Overview
Multiple lines of thunderstorms formed across southeast Missouri after midnight on April 2, 2024. The southern line really took off as it quickly ejected east across the Mississippi River, racing across southern Illinois and into western Kentucky and southwest Indiana between 3 and 7 AM. This thunderstorm complex remained intact across Kentucky and all the way to West Virginia. This event officially met the definition requirements of a derecho, with widespread significant wind damage. Embedded within the line were dozens of circulations that led to 19 tornadoes across our forecast area. This was the most tornadoes in a single event across our Quad-State region since Halloween 2013 (19 tornadoes that day). There were 7 EF-2's, 11 EF-1's, and 1 EF-0 tornadoes with this event.
Tornadoes:
|
Tornado #1 - West of Cape Girardeau
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #2 - Lake of Egypt, IL
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #3 - Stonefort, IL
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #4 - El Dorado, IL (Southeast)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #5 - Ridgway, IL
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #6 - New Haven, IL (South)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #7 - Harmonie State Park, IN
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #8 - Blairsville, IN (South)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #9 - St. Wendel & Hillsdale, IN
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #10 - Darmstadt, IN (North)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #11 - Elberfeld, IN #1 (South)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #12 - Elberfeld, IN #2 (South)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #13 - Lynnville, IN (South)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #14 - Kevil, KY (Northeast)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #15 - Ridgway, IL (East)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #16 - Uniontown, KY (South)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #17 - Morganfield, KY (North)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #18 - Sullivan, KY
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Tornado #19 - SE of Chandler, IN
|
||||||||||||||||
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
| EF0 Weak 65-85 mph |
EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph |
EF2 Significant 111-135 mph |
EF3 Severe 136-165 mph |
EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph |
EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph |
 |
|||||
Wind:
Significant straight-line wind damage occurred in many areas outside of the tornadoes. Swaths of 70-95 mph winds produced widespread downed trees and some damage to homes and businesses. We have confirmed that three microbursts occurred, one was north of Mount Vernon, Indiana and the other south of Boonville, Indiana. Additional areas of concentrated damage included the north side of Evansville, Indiana, south of the Lake of Egypt tornado in southern Williamson County, Illinois, and the west side of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Additionally, a macroburst with peak winds of 95 mph impacted portions of far eastern Posey and central Vanderburgh County, IN. This macroburst caused significant tree and roof and siding damage, including damage to a hanger and the Evansville Regional Airport, where an 84 mph wind gust was measured.
 |
 |
| Microburst swath in Posey County, Indiana Downloadable KMZ File |
Microburst swath in Warrick County Indiana Downloadable KMZ File |
 |
 |
| Microburst swath in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Downloadable KMZ File |
Macroburst swath in Posey and Vanderburgh County, IN Downloadable KMZ File |
Photos
 |
 |
 |
 |
| NWS Damage Survey southeast of El Dorado, IL | NWS Damage Survey northern Vanderburgh County, IN | Damage from Lake of Egypt Tornado in Illinois | Damage from Lake of Egypt Tornado in Illinois |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| NWS Damage Survey in Posey County Indiana | NWS Damage Survey in Posey County Indiana | NWS Damage Survey in Posey County Indiana | Damage in Evansville, Indiana |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| NWS Damage Survey in St. Wendel, Indiana | Tornado damage in Stonefort, Illinois | NWS Damage Survey south of Uniontown, KY | Tornado damage along Woodville Road in McCracken County Kentucky |
Radar
Here is a radar loop of the event. The loop runs from 10 PM on April 1st through 7 PM on April 2nd. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms impacted the region. The most widespread damage and all of the tornadoes occurred with the line of thunderstorms that moved through from about 2:30 AM until 7 AM on April 2nd.
