NWS Northern Indiana July 3rd 2004 Granger Tornado

F0 Tornado Near Granger, Indiana

A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed that an F0 tornado briefly touched down about 2 miles southwest of Granger, IN in northeast St. Joseph county around 737 pm EST on Saturday July 3, 2004. The tornado touched down near the intersection of Indiana Route 23 and Fir Road. According to witnesses, the tornado touched down and then lifted almost immediately. An F0 tornado produces winds of less than 73 mph.

Much of the damage in the area of Granger was produced by strong straight line winds that also swept through the area at the same time as the tornado. These winds were caused by a narrow microburst (approximately 50 yards wide) associated with a line of thunderstorms. The straight line wind speeds were estimated at between 70 and 80 mph based on the damage they caused. The damage in the area consisted of downed tree limbs, signs, and damage to a few small structures. A swath of damage and debris was noted for approximately one and a half miles, starting near the intersection of Fir and CLeveland Roads and ending just north of the intersection of Fir and Brick Roads. More detail on damage can be found on the Damage Map.

For official storm data, contact the National Climatic Data Center. Please allow 2 to 4 months for the data to be compiled.

Damage Map

Pictures from the Intersection of Fir and Cleveland Roads.