| May 2009 Southern Midwest derecho | |
| Image Name: | A screenshot from the Paducah, Kentucky, radar of the mesoscale convective vortex portion of the derecho near Carbondale, Illinois. This screenshot is from the approximate time the 106mph wind gust was recorded at the Southern Illinois Airport. |
| Date: | May 8, 2009 |
| Tornadoes: | 39 confirmed |
| Fscale: | EF3 |
| Duration: | 15 hours, 28 minutes (tornado outbreak) |
| Fatalities: | Four direct, two indirect[1] [2] |
| Damage: | ~$500 million[3] |
| Series: | May 2009 derecho series Tornadoes of 2009 |
The May 2009 Southern Midwest Derecho was an extreme progressive derecho and mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) event that struck southeastern Kansas, southern Missouri, and southwestern Illinois on May 8, 2009.[4] [5] Thirty-nine tornadoes, including two of EF3 strength on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, were reported in addition to high non-tornadic winds associated with the derecho and MCV. Due to the abnormal shape of the storm on radar and the extremely strong winds, many called this an "inland hurricane."[6] [7] A new class of storm, the Super Derecho, has been used to describe this event after analysis in 2010.[8] Embedded supercells produced hail up to baseball size in southern Missouri, a rare event in a derecho. A wind gust of 106mph was recorded by a backup anemometer at the Southern Illinois Airport after official National Weather Service equipment failed.[9] This derecho was the last of a series of derechos that occurred at the beginning of May.
A complex of thunderstorms formed over northwestern Kansas overnight May 7 and into the early morning hours of May 8, before moving into south-central Kansas, where greater moisture and stronger upper-level winds were present.[10] The cluster of storms began to evolve into a more organized derecho near Hutchinson, Kansas, where National Weather Service damage surveys found winds greater than 100mph started, then continued through southern Missouri.[11]
While in southwestern Missouri, the derecho began to change; supercells began to embed within the line, and a wake low began to form in conjunction with a bookend vortex on the northern end of the derecho. As the derecho entered southeastern Missouri, the initial line associated began to weaken, but the MCV became increasingly pronounced on the northern end.[12]
Many experts and NWS meteorologists considered this to be one of the worst derechos and MCVs in the past decade.[13] The Storm Prediction Center issued two "particularly dangerous situation" severe thunderstorm watches[14] [15] and a vividly worded tornado watch, mentioning the possibility of winds in excess of 105mph.[16] Local National Weather Service offices in Springfield, Missouri, and Paducah, Kentucky, also issued strongly worded severe thunderstorm warnings, with precautionary statements similar to those used in tornado warnings.[17] [18]
As both the initial squall line and MCV weakened, very little severe weather was reported between southern Illinois and central Kentucky.[19] However, as the weakening squall line encountered higher instability and more favorable upper-level winds, the line split into several supercells in a process still not fully understood;[20] these storms produced several tornadoes in central Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, and northwestern North Carolina.[21] While no longer producing severe weather itself, the MCV continued to enhance thunderstorms early the next morning across southeastern Virginia.[22]
Despite it at first seeming extremely rare, further research has found that similar storms have occurred previously. One case, which occurred in North Carolina on April 15, 1999, produced a killer tornado and a 165mph wind gust, although this may have been associated with a tornado.[23] [24] Another heavily studied event in northern Pennsylvania on July 21, 2003, also resulted in several tornadoes.[25] However, these events lasted for a much shorter period of time and were significantly smaller; numerical modeling has shown that an average bookend vortex is only 12nmi across, while the May 2009 storm reached up to 40nmi in diameter.
| List of reported tornadoes - Friday, May 8, 2009 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Summary | ||
| Missouri | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | E of Pilgrim | Dade | 37.3667°N -138°W | 1253 | 2miles | Brief tornado damaged several trees and outbuildings along an intermittent path.[26] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | Republic area | Greene | 37.1°N -123°W | 1305 | 4miles | Short-lived tornado tracked through downtown Republic, damaging about 50 structures. Losses from the storm reached $1 million.[27] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | NW of Springfield-Branson National Airport | Greene | 37.25°N -116°W | 1314 | 2miles | A brief tornado touched down near Springfield Airport, destroying a few outbuildings and heavily damaging a home. Losses from the storm reached $200,000.[28] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | NW of Brighton | Polk | 37.4667°N -115°W | 1316 | 9miles | An EF1 tornado damaged or destroyed several barns and outbuildings and caused moderate to severe damage to frame homes. Losses from the storm reached $2 million.[29] |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | Ebenezer area | Greene | 37.3167°N -112°W | 1321 | 4miles | Several trees and outbuildings were damaged.[30] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | SE of Swan to SW of Merritt | Taney, Christian, Douglas | 36.7667°N -94°W | 1325 | 12miles | A 0.5miles wide, relatively long-tracked tornado tracked for 12miles through three counties. The most severe damage took place in Christian County, where two homes were damaged, and several outbuildings were destroyed. Losses from the tornado reached $2.6 million.[31] [32] [33] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | E of Fordland | Webster | 37.15°N -147°W | 1338 | 4miles | A dairy farm lost its roof, a truck was lofted over a fence, and an outbuilding was destroyed.[34] |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | W of Goodhope | Douglas | 36.9°N -141°W | 1339 | 2.5miles | A short-lived tornado tore the roof off a home and damaged numerous trees.