October 24th 2001 Timeline

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Following is a timeline leading up to and including the tornado outbreak of October 24, 2001 (all times are EST):

-- Note: Times of damage occurrence are approximate.--

Saturday October 20

2:58pm -- Area Forecast Discussion mentioned "cold front will move through the region late Wednesday".

Sunday October 21

3:00pm -- Forecast mentioned categorical precipitation chance for thunderstorms on Wednesday.

Monday October 22

3:00am -- Forecast mentioned categorical precipitation chance for thunderstorms on Wednesday.

2:55pm -- Area Forecast Discussion mentioned "Wednesday a strong cold front will pass through the area".

3:30pm -- Forecast mentioned categorical precipitation chance for thunderstorms on Wednesday.

Tuesday October 23

2:34am -- Area Forecast Discussion mentioned "A strong cold front will push through the region on Wednesday".

3:00am -- Forecast mentioned categorical precipitation chance for thunderstorms on Wednesday.

3:00pm -- Area Forecast Discussion mentioned:  "severe potential Wednesday"..."movement of cold front across the area on Wednesday"...and "moderate instability with strong winds and strong shear".

3:30pm -- Forecast mentioned "severe storms with large hail and damaging winds possible" for Wednesday.

Wednesday October 24

3:00am -- The seven day forecast was issued, with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes mentioned in the forecast for today.

4:30am -- The Storm Prediction Center issued a Public Severe Weather Outlook mentioning "strong tornadoes".

5:33am -- Severe Weather Outlook issued, highlighting the fact that there was a high risk of severe thunderstorms that day, as well as the possibility of tornadoes.

8:33am -- The seven day forecast was updated, and continued to mention severe thunderstorms and tornadoes for today.

11:11am -- A Severe Weather Outlook was issued, describing the high risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes for that afternoon.

11:30am -- The Storm Prediction Center issued a Public Severe Weather Outlook mentioning "intense tornadoes" over all of Indiana, southern lower Michigan, and western Ohio.

11:45am -- The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued a Tornado Watch for our Indiana and Ohio counties.  The watch was highlighted as a "particularly dangerous situation".

11:46am -- The seven day forecast was updated to highlight the tornado watch that had just been put into effect.

12:29pm -- Short Term Forecast issued, highlighting the Tornado Watch.  Described strong storms moving from eastern Illinois into western Indiana.

1:24pm -- Short Term Forecast issued, highlighting the Tornado Watch.  Described a line of severe storms sweeping into northwest Indiana.

2:50pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for LaPorte County.

3:06pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Pulaski, White, and Starke counties.

3:12pm -- Tornado Warning issued for LaPorte County.

3:15pm -- Tornado touched down near Wanatah in Laporte County, and headed northeast...eventually lifting in northwest St. Joseph County Indiana.

3:15pm -- Trees and power lines blown down across western Starke County.

3:15pm-- The Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch for our Michigan counties.

3:20pm -- Dime-size hail fell at LaPorte.

3:27pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for eastern Pulaski County, eastern Starke County, and eastern White County.

3:30pm -- Trees blown down at Monticello, in White County.

3:30pm -- Trees blown down, tv and radio tower down at Chalmers in White County.

3:30pm -- The evening update to the seven day forecast was issued, and continued to mention severe thunderstorms and tornadoes possible that evening.  Also, it highlighted the tornado watch,  high wind warning, and wind advisory.

3:33pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for LaPorte County, describing a tornado southwest of LaPorte.

3:41pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Cass County Indiana, Fulton County Indiana, and Marshall County.

3:43pm -- 70 mph winds at Grovertown in Starke County.

3:45pm -- Roof removed and power lines blown down at Stillwell in LaPorte County.

3:46pm -- Tornado Warning issued for St. Joseph County Indiana, southeast Berrien County, and Cass County Michigan.

3:46pm -- Trees blown down at Star City and Thornhope in Pulaski County.

3:50pm -- Tornado touched down near Crumstown in St. Joseph County Indiana and moved northeast, eventually crossing into Berrien County, moving across Cass County Michigan, and lifting in northwest St. Joseph County Michigan.

3:50pm -- Tornado reported to have flipped a camper over at LaPorte.

