward Highway 20 near Hadenfelt Road where some aluminum roofing material of a storage facility had been peeled off. Tornado wind speeds were estimated at 95 mph here and was rated EF1 with a path width of 30 yards. The tornado continued to move through a heavily forested area in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, eventually crossing Highway 12. Radar imagery and an aerial survey suggests that the tornado dissipated north of Highway 12. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across parts of northwest Indiana during the late afternoon and evening hours of August 19th, producing one tornado in Chesterton. | |||||||||||
39.9 | 2000-06-14 | 2 | 41°01'N / 85°48'W | 41°03'N / 85°46'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 700K | 30K | Wabash |
Brief Description: The tornado touched down again, hitting a farm at 1300 N and 100 W. A man suffered a broken leg here. Two hog sheds and a large grain bin were destroyed. A 200-yard swath of trees were uprooted to the northeast along the railroad tracks. Another man suffered back and chest injuries as the tornado continued to the intersection of 1300 N and Meridian Road and demolished the barn in which he stood. A 5th wheel camper was rolled 50 yards from its original position destroying it. The tornado continued to the next farm just south of 1400 N and 100 E. The barn was destroyed and the house suffered moderate damage, primarily from flying tree debris. The tornado snapped a utility pole, which fell on an 18-year-old boy, breaking his leg. Many trees and power lines were downed along the way. From here, the tornado continued until the Wabash/Kosciusko county line. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions for June 14th... A significant mid-level shortwave trough was located over Iowa on the morning of June 14th with an outflow dominated squall line across western Illinois. Rapid destabilization ensued later in the morning across eastern Illinois and northern Indiana with CAPES to 3500 j/kg by early afternoon. VAD wind profiles showed 850 millibar winds in excess of 50 knots in advance of the upper trough by afternoon and as storms developed along the left over outflow boundary across Illinois... they quickly became severe and organized into a large bow echo and moved quickly eastward into northern Indiana causing extensive wind damage. By late afternoon... a short segmented squall line developed just ahead of this bow echo squall line and extended from a St. Joseph to Fulton county line. Along the southern end of this line... an embedded tornadic supercell developed and interacted with a left over storm-scale outflow boundary to produce the Wabash/Kosciusko and DeKalb county tornadoes. The lack of significant low level shear likely prevented a much larger and more widespread tornado event especially across Whitley and Allen counties where several funnel clouds were captured on film but failed to touch down. | |||||||||||
40.0 | 1967-04-21 | 2 | 42°01'N / 86°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Berrien | |
40.1 | 2000-06-14 | 2 | 41°02'N / 85°47'W | 41°03'N / 85°45'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 10K | Kosciusko |
Brief Description: The last farm was hit when the tornado was located just west of 1300 S and 400 E in Kosciusko County. Two barns, a garage, and several outbuildings were completely destroyed with some of the foundations swept clean. The house and two cars were severely damaged from large pieces of flying debris. A 17 foot boat was thrown about 20 yards and severely damaged. Most of the trees on this farm were destroyed. Debris from this farm was carried up to one half mile away as the tornado crossed 400 E and then lifted back into the clouds. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions for June 14th... A significant mid-level shortwave trough was located over Iowa on the morning of June 14th with an outflow dominated squall line across western Illinois. Rapid destabilization ensued later in the morning across eastern Illinois and northern Indiana with CAPES to 3500 j/kg by early afternoon. VAD wind profiles showed 850 millibar winds in excess of 50 knots in advance of the upper trough by afternoon and as storms developed along the left over outflow boundary across Illinois... they quickly became severe and organized into a large bow echo and moved quickly eastward into northern Indiana causing extensive wind damage. By late afternoon... a short segmented squall line developed just ahead of this bow echo squall line and extended from a St. Joseph to Fulton county line. Along the southern end of this line... an embedded tornadic supercell developed and interacted with a left over storm-scale outflow boundary to produce the Wabash/Kosciusko and DeKalb county tornadoes. The lack of significant low level shear likely prevented a much larger and more widespread tornado event especially across Whitley and Allen counties where several funnel clouds were captured on film but failed to touch down. | |||||||||||
