Michiana Tornado Outbreak October 24 2001

October 24

Twenty Five 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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

Later in the evening the severe storm produced straight line winds through the campus of Michigan State University downing many trees and damaging buildings. The National Weather Service estimates most of the downbursts through East Lansing were between 60-80mph, with one reaching 120mph. The supercell that passed through East Lansing also spawned 2 tornadoes in the Saginaw area.

By 5:30 p.m., 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.

Areas Affected:

Benton Harbor Bridgman Buchanan Coloma New Buffalo Niles St. Joseph Watervliet
Baroda Berrien Springs Eau Claire Galien Grand Beach Michiana Shoreham Stevensville Three Oaks Bainbridge Township
Baroda Township Benton Charter Township
Berrien Charter Township Bertrand Township
Buchanan Township Chikaming Township
Coloma Charter Township Galien Township
Hagar Township Lake Charter Township
Lincoln Charter Township
New Buffalo Township Niles Township
Oronoko Charter Township
Pipestone Township Royalton Township
Sodus Township St. Joseph Charter Township
Three Oaks Township Watervliet Township
Weesaw Township Benton Heights
Berrien Center Bethany Beach Birchwood
Dayton Fair Plain Glendora Harbert
Hazelhurst Lake Michigan Beach Lakeside
Millburg New Troy Paw Paw Lake Riverside
Sawyer Scottdale Shorewood Hills
Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert
Tower Hill Shorelands Union Pier

Category:

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• legend813

[jamgibsonjamgibson]

Considering you get high winds at certain times of the year. How come you build your structures out of such flimsy materials in England we call that stuff pallett wood. Have not heard of the tail of the three little pigs or something. Or is it the New Orleans mentality (Who would have ever thought a hurricane would hit us)

[Legend813a]

It really does not matter what you build with, add a strong enough tornado and its gone.

[blaber50]

i remember we were heading to the basement and i looked out the window at the tree in our backyard and then boom! lightning struck it and it dropped on the corner of the house

[whs33jneff]

I remember the F3 actually went over my house unharmed...then it tore the shit outta my backyard

[TheTechTweeterMan]

hillsdale we got SLAMED I WAS ! AND I REMBER WE PICKED MY BROTHER UP GOD 

[hammerogod]

Watching that couplet form beginning at 0:57 is eerie.

Ya just know someone is in for the shits.

[Ajmtornado]

I live in Schoolcraft Michigan and this was the day of all days for destructive winds. We have had storms before, but not the 100 plus wind gust we got that did so much damage to our town. A lot of people think a tornado went through schoolcraft that day, I myself saw a funnel cloud but no touchdown, and with all the evidence, there is no proof of a tornado going through schoolcraft, just extremely destructive winds

[zazzybelle]

@Legend813a whoa there, grammar nazi..

[thesuburbsareburning]

@Legend813a You're is a conjunction of two words. "You" and "Are". YOUR comment should read:

"South Bend has two words, not one.

Your comment should read:

"I thought it was the end of South Bend that day."

You know what they say about glass houses...

[ChesterCorgi96]

@Legend813a Studies done at a Univ. in Oklahoma have simulated tornadic forces and they can blow 2 x 6's through brick and concrete walls.

[criptisize]

holy cow lol

[xXxXRubyxXxXx]

I remember that when I was really young and my parents told me to go in the living room and lay down close to the ground because we didn't have a basement. I was scared but only a tree fell on our house and we heard a pinecone drop on the roof everyday.