3:55pm -- Tornado reported to have destroyed a home at Crumstown in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

3:56pm -- Tornado reported to have destroyed a home, ripped down 2-foot-diameter trees, and caused a fatality six miles northeast of LaPorte.

4:00pm -- Trees blown down at Niles in Berrien County.

4:00pm -- Several trees snapped in half, large trees uprooted, roofs torn off at Lydick in St. Joseph County Indiana.

4:00pm -- Trees blown down at Buchanan in Berrien County.

4:00pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for LaPorte County, explaining that the tornado had moved out of LaPorte County.

4:01pm -- Trees blown down at Kewanna in Fulton County Indiana.

4:03pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for southeast Berrien County, St. Joseph County Indiana, and Cass County Michigan, describing a tornado near LaPorte heading for South Bend.

4:05pm -- 90 mph wind recorded at Michiana Regional Airport.

4:05pm -- Tornado touched down on southeast side of Mishawaka in St. Joseph County Indiana and moved northeast, lifting northeast of Osceola in extreme western Elkhart County.

4:05pm -- Tornado touched down northeast of Mishawaka in St. Joseph County Indiana and moved northeast, eventually lifting north of Elkhart.

4:05pm -- Trees blown down at Twelve Mile in Cass County Indiana.

4:06pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Elkhart, Kosciusko, Miami, and Wabash counties.

4:10pm -- Tornado reported at Edwardsburg in Cass County Michigan, damaging houses and blowing trees down.  Damage also reported at Vandalia, Cassopolis, and the east side of Niles.

4:14pm -- Toll Road garage destroyed by small tornado in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

4:15pm -- Tornado touched down near Tippecanoe in Marshall County, damaged a trailer and a house, and headed northeast across Kosciusko County...eventually lifting in Noble County.

4:17pm -- 60 mph winds blew trees and power lines down two miles west of Osceola in St. Joseph County Indiana.

4:18pm -- Tornado Warning issued for Kosciusko County.

4:20pm -- Trees blown down at Lucerne in Cass County Indiana.

4:22pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for St. Joseph County Indiana, southeast Berrien County, and Cass County Michigan, reporting 89 mph winds at Michiana Regional Airport.

4:24pm -- Wind damage three miles south of Osceola in St. Joseph County Indiana.

4:27pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Grant, Huntington, Lagrange, Noble, and Whitley counties.

4:30pm -- Wind damage in Elkhart.

4:34pm -- Tornado Warning issued for St. Joseph County Michigan.

4:35pm -- Winds blew a tree down onto a car at Diamond Lake near Park Shore Resort in Cass County Michigan, injuring the occupant.

4:40pm -- Tornado struck Da-Lite building at Warsaw in Kosciusko County.

4:40pm -- Tornado touched down in southwest corner of St Joseph County Michigan and moved northeast, eventually lifting near Centreville.

4:45pm -- Tornado Warning issued for Noble County.

4:48pm -- Quarter-size hail two miles west of Converse in Miami County.

4:50pm -- Golf ball size hail two miles east of Columbia City in Whitley County.

4:50pm -- Trees blown down onto house two miles north of Wolcottville in Lagrange County.

4:50pm -- Trees blown down at Shipshewana in Lagrange County.

4:50pm -- Trees and power lines blown down three miles north of Wolcottville in Lagrange County.

4:50pm -- Dime size hail one mile northwest of La Fontaine in Wabash County.

4:50pm -- Tree blown down at Roanoke in Huntington County.

4:55pm -- 60 mph winds at Mier in Grant County.

4:59pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Allen County Indiana and southeast DeKalb County.

5:00pm -- Trees reported down throughout St. Joseph County Michigan.

5:00pm -- Trees reported down throughout Noble County.

5:00pm -- Tornado touched down one mile east of Kendallville, damaging an industrial park.  Power lines down.  MOved northeast across DeKalb County, eventually lifting in southern Steuben County.

5:00pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for Kosciusko County, saying that the tornado had moved into Noble County.

5:04pm -- Half dollar size hail at Columbia City in Whitley County.

5:05pm -- Trees blown down at Wolcottville in Noble County.

5:05pm -- Tornado tore the roof from a house and destroyed a shed at Rome City in Noble County.