The images below are radar snapshots for each of the 7 EF-2 tornadoes that occurred with this event
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for Lake of Egypt, IL EF-2 | Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for El Dorado, IL EF-2 | Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for Posey County, IN EF-2's before they merged | Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for Posey County, IN EF-2 after merging |
 |
 |
 |
| Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for St. Wendel, IN EF-2 | Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for Northern Vanderburgh County, IN EF-2 | Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity for Uniontown, KY EF-2 |
The graphics below show the warnings issued during the event. Map on the left is all warnings and on the right is the Tornado Warnings issued for each county.
 |
 |
| Map of Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado warnings issued during this event. | Total number of Tornado Warnings issued for each county |
Storm Reports
 |
| Map of local storm reports from the event. Icons including tornadoes, thunderstorm wind gusts/damage, and hail. |
Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary National Weather Service Paducah KY 303 PM CDT Wed Apr 3 2024 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0244 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Cutler 38.03N 89.57W 04/02/2024 Perry IL Emergency Mngr Tree downed onto a trailer in Culter. Time estimated by radar. 0415 AM Hail 4 WNW Golden Gate 38.37N 88.28W 04/02/2024 E1.50 Inch Wayne IL Public Report from mPING of 1.5 inch hail. 0415 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 ENE Bell City 37.04N 89.78W 04/02/2024 Stoddard MO Public Damage to a barn. 0417 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 SSW Jackson 37.36N 89.66W 04/02/2024 Cape Girardeau MO Law Enforcement Trees down on powerlines. 0417 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Gorham 37.72N 89.48W 04/02/2024 Jackson IL Emergency Mngr 428 residents out of power in the Gorham/Grand Tower Area. 0420 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 NW Cape Girardeau 37.33N 89.57W 04/02/2024 Cape Girardeau MO Broadcast Media Roof damage to a house on Highland Drive. 0420 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 WNW Cape Girardeau 37.31N 89.58W 04/02/2024 Cape Girardeau MO Amateur Radio A couple large trees down. 0422 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 SE Grand Tower 37.60N 89.46W 04/02/2024 M62 MPH Jackson IL Mesonet Mesonet station UP809 3.6 SE Grand Tower (UPR). 0424 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Benton 37.10N 89.56W 04/02/2024 Scott MO Public Large grain bin destroyed. Relayed via Facebook. 0437 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 SE Makanda 37.59N 89.20W 04/02/2024 Union IL Public Several snapped trees and siding removed from a home. 0438 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Goreville 37.56N 88.97W 04/02/2024 Johnson IL Broadcast Media New constructed pole barn that was still unfinished was blown down.
0446 AM Tornado 6 NNW Goreville 37.64N 89.00W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL NWS Storm Survey An EF-2 tornado impacted the Lake Of Egypt community in the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 2. The tornado began along Highway 148, just west of Interstate 57. After crossing Highway 37 east of Interstate 57, the tornado passed along Lake of Egypt Road. The most severe damage occurred near the intersection of Lake of Egypt Road and Market Road, where severe roof and structural damage occurred to three businesses. The Lake of Egypt Fire Protection building nearby had one of its windows blown out. Paralleling Kimmel Orchard Road, the tornado did damage to homes and outbuildings before lifting just to the west of Wagon Creek Road. Hundreds of trees were uprooted, snapped at the base, or suffered damage to large limbs along the path. 0446 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 N Goreville 37.63N 89.00W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL Trained Spotter Several mature trees blown over or snapped. Possible tornado. 0449 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Goreville 37.56N 88.97W 04/02/2024 Johnson IL Broadcast Media Newly constructed pole barn blown down in Goreville. 0450 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 W Creal Springs 37.63N 88.92W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL Trained Spotter Two large trees down, including an uprooted oak tree and a pine tree snapped. 0450 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 WSW Mound City 37.07N 89.22W 04/02/2024 M58 MPH Alexander IL AWOS AWOS station KCIR Cairo IL. 0450 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 W Creal Springs 37.61N 88.92W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL Trained Spotter Corrects previous tornado report from 5 W Creal Springs. Sporadic trees and power poles snapped in the North Shoreland Subdivision. 0453 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 WNW Scott City 37.23N 89.58W 04/02/2024 M64 MPH Scott MO ASOS ASOS station KCGI Cape Girardeau MO. 0455 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 NE Creal Springs 37.69N 88.81W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL Trained Spotter Roof damage to outbuildings, tree snapped, and boat blown around. 0455 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Creal Springs 37.63N 88.84W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL Emergency Mngr High winds reported. Power out in rural area.
