November 18, 2013

Yesterday, a powerful storm over the U.S. Midwest produced damaging winds, large hail, and at least 77 tornadoes. In Illinois, the state hardest hit by the storm, tornadoes were sighted in a 370-mile (595-kilometer) swath from the southern tip of the state to near Joliet, outside Chicago, at the state’s northern end. Six people were killed, and nearly 80 others were injured in Illinois. In Chicago, the storm forced thousands of Bears football fans to evacuate the lakefront stadium, Soldier Field. The Chicago Weather Center reported that 101 tornado warnings were issued across the state.

More than 100 tornado warnings were issued in Illinois on November 17. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

In central Illinois, the town of Washington, east of Peoria, was hit by an EF-4 tornado with winds of 170 to 190 miles (274 to 306 kilometers) per hour. The twister flattened whole blocks of the town, shattering trees and leveling hundreds of homes. Hundreds more were destroyed or severely damaged in nearby Roanoke, East Peoria, and Pekin. Falling trees pulled down power lines over a wide area, leaving thousands of households without electric power.

”Storm chasers” try to get close to tornadoes to study them with special equipment. (© Byron Turk, Center for Severe Weather Research)

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has declared 7 counties disaster areas. In Indiana, tornadoes and storm damage were reported in 12 counties.

Additional World Book articles:

• The Forecast: Better Weather Prediction Ahead (a special report)
• Twisted: More Terrible Tornadoes (a special report)
• Weather 1925 (a Back in Time article)

December 20, 2012

The first major snowstorm of the season in the Midwestern United States has already left at least three people dead in two states. In Utah, a woman who had attempted to walk to safety after her vehicle became stuck in the snow was found dead. Two people were killed in a snow-related car crash in Wisconsin.

Blizzard warnings were issued for 16 states. Subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions were dropping as much as 1 foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Kansas to Wisconsin, with the Rocky Mountains already blanketed. In southwestern parts of Iowa, winds as high as 53 miles (85 kilometers) per hour were being recorded, and nearly 1 foot (30 centimeters) of snow had already fallen in Des Moines, the Iowa state capital. By Thursday morning, hundreds of flights had been canceled at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, creating problems for holiday travelers.

A blizzard is a blinding snowstorm with strong, cold winds. (© Colin McPherson, Corbis)

The National Weather Service is warning those in the path of the storm to stay off roads because of poor visibility. Tornado warnings remain in effect for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, where high winds on the southern edge of the storm are peeling the roofs off buildings, toppling trucks, and downing power lines.

Additional World Book articles:

• Weather 
• The Forecast: Better Weather Prediction Ahead (a special report)
• Weather Terms— Cloudy or Clear? (a special report)