5:04pm -- Tornado Warning issued for northwest DeKalb County and Steuben County.

5:09pm -- The seven day forecast was updated to drop the tornado watch from our western counties.

5:10pm -- Tornado touched down in St. Joseph County Michigan northeast of Centreville, and moved northeast, lifting in the northeast corner of the county.

5:10pm -- Tornado Warning issued for Adams, Blackford, Jay, and Wells counties.

5:13pm -- A Special Weather Statement was issued to clear our western counties from the tornado watch.

5:16pm --  High winds reported to have damaged a house at the intersection of routes 6 and 327 at Corunna in DeKalb County.

5:16pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Branch County.

5:22pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for northwest DeKalb County and Steuben County, noting a tornado near Corunna.

5:23pm -- Telephone lines blown down and a tree fell on a house one mile northeast of Corunna in DeKalb County.

5:28pm -- Tornado Warning issued for Hillsdale and Williams counties.

5:30pm -- Power poles snapped, metal roof blown off structure, barn damaged at Sherwood in Branch County.

5:30pm -- Trees blown down, barn destroyed seven miles north of Coldwater in Branch County.

5:37pm -- Roof blown off a house six miles northwest of Waterloo in DeKalb County.

5:37pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for Adams, Wells, Jay, and Blackford counties indicating a possible tornado southwest of Geneva.

5:42pm -- Tornado Warning issued for Van Wert County.

5:45pm -- The Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch for our Ohio counties and a few of our eastern Indiana counties.  The watch was highlighted as a "particularly dangerous situation".

5:50pm -- Dime size hail five miles southeast of Monroe in Adams County.

5:50pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Defiance and Paulding counties.

6:00pm -- Tornado touched down just southwest of Ransom in Hillsdale County, and moved northeast, eventually lifting just north of Ransom.  Two houses had roofs removed, wooden shed destroyed, two campers rolled over.

6:00pm -- Trees blown down three miles east of Camden in Hillsdale County.

6:00pm -- Trees blown down one mile north of Frontier in Hillsdale County.

6:00pm -- Trees and power lines blown down, three houses had roofs removed, shed and barn destroyed two miles east of Camden in Hillsdale County. 

6:00pm -- Several large grain bins and barns damaged ten miles east of Camden in Hillsdale County.

6:00pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for Wells, Adams, Jay, and Blackford counties indicating that the worst storms had moved out of the area.

6:04pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Fulton County Ohio, Henry County, and Putnam County.

6:04pm -- The seven day forecast was updated to highlight the tornado watch for northwest Ohio that had just been issued.  Also, the high wind warning and wind advisory were mentioned.

6:06pm --  A Special Weather Statement was issued to clear a few western and central counties from the tornado watch.

6:20pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for Williams and Hillsdale counties, saying that the worst storms had moved out of the area.

6:23pm -- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Allen County Ohio.

6:26pm -- Dime size hail at Middle Point in Van Wert County.

6:30pm -- Golf ball size hail at Ottoville in Putnam County.

6:30pm -- House destroyed one mile north of Ottoville in Putnam County.  Power lines down throughout western half of county.

6:35pm -- Tornado touched down on northwest side of Delphos in Van Wert County and moved northeast, crossing Putnam County, eventually lifting in the northeast corner of Putnam County.

6:35pm -- Dime size hail at Wetsel in Van Wert County.

6:39pm -- Tornado Warning issued for southeast Paulding County and western Putnam County.

6:45pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for Van Wert County saying that the storm had moved east of the county.

7:05pm -- Barn destroyed by winds one mile south of Glandorf in Putnam County.

7:10pm -- Trees and power lines blown down at Ottawa in Putnam County.

7:15pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for Allen County Ohio describing a line of severe thunderstorms from Bluffton to 7 miles east of Fort Shawnee, moving east.

7:22pm -- Severe Weather Statement issued for southeast Paulding County and western Putnam County saying that the storm had moved out of the area.

7:33pm -- A Special Weather Statement was issued to cancel the last remaining Tornado Watch.

7:45pm -- The seven day forecast was updated to remove the tornado watch from the Ohio counties.  It continued to highlight the high wind warning and wind advisory.