0456 AM Tornado 1 ENE Creal Springs 37.62N 88.82W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL NWS Storm Survey An EF-1 tornado impacted the Stonefort community during the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 2. The tornado began just east of Creal Springs along Saltpetre Road. Damage was mainly to trees as the tornado moved parallel to Pleasant Valley Road. The tornado moved directly through the community of Stonefort, causing extensive tree damage. Most damage to buildings was caused by trees falling onto the building. However, a couple of homes had portions of their roofs removed. The tornado continued east into Saline County for about one mile, lifting near the crossing of Battleford Road and the Illinois Central Railway. 0457 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 E Creal Springs 37.62N 88.82W 04/02/2024 Williamson IL Emergency Mngr Widespread tree/powerline damage. More significant structural damage near Lake of Egypt and east to Stonefort. Radar indicated TDS in this area. 0502 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 SE Stonefort 37.56N 88.66W 04/02/2024 Pope IL Trained Spotter Large trees down. 0503 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Heath 37.09N 88.79W 04/02/2024 McCracken KY Emergency Mngr Carports blown off a building, other roof damage. Trees and powerlines down in the Heath and Woodville Rd. area. 0505 AM Tornado 1 NE Kevil 37.09N 88.87W 04/02/2024 McCracken KY NWS Storm Survey A brief EF-1 tornado struck just east of the Woodville community in far western McCracken County, KY. The tornado moved parallel along the south side of Woodville Road. The most severe damage was to a house that had a portion of its roof removed. Another couple homes suffered facia and siding damage. About a dozen trees had large limbs downed. The tornado path was about 0.6 mile in length with an estimated maximum width of 50 yards. 0511 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 S Harrisburg 37.67N 88.54W 04/02/2024 Saline IL Public Trees snapped at the ground. 0513 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 ESE Eldorado 37.80N 88.40W 04/02/2024 Saline IL Public Possible tornado. Several out buildings destroyed. Home severely damaged. Powerlines down.
0515 AM Tornado 2 ESE Eldorado 37.79N 88.40W 04/02/2024 Saline IL Public *** 2 INJ *** An EF-2 tornado occurred approximately two miles southeast of Eldorado during the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 8th. The tornado began near the Intersection of Highway 142 and Ridgway Road. Here, the tornado destroyed an outbuilding, uprooted several large trees, and removed portions of the roofs of two homes. Crossing Ridgway Road and the intersection of White Road, the tornado severely damaged an industrial garage and two manufactured homes. One manufactured home was moved several feet off its foundation and had one of its walls torn open. Two occupants of the home suffered laceration injuries due to flying debris. About five large hardwood trees just behind this home were all snapped at the base. Moving east-southeast, the tornado lifted near Dusty Road just south of Ridgway Road. 0521 AM Tornado 1 W Ridgway 37.80N 88.27W 04/02/2024 Gallatin IL NWS Storm Survey A brief EF-1 tornado impacted the west side of Ridgway, IL, during the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 2. The tornado began just south of Main Street along St. Joseph Road, where one home suffered minor roof damage and several large tree limbs were downed. Moving northeast, the tornado damaged a grain bin just south of Main Street and damaged the roof of an outbuilding just north of Main Street. The tornado did limited tree damage in the city park before lifting near the intersection of City Park Drive and Murphy Street.
0522 AM Tornado 5 W New Haven 37.89N 88.21W 04/02/2024 Gallatin IL Public An EF-1 tornado impacted far northeast Gallatin County, IL, and extreme southwest Posey County, IN, during the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 2. The tornado began in the Cottonwood community along Noel Road. Here several large trees were uprooted, one crushing a small brick building. One manufactured home was severely damaged and a nearby outbuilding had a part of its roof removed. Moving eastward the tornado did mainly tree damage as passed south of the community of New Haven. The tornado lifted shortly after crossing the Wabash River in Posey County, IN, just south of the confluence of the Little Wabash and Wabash Rivers. 0523 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 N Ridgway 37.81N 88.26W 04/02/2024 Gallatin IL Emergency Mngr Grain bin blown into the roadway near Ridgway. 0524 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Grayville 38.27N 88.00W 04/02/2024 Edwards IL Public Large tree snapped at the base. Relayed via Facebook.
0531 AM Tornado 3 NNE Maunie 38.07N 88.02W 04/02/2024 White IL NWS Storm Survey Hundreds of trees uprooted or snapped. Several outbuildings/sheds were damaged or destroyed. Minor to moderate roof damage to several homes. Path started just west of the Wabash River in White County Illinois. Crossed through Harmonie State Park and across Hwy 69. This tornado eventually merged with another tornado west- southwest of the town of Blairsville. Peak wind was 115 mph (EF-2) and max width was 250 yards. 0535 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 E Maunie 38.01N 87.97W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Trained Spotter Barns and sheds destroyed. Possible tornado. 0536 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 7 NW Mount Vernon 38.02N 87.98W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Large pole barn destroyed. Relayed via Facebook.
