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Revision as of 21:21, 5 June 2008

The June 2008 tornado outbreak sequence is an on-going series of tornado outbreaks and derecho events affecting most of central and eastern North America since June 3, 2008. At least 70 tornadoes have been reported and 7 confirmed as of June 4. No fatalities have been reported as a direct result of tornadoes but three people were killed by severe weather including flash flooding and straight-line winds across three states.

Meteorological synopsis

Following a series of violent tornado outbreaks that claimed the lives of at least 26 people in mid-May and at least 12 people in late-May, a stationary boundary formed across the Midwest separating a seasonally cool airmass from most of Canada from the very warm and moist airmass from the Southern states and the Gulf of Mexico where temperatures locally rose into the 100s. A series of waves of low pressures formed along the boundary line produced very heavy rain and damaging winds across the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes on June 2, 2008. A moderate risk of severe weather was issued for parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio and West Virginia for that day. 18 tornadoes were reported also mostly over Indiana and Illinois. One particular tornado caused extensive damage across Rush and Decatur counties with the community of Moscow about 35 miles southwest of Indianapolis being the hardest hit area. The EF3 tornado heavily damaged some homes as well as a covered bridge and buildings used by the Indiana National Guard. Several people were injured including one critically.

On May 3, as the moderate risk of severe weather shifted further east in the coastal areas of the states, the complex of storms transitioned into a widespread damaging wind event across the Middle Atlantic States including the Richmond, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C metropolitan areas. 1 person was killed by damaging winds in Virginia while two others where killed due to the flooding rains.

Later in the day, a new wave was formed just east of the Rockies. A moderate risk of storms was issued for most of the Central Plains. At least 45 tornadoes were reported during the evening hours with the most damaging ones occurring across southern Nebraska and Iowa.

On May 4, a high risk of severe weather was issued from Wichita to the Twin Cities and including the cities of Omaha, Des Moines and Kansas City. A moderate risk extended northward to Duluth, Minnesota and southward to Oklahoma City.

On May 5, a moderate risk was issued for northern Illinois including Chicago. It was later expanded to cover areas in surrounding states.

Reported tornadoes

June 3 event

June 4 event

June 5 event