June 2, 1990 Tornado Outbreak

Tornadoes:

Photos

Ariel View of Damage Near Bedford (near intersection of SR 37 & SR 50) (from Bloomington Herald Times)	Tornado near Loogootee (Photo by Deputy Sheriff Tony Dant)	Tornado at Loogootee (Photo from Loogootee Tribune)	Tornado in rural area between Monroe City and Petersburg (Photo by Bill Stedman)

Radar & Satellite

Visible Satellite Image near 7 PM EST	Black & White Infrared Satellite Image near 7 PM EST (from NWS Storm Data)	Indianapolis Radar Image & Drawing of the Radar Image at 6:08 PM EST (from NWS Storm Data)	Radar Image from Cincinnati Radar (Courtesy of WFO Wilmington OH/Tony Lombardi)

Environment

Thunderstorms developed in a warm and humid airmass ahead of a surface cold front and upper level trough.

Figure 1: Model Reanalysis at 7 PM EST Jun 2	Figure 2: Surface Map Morning of June 2 (Courtesy NOAA Library)	Figure 3: Surface Map near 7 PM EST (from NWS Storm Data)

NWS Products

from Severe Local Storm Warning Center (SELS, Precursor to the Storm Prediction Center)

First Indiana Tornado Watch (Courtesy NWS Paducah)	Second Indiana Tornado Watch (Courtesy NWS Paducah)

Public Severe Weather Outlook (Issued at 11:00 AM EST)

...OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES FORECAST ACROSS PARTS OF THE
 GREAT LAKES...OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS...

THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER IN KANSAS CITY MISSOURI IS FORECASTING 
AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES FROM EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE 
MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY TO THE GREAT 
LAKES REGION.

THE STATES MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE BRUNT OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
ACTIVITY INCLUDE ILLINOIS...INDIANA...EASTERN PORTIONS OF MISSOURI AND IOWA
...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WISCONSION...MUCH OF LOWER MICHIGAN...WESTERN OHIO AND 
NORTHERN AND WESTERN KENTUCKY.

AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG STORM SYSTEM CURRENTLY OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS IS 
EXPECTED TO STRENGTHENAS IT MOVES QUICKLY NORTHEASTWARD TO THE GREAT LAKES REGION 
TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM AN INTENSE SURFACE LOW OVER EASTERN 
NORTH DAKOTA ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF IOWA AND MISSOURI INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA 
AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AT MID MORNING. THIS COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE QUICKLY
EASTWARD ACROSS THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI AND LOWER VALLEYS AS WELL AS THE GREAT LAKES
REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL DRAW 
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR NORTHWARD ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEYS INTO 
THE GREAT LAKES REGION. VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT COMBINED WITH THE MOIST AND 
UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL RESULT IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG AND AHEAD OF 
THE COLD FRONT OVER THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY EARLY AFTERNOON. LINES OF 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE THEN FORECAST TO MOVE QUICKLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE GREAT
 LAKES AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE OHIO VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS 
AND LARGE HAIL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AGAIN...IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION FOR PARTS OF MISSOURI...IOWA...
ILLINOIS...INDIANA...WISCONSIN MICHIGAN...OHIO...AND KENTUCKY.

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ALONG THE COLD FRONT IN 
MINNESOTA...ARKANSAS...WESTERN TENNESSEE...NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI...NORTHERN 
LOUISIANA...AND TEXAS. ALL INTERESTS IN THESE STATES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ALL PERSONS IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SAFETY RULES AND 
LISTEN TO RADIO...TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE 
WATCHES OR WARNINGS. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE AFFECTED 
AREAS AND SHOULD BE MONITORED CLOSELY.

NWS Indianapolis Severe Weather Statement, Issued at 7:05 PM EST

...PLEASE ANNOUNCE IMMEDIATELY...
 

THIS IS AN URGENT APPEAL FOR ALL TORNADO SPOTTER ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTIVATE IN 
CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL INDIANA.

NUMEROUS TORNADOES REPORTED ON THE GROUND MAKE THIS THE MOST SERIOUS OUTBREAK 
OF TORNADOES IN SEVERAL YEARS.

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES...THE LINE OF STORMS AT 730 PM WILL BE NEAR 
ELWOOD...SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANAPOLIS AND TO BLOOMINGTON.
 
BY AROUND 815 PM THE STORMS WILL HAVE MOVED EAST TO BETWEEN MUNCIE AND 
WINCHESTER...TO EAST OF NEW CASTLE...SHELBYVILLE...AND SOUTH TO COLUMBUS.
 
THIS IS AVERY DANGEROUS SITUATION...ALL INTERESTS SHOULD MONITOR THIS 
SAME SOURCE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Summaries from other NWS Offices

• NWS Wilmington