0537 AM Tornado 2 SSE New Harmony 38.10N 87.91W 04/02/2024 Posey IN NWS Storm Survey EF-2 Tornado. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. Dozens of outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Minor to moderate damage to several homes. This path started just east of Hwy 69 near Harmony Township Road and tracked southeast, eventually merging with another tornado west-southwest of the town of Blairsville. It lifted several miles southeast of Blairsville in extreme eastern Posey County. While the tornado lifted, straight-line wind damage continued into Vanderburgh County on the north side of Evansville. 0539 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Uniontown 37.78N 87.93W 04/02/2024 Union KY Emergency Mngr *** 1 INJ *** Mobile home destroyed by tree. One minor injury. Additional damage in Sullivan. 0540 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NE Mount Vernon 37.97N 87.87W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Severe damage to a barn, including a destroyed wall and roof removed. Debris thrown about 100 feet away from the structure. Possible tornado. 0541 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NE Mount Vernon 37.98N 87.87W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Several trees uprooted and snapped. Damage to structures in the area. Possible tornado. 0542 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 7 SE New Harmony 38.07N 87.83W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Corrects previous tornado report from 7 SE New Harmony. Severe tree damage in a concentrated path. Possible tornado. 0542 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 7 S Poseyville 38.06N 87.80W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Severe tree damage in a concentrated path. Possible tornado. 0543 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 8 S Poseyville 38.06N 87.74W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Significant tree damage reported. Possible tornado. 0545 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 8 S Poseyville 38.06N 87.74W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Heavy concentrated tree damage path. Possible tornado. 0547 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 8 W Darmstadt 38.05N 87.72W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Trees downed and snapped. Shingle damage to a house. Fences blown down. 0547 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 S Cynthiana 38.11N 87.71W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Severe roof damage to a house. House is not habitable. Possible tornado.
0547 PM Tornado 5 S Cynthiana 38.12N 87.72W 04/02/2024 Posey IN NWS Storm Survey EF-2 Tornado. This tornado started in far eastern Posey County just northwest of St Wendel. It then moved east southeast across the entire width of Vanderburgh County before lifting in far western Warrick County to the east of I-69 near the intersection of Kansas Road and Euler Road. The most significant damage occurred in the St Wendel area where several homes had their entire roof removed. Minor structural damage occurred to a few homes in the Hillsdale area near Hwy 41. Numerous outbuildings or sheds were damaged or destroyed along the path. There were hundreds of trees that were snapped or uprooted as well.
0548 AM Tornado 3 SE Cynthiana 38.15N 87.67W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN NWS Storm Survey EF-2 Tornado. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. Dozens of outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Minor to moderate damage to several homes. Electrical power poles were snapped. This path started just south of I-64 along Hwy 65 in far northwest Vanderburgh County. It then tracked east-southeast across Hwy 41 and I-69. Another tornado merged with it a few miles south of Elberfeld in northwest Warrick County and then the tornado dissipated shortly after. Path length was 14.2 miles and max width was 200 yards. Peak winds were 115 mph. 0549 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 SE Cynthiana 38.15N 87.66W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Corrects previous tornado report from 4 SE Cynthiana. Severe damage to a house. Possible tornado. 0549 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 W Darmstadt 38.09N 87.63W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Several evergreen trees down across a wide area. Additional trees with large limbs down. Power lines down. 0549 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 8 W Darmstadt 38.05N 87.71W 04/02/2024 Posey IN Public Several trees snapped with their trunks twisted. East-facing part of a barn roof removed. Possible tornado. 0550 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 6 SW Darmstadt 38.04N 87.68W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Damage to the Town and Country Mobile Home Court, including several trees snapped and uprooted, siding and skirting pulled off homes, and awnings blown hundreds of feet. Possible tornado. 0553 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NW Evansville 38.02N 87.58W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Large tree uprooted and fell on a car. Significant shingle damage. 0553 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 N Darmstadt 38.13N 87.57W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Corrects previous tornado report from 3 N Darmstadt. Several trees uprooted. Roof to a garage and home damaged. Pole barn severely damage. Possible tornado. 0553 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 NW Evansville 38.03N 87.59W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Corrects previous tornado report from 4 NW Evansville. Significant shingle damage to a house.
