North Central Indiana-Michigan Tornado Outbreak

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The North Central Indiana-Michigan Tornado Outbreak was a severe weather event that occurred on October 24, 2001. Ten tornadoes broke out in southern Lower Michigan, northern Indiana, and northwestern Ohio. The strongest tornado was an F3 that struck western Saint Joseph County, Indiana.

1 Synopsis
2 High Risk
3 The Crumstown Tornado
4 Ohio
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Synopsis

The outbreak was caused by an extremely deep low pressure system that was detected as early as Saturday, October 20 moving in on the coast of California. The Storm Prediction Center was already predicting a chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday. The area forecast discussion started mentioning a "severe potential" on Tuesday, also mentioning "severe storms with large hail and damaging winds possible".

[edit] High Risk

On the morning of October 24, the SPC was on its highest alert after issuing a "high risk" for severe weather for Indiana, middle Kentucky, eastern Illinois, southern Michigan, and western Ohio. The surrounding area was in a slight risk. At 5:00 A.M., a severe weather outlook was issued highlighting the fact that the area was under a high risk as well as a possibility of tornadoes.

This is, to date, the fifth-latest day of the year that the SPC has ever put out a high risk. The SPC has only issued a "high risk" later in the year five other times:

During the Veterans Day Weekend Outbreak on November 10, 2002,
During the Huntsville, Alabama Tornado on November 15, 1989 [1].
Again during the Mid-November 2005 Tornado Outbreak on November 15, 2005.
On November 27, 1994 Several deadly tornadoes in the south-central states.
On December 23, 2002 Widespread severe weather but no notable tornado outbreak.

By 11:30 A.M., the SPC issued a Public Severe Weather Outlook calling for "intense tornadoes" in the area. Fifteen minutes later, the SPC issued a tornado watch for northern Indiana, and northwestern Ohio. The watch was a PDS: A "particularly dangerous situation".

At around 12:30 P.M., a line of storms began forming in central and eastern Illinois and moved east. At around 3:12 P.M., a tornado warning was issued for LaPorte County. It is believed that this is the tornado that killed a 50-year-old woman when her modular home was swept away near LaPorte. It was an F2 on the Fujita scale. At 3:15, another tornado watch was issued for southern Michigan.

[edit] The Crumstown Tornado

Damage after the tornado.

At 3:46, another tornado warning was issued for St. Joseph County, Indiana and southeastern Berrien County, Michigan and Cass County. A few minutes later, another tornado, perhaps the strongest of the outbreak -- an F3 -- touched down and did major damage to buildings in Crumstown, a highway near South Bend. The line moved into South Bend at exactly 4:05 P.M., producing 89 mph (140 km/h) winds at the airport. The tornado that hit Crumstown later hit Niles in Berrien County, then moved east-northeast into Cass County and dissipated in northwestern Saint Joseph County, Michigan. There were no deaths attributed to this tornado.

Other weaker tornadoes touched down in Mishawaka and moved northeast into Elkhart County. In Elkhart County, one of two separate tornadoes hit a Toll Road Maintenance Building and the other briefly touched down in the Cobus Green Trailer Court to the south-doing some damage to a few trailers. Another tornado damaged a trailer and a house in Marshall County and moved east into Kosciusko County and dissipated in Noble County. This particular tornado was photographed by meteorologists as it came near their forecast office in North Webster. Prior to the photo being taken, the tornado hit a factory on the north side of Warsaw, IN.

[edit] Ohio

By 5:30, the severe weather moved out of Indiana and into Ohio where damage was not as bad. One tornado was reported in Ohio, an F3 that moved from Paulding County into Putnam County. By 7:30, all severe weather watches were discontinued.

The next day, the extremely strong low pressure system produced a "freshwater fury" over Michigan. A high wind warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the extremely windy weather over the area.