000
ABUS34 KCHI 211859
PNSCHI

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
155 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004

...UPDATE TO TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM EVENT IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON 
APRIL 20...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN F1 TORNADO 
(WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 73 MPH AND 112 MPH) IN KANKAKEE COUNTY.  THE 
PATH LENGTH WAS APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES LONG AND BEGAN 
APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES SOUTH OF THE CITY OF KANKAKEE AND ENDED IN 
CITY LIMITS CLOSE TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE NEAR THE KANKAKEE RIVER.  
THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS...AND THE F1 DAMAGE WAS ONE TO ONE 
AND ONE-HALF MILES IN LENGTH...WITH F0 DAMAGE ELSEWHERE.  A BARN WAS 
DESTROYED...AND A HOUSE AND SEVERAL COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES SUSTAINED 
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. 

TWO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAMS ARE STILL IN LASALLE 
COUNTY...INCLUDING THE TOWN OF UTICA...ASSESSING THE DAMAGE.  THE 
TORNADO WAS RATED F3 ON THE FUJITA DAMAGE SCALE (WIND SPEEDS 
BETWEEN 158 MPH AND 206 MPH).  THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 200 YARDS...AND 
THE F3 DAMAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO CITY BLOCKS LONG...CENTERED IN 
DOWNTOWN UTICA.  THE TEAMS ARE STILL DETERMINING THE LENGTH OF THE 
ENTIRE TORNADO PATH.

THE TORNADO IN JOLIET WAS RATED F1 (WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 73 MPH AND 
112 MPH). THE TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 3 
MILES...AND HAD A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 500 FEET FOR THREE CITY BLOCKS.  
THE TORNADO BEGAN AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF JEFFERSON AND WILLIAMS 
STREET...AND ENDING AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF BROADWAY AND RUBY.  
NUMEROUS GARAGES WERE DESTROYED...HOMES HAD ROOFS TORN OFF AND 
WINDOWS BLOWN OUT.  

FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED AS SOON AVAILABLE.

JIM STEFKOVICH
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE

$$