0554 AM Tornado 2 S Haubstadt 38.17N 87.57W 04/02/2024 Gibson IN NWS Storm Survey EF-1 Tornado. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. Several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Minor to moderate damage to a few homes. This path started along I-64 just west of exit 25. It then tracked southwest just on the outskirts of the Cambridge Golf Club. It crossed Volkman Road and continued southeast crossing I-69 before merging with another tornado a few miles south of Elberfeld in far northwest Warrick County. Path length was 7.3 miles and max width was 200 yards. Peak winds were 100 mph. 0554 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 W Melody Hill 38.04N 87.56W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Two large trees uprooted. 0554 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 SSE Darmstadt 38.08N 87.57W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Trained Spotter HAM radio operator/trained spotter reports power pole down, several trees topped and 3 trees uprooted. 0555 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NW Evansville 38.02N 87.57W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Fence blown down and shed moved by high winds. 0555 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 E Darmstadt 38.08N 87.54W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Extensive and severe tree damage. Several tall poplar trees snapped. Some nearby trees fell onto homes. Possible tornado. 0557 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 WSW Evansville 37.98N 87.57W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Emergency Mngr 70 mph wind gust measured at Evansville/Vanderburgh EOC. Roof damage to EOC. Numerous reports of trees and powerlines down and damage to mobile homes throughout Vanderburgh County. 0557 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 NE Evansville 37.99N 87.53W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Small metal storage barn blown over. Fences blown down. 0557 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Melody Hill 38.03N 87.51W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Large tree down as well as numerous large branches. Fence also blown down. 0557 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 E Evansville 37.99N 87.52W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Eight inch tree limb down.
0558 AM Tornado 3 W Elberfeld 38.16N 87.51W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN NWS Storm Survey EF-1 Tornado. One home suffered minor roof damage. Several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. Tornado touched down just southwest of the I-69 and I-64 interchange and continued east-southeast across I-69. It lifted near the intersection of Seven Hills Road and Schultz Road about 1.5 miles southeast of Elberfeld. 0558 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 E Melody Hill 38.04N 87.48W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Large tree limbs down. Camper pushed then rolled over. Metal shed wall damaged. 0600 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 NNE Melody Hill 38.09N 87.48W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Public Billboard damaged at Hwy 57 and I-69 exit. 0600 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 NNE Melody Hill 38.08N 87.48W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Fire Dept/Rescue Power poles snapped along I-69 South of Boonville New Harmony road. 0602 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 N Newburgh 37.99N 87.39W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Large pine tree with limbs down, damaging a fence. 0603 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Elberfeld 38.17N 87.45W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Broadcast Media 2 semis blown of the road near the intersection of I-69 and I-64. 0605 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 NE Melody Hill 38.06N 87.48W 04/02/2024 M84 MPH Vanderburgh IN Mesonet Mesonet station IN016 1.2 NE Melody Hill (INDOT). 0605 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 SE Chandler 38.02N 87.33W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Several trees downed in the neighborhood and a destroyed shed.
