January 7, 2008, Tornado

• A weather pattern more typical of early May than early January across northern Illinois brought severe weather to the area on the afternoon of January 7, 2008.

• A tornado touched down near Poplar Grove and extended to near Harvard, causing significant damage and 5 injuries.

Summary: 

A tornado touched down at 330 pm CST about 1.2 miles north of Popular Grove in Boone County and ended at 348 pm about 3.2 miles north northeast of Harvard in McHenry County.

The first signs of damage were at Quail Trap Road just east of Popular Grove Road where trees were damaged and sections of roofing were removed from a shed. The tornado intensified to EF2 intensity at Edwards Apple Orchard on Centerville Road. A large barn was destroyed and other buildings were severely damaged. Large trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado reached its maximum intensity of EF3 at the northeast corner of Centerville Road and Beaverton Road. A two story farm house and garage were leveled and large trees were stripped of all branches. The tornado was about 100 yards wide through this area. The tornado continued east northeast across Stimes Road and eventually crossed the Boone McHenry County line near Hunter Road. At  Ryan Road, the tornado was EF0 intensity and caused mainly minor tree damage. It crossed White Oaks Road then it uprooted a hardwood tree and snapped off pine trees at their base along Maxon Road. This damage continued to be EF0 damage with winds estimated to 80 mph. The tornado intensified as it moved toward the town of Lawrence, where it produced the worst damage in McHenry County. Significant damage occurred in the town of Lawrence, particularly at a house that had more than half of its roof ripped off and garage blown down. The tornado then moved across the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad where it blew 12 railroad freight cars of the track. The train was moving at the time the tornado hit it, so as the main engine stopped, the remaining cars on the track continued along it and slammed into the front part of the train. This caused a few more cars to derail, including one containing hazardous materials that caused the evacuation of the town of Lawrence. The damage in Lawrence was rated as EF2 with winds up to 110 mph. As the tornado moved east of Lawrence it once again started to weaken with some tree damage and shingles off of a few houses on the northeast side of town. It then ran along Oak Grove Road for a stretch where it produced EF1 damage with a hardwood tree snapped at its base and knocked over an old, weakly structured barn. The tornado headed across farm fields and headed for Highway 14 where it damaged a metal barn and sheared a few trees. As it crossed Highway 14, it flipped a semi-trailer and injured the driver at a truck stop weigh station. It continued across Oak Grove Road where it lifted. Four injuries were reported in Boone County, with one injury in McHenry County.

Radar reflectivity at 325 PM CST

   Radar storm-relative velocity at 325 PM CST

Radar reflectivity at 330 PM CST

   Radar storm-relative velocity at 330 PM CST

Radar reflectivity at 335 PM CST

   Radar storm-relative velocity at 335 PM CST

Radar reflectivity at 339 PM CST

   Radar storm-relative velocity at 339 PM CST

Radar reflectivity at 345 PM CST

   Radar storm-relative velocity at 345 PM CST