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Damage Survey Results from May 13 2009 Thunderstorm Event

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
630 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...SURVEY CONDUCTED IN THE MT. MORRIS AREA OF OGLE COUNTY ILLINOIS FOR WIND DAMAGE ON THE EVENING OF 13 MAY 2009...

A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FROM THE CHICAGO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE IN ROMEOVILLE VISITED THE MT. MORRIS AREA TODAY TO
INVESTIGATE AND DOCUMENT DAMAGE FROM THE STORMS OF THIS PAST
WEDNESDAY EVENING...13 MAY 2009...AND ALSO TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE
DAMAGE WAS FROM A TORNADO OR FROM STRAIGHT-LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

BASED ON THE NATURE OF DAMAGE OBSERVED DURING THE SURVEY...THE TEAM CONCLUDED THAT THIS DAMAGE WAS PRODUCED BY A NARROW AND INTENSE SWATH OF STRAIGHT-LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS...LIKELY IN THE RANGE OF 85 TO 95 MPH. THIS DAMAGE PATH BEGAN APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MT. MORRIS...NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF LOWELL PARK ROAD AND MOOSE ROAD...AND CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY INTO THE TOWN ITSELF.

SNAPPED TREE LIMBS AND COLLAPSED OR TOPPLED FARM OUTBUILDINGS...
INCLUDING GRAIN BINS AND SILOS... COMPRISED MOST OF THE DAMAGE
OBSERVED BY THE SURVEY TEAM IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. AT NO POINT ON
THIS PATH WERE THERE OBVIOUS SIGNS OF ROTATION OR CONVERGENT DAMAGE WHICH MIGHT BE EXPECTED WITH A TORNADO. DEBRIS AT EACH LOCATION WAS TOSSED OR CARRIED IN A STRAIGHT LINE TO THE NORTHEAST...ALONG THE PATH OF THE INTENSE WINDS.

EVENTS LIKE THESE DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOSELY MONITORING WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH GENERATE WINDS THAT CAN PRODUCE DAMAGE SIMILAR TO A TORNADO...SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

RODRIGUEZ/LENNING

Image 1 displaying damage near Mount Morris, Illinois.