0606 AM Tornado 4 S Lynnville 38.14N 87.32W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN NWS Storm Survey EF-1 Tornado. Tornado followed Turpin Hill Road and crossed over Hwy 61 north of Greenbrier. It then made a jog southeast and went along Folsomville Road, which is where significant shingle damage occurred to a home and a large barn was destroyed. A few other homes observed minor damage. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. 0610 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Boonville 38.04N 87.27W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Carport destroyed and damage to a house. 0610 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 S Boonville 38.03N 87.28W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN CO-OP Observer Significant amount of damage in southern Boonville. Trees down, roof damage, and some structural damage. 0610 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 S Boonville 38.01N 87.26W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Several trees uprooted and snapped. 0611 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 NE Boonville 38.10N 87.22W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Trees tops removed. 0611 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NW Tennyson 38.11N 87.15W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Large tree limbs down. Relayed via Facebook. 0611 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 NNE Boonville 38.11N 87.25W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Large tree uprooted. Relayed via Facebook. 0612 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 SE Boonville 38.01N 87.20W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public Greenhouse knocked down. Measured wind gusts of 54 mph. 0615 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 N Boonville 38.05N 87.28W 04/02/2024 M58 MPH Warrick IN Emergency Mngr Measured on SE side of Boonville. 0615 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 N Tennyson 38.12N 87.12W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Emergency Mngr Tin roof ripped off barn, numerous trees down on roads, power poles also down...report from public called in to EMA. 0620 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Chrisney 38.02N 87.04W 04/02/2024 Spencer IN Emergency Mngr Utility poles snapped in Chrisney. 0626 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 6 NW Tennyson 38.13N 87.20W 04/02/2024 Warrick IN Public House severely damaged by falling trees. Possible tornado. 1240 PM Hail Carterville 37.76N 89.08W 04/02/2024 E1.00 Inch Williamson IL Broadcast Media Hail up to quarter size falling at WSIL-TV in Carterville. 0131 PM Hail Harrisburg 37.74N 88.55W 04/02/2024 M0.88 Inch Saline IL Law Enforcement 0133 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Harrisburg 37.74N 88.55W 04/02/2024 M55 MPH Saline IL Law Enforcement 0240 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ESE Evansville 37.96N 87.49W 04/02/2024 E60 MPH Vanderburgh IN Trained Spotter 0335 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 SE Evansville 37.98N 87.53W 04/02/2024 Vanderburgh IN Trained Spotter Three pine trees with snapped trunks. Wind speed estimated around 75 mph. 0349 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 SW Owensboro 37.74N 87.14W 04/02/2024 Daviess KY Emergency Mngr Two trees down on homes along Scherm Road on the west side of Owensboro.
Environment
The synoptic environment was characterized by a deep mid to upper level trough ejecting across the Central Plains. Strong diffluence was present across the Ohio Valley region during the overnight and morning hours on April 2nd. The strong lift ended up winning out over the strong capping inversion (warm layer aloft) that was present during the evening prior. This had prevented convection from developing until well after midnight across most of our area. The mid-levels were characterized by a seasonably strong southwesterly 70-90 knot jet. At the surface, low pressure lifted northeast from eastern Oklahoma across central Missouri and into Illinois. This low rapidly deepened later in the day on April 2nd as it lifted toward Chicago, IL and into the Great Lakes.
 |
 |
 |
| 300mb chart at 5 AM April 2, 2024 | 500mb chart at 5 AM April 2, 2024 | Surface chart at 5 AM April 2, 2024 |
Instability increased across the region during the overnight and early morning with MLCAPE values of 1000-1500 j/kg. At the same time, we had plenty of wind shear present with 60-70 kts of effective shear across the region. In particular, the low level wind shear was quite impressive with 0-1 km values of 30-35 knots.
 |
 |
 |
| Mixed-Layer CAPE at 5 AM April 2, 2024 | 0-6km effective shear at 5 AM April 2, 2024 | 0-1 km shear at 5 AM April 2, 2024 |
One thing we noticed was how strong the capping inversion was on the Little Rock, AR observed sounding at 7 PM on April 1st. This largely helped prevent storms from developing until well after midnight. This is when the large scale lift was able to overcome this capping inversion and lead to rapid thunderstorm develop with a very robust line of thunderstorms that formed across southeast Missouri and southwest Illinois and rapidly spread eastward across the rest of our region. Once that cap broke, the environment in place was conducive for significant thunderstorms including the risk for tornadoes.
 |
 |
 |
| Significant Tornado Parameter (STP) at 5 AM April 2, 2024 | 0-1 km Storm Relative Helicity (SRH) at 5 AM April 2, 2024 | Observed Sounding in Little Rock, AR at 7 PM April 1st |
Additional Information
An enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) was in effect for portions of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana about 48 hours before the event unfolded. The tornado outlook issued at that same time indicated the was a chance for significant tornadoes (EF-2 or stronger). As the event drew closer, the enhanced risk was shifted a bit further south across more of the region. Our timing graphic indicated it would be mainly an overnight event occurring between midnight and 6 AM. This panned out well, with the worst of the storms occurring between 2 and 7 AM.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| SPC Forecast 48 hours before the event | SPC tornado forecast 48 hours before the event | Timing forecast about 18 hours before the event | SPC forecast 12 hours before the event |
 |
Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. |
|
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on YouTube
PAH RSS Feed