40.2 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 41°26'N / 85°38'W | 41°35'N / 85°26'W | 14.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 24 | 0K | 0 | Noble |
40.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 40°52'N / 86°34'W | 40°55'N / 86°31'W | 3.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Cass |
41.0 | 1974-06-20 | 2 | 42°03'N / 86°18'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Berrien | |
41.3 | 1976-03-12 | 2 | 41°38'N / 85°38'W | 41°44'N / 85°30'W | 9.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Lagrange |
41.9 | 1959-09-28 | 2 | 40°52'N / 86°30'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cass | |||
41.9 | 1961-06-22 | 2 | 40°52'N / 86°30'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cass | |||
42.0 | 1992-07-13 | 2 | 42°02'N / 86°10'W | 42°04'N / 86°06'W | 4.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 25 | 250K | 0 | Cass |
42.0 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°43'N / 85°40'W | 41°45'N / 85°30'W | 8.50 Miles | 333 Yards | 5 | 42 | 0K | 0 | Lagrange |
42.4 | 1967-09-26 | 2 | 41°12'N / 87°03'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Jasper | |
43.1 | 1954-05-31 | 2 | 40°52'N / 86°02'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Miami | |||
43.2 | 1963-04-17 | 2 | 40°59'N / 85°46'W | 41°07'N / 85°35'W | 13.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabash |
43.4 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 41°17'N / 85°31'W | 41°20'N / 85°28'W | 3.50 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Noble |
43.8 | 1979-06-07 | 2 | 42°05'N / 86°11'W | 2.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Van Buren | |
43.9 | 2010-06-05 | 2 | 41°49'N / 85°41'W | 41°46'N / 85°29'W | 11.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0K | St. Joseph |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey of damage across southern St. Joseph county was performed by NWS Personnel. The damage found indicates that a circulation touched down over an open field north of Miller Road and west of Blue School Road. The tornado initially struck two barns, destroying them and sending the debris several miles downwind. The tornado then picked up a trailer at a local Port-A-Jon business. It appears that a combination of the strong winds and the trailer striking one of the guy wires, resulted in a 350 foot cell tower being blown down into an adjacent tower, causing the failure of both (DI: FST DOD:2). The tornado then continued across mainly open fields, scouring a 200 yard wide area of corn, just to the east-southeast of the cell towers and several trees along its track. The final damage occurred at a residence where minor roof damage was done to a barn, as well as more focused tree damage and a center pivot irrigation system being flipped. The tornado reached a maximum of roughly 200 yards in width and was on the ground for over 10 miles. Maximum winds are estimated at around 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A warm front worked north towards lower Michigan during the evening hours of the 5th. Storms were initially slow to organize, but quickly intensified and became super cellular as they moved off Lake Michigan. A combination of tornadoes and micro bursts were found in surveys across Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties. | |||||||||||
44.3 | 1956-04-03 | 2 | 41°38'N / 85°29'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lagrange | |||
44.3 | 1976-03-12 | 3 | 41°15'N / 87°12'W | 41°15'N / 87°02'W | 8.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jasper |
45.9 | 1976-03-12 | 2 | 41°29'N / 87°13'W | 41°32'N / 87°10'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Porter |
46.1 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°38'N / 85°40'W | 41°44'N / 85°16'W | 21.60 Miles | 177 Yards | 5 | 41 | 2.5M | 0 | Lagrange |
46.5 | 1977-06-30 | 2 | 41°31'N / 87°16'W | 41°33'N / 87°08'W | 6.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Lake |
47.3 | 1963-04-17 | 4 | 41°07'N / 87°15'W | 41°06'N / 86°56'W | 16.20 Miles | 110 Yards | 0 | 16 | 2.5M | 0 | Jasper |
47.5 | 1967-10-24 | 3 | 41°33'N / 87°13'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Porter | |||
47.7 | 1958-06-13 | 2 | 40°46'N / 86°22'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cass | |||
49.6 | 1962-04-30 | 2 | 41°12'N / 87°12'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jasper | |||
49.8 | 1976-03-12 | 2 | 41°41'N / 85°30'W | 41°45'N / 85°19'W | 10.10 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Lagrange |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.