[35] |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | N of Merritt | Douglas | 36.9167°N -144°W | 1339 | 2.5miles | A short-lived but very large 0.75miles tornado damaged two homes and several outbuildings. Losses from the storm reached $200,000.[36] |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | ESE of March | Dallas | 37.5167°N -96°W | 1341 | 4miles | A 400yd wide tornado made several touchdowns along a 4miles path. Peaking at EF2 intensity with estimated winds of 130mph, the tornado destroyed three framed houses and numerous outbuildings. Two people were injured and had to be transported to a local hospital; one died of a heart attack en route.[37] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | N of Ava | Douglas | 37°N -92.67°W | 1400 | 1miles | A barn was destroyed, and a few homes suffered minor damage. |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | NW of Hartville | Wright | 37.3°N -92.55°W | 1402 | 3.5miles | Several outbuildings were destroyed, and numerous trees were uprooted. |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | SW of Wasola | Ozark | 36.76°N -92.61°W | 1411 | 2miles | Seven outbuildings were destroyed, and three homes were damaged; intense tree damage was also noted. |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | ESE of Mountain Grove | Texas | 37.12°N -92.19°W | 1422 | 3.5miles | Several buildings were damaged and numerous trees were uprooted. |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | WNW of Peace Valley | Howell | 36.89°N -91.79°W | 1435 | 9miles | A few homes and numerous trees were damaged. |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | W of Mountain View to SE of Summersville | Howell, Texas, Shannon | 37°N -91.85°W | 1435 | 21miles | A farmhouse was lifted and moved, injuring two people. Two auto shops and several homes and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | SE of Lebanon | Laclede | 37.62°N -92.59°W | 1440 | 2.2miles | Four homes and several outbuildings were damaged. |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | ESE of Hazelton | Texas | 37.5°N -91.95°W | 1444 | 3.5miles | One barn was destroyed, and one mobile home lost its roof. |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | SW of Alley Spring | Shannon | 1445 | 12miles | Several buildings and a cabin at a sawmill were destroyed. Trees suffered extensive damage. | |
| bgcolor=# | EF3 | NW of Pomona | Howell | 36.88°N -91.93°W | 1500 | 2.2miles | One house, one mobile home, one travel trailer, two outbuildings, and an auto shop were destroyed. Cars were tossed 40to away, and two school buses were blown over. |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | McBride area | Perry | 1620 | 2.2miles | Damage limited to trees; the tornado was caught on tape. | |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | SE of Fredericktown | Madison | unknown | 0.5miles | ||
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | N of Ellington | Reynolds | unknown | 2miles | Two homes had roof damage; trees suffered significant damage. | |
| Illinois | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | WSW of Du Quoin | Jackson | 37.95°N -89.4°W | 1630 | 3miles | Structural damage to two barns, shingle damage to homes, power poles blown over, and dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | N of Thompsonville to NE of Crab Orchard | Franklin, Williamson | 1945 | 5miles | Trees were damaged in a rural area. | |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | N of Royalton | Franklin | unknown | unknown | A brief tornado touchdown was photographed. | |
| Kentucky | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | E of Hiseville | Barren, Metcalfe | 37.11°N -85.8°W | 1904 | 4miles | Three outbuildings were destroyed, and one home and a pole barn were damaged. |
| bgcolor=# | EF3 | S of Richmond | Garrard, Madison, Estill | 37.68°N -84.37°W | 2055 | at least 22miles | 2 deaths – Homes suffered severe damage. Several cars were flipped over. Five people were injured. |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | NW of Irvine | Estill | 2123 | less than 0.25miles | Two structures had metal roofing torn off. Several trees were knocked down, including one that damaged the porch of a home. | |
| Tennessee | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | SE of Huntsville | Scott | 2254 | 4.5miles | Seven homes were damaged, and a freestanding cellphone tower collapsed. | |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | SW of Tazewell | Claiborne | unknown | 2.2miles | Two large barns were destroyed, and one home lost its roof. | |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | NE of Thorn Hill | Grainger, Hancock | 36.4°N -83.34°W | 2336 | 3.5miles | Barns and outbuildings were damaged heavily, and several homes suffered roof damage. |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | S of Gray | Washington | 36.4°N -82.48°W | 0045 | unknown | Tornado touchdown was reported by law enforcement, but no damage reported. |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | NW of Etowah | McMinn | unknown | 0.1miles | A tornado briefly touched down, causing damage to several trees. | |
| Virginia | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | N of Clintwood | Dickenson | 37.1833°N -110°W | 0100 | 0.75miles | Numerous trees were uprooted, one of which fell on a mobile home. Two homes suffered minor roof damage.[38] |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | SE of Pound | Wise | 37.0667°N -115°W | 0145 | 1.7miles | Two trailers and several outbuildings were destroyed, and a third trailer was damaged.[39] |
| bgcolor=# | EF0 | NW of Lebanon | Russell | 36.9°N -87°W | 0225 | 0.1miles | A tornado briefly touched down without any known impact.[40] |
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | NE of Lebanon | Russell | 36.9333°N -138°W | 0230 | 1.1miles | One barn was destroyed, one home had moderate damage, and 100 trees were snapped or uprooted.[41] |
| North Carolina | |||||||
| bgcolor=# | EF2 | NW of Ennice | Alleghany | 36.55°N -82°W | 0344 | 5miles | A mobile home was destroyed, injuring four people. Five homes and several outbuildings were damaged, and cement silos were toppled, causing two additional injuries. Damages from the tornado amounted to $200,000.[42] |
| bgcolor=# | EF1 | SW of Ennice | Alleghany | 36.55°N -81°W | 0346 | 0.25miles | Three outbuildings were destroyed, and one home and a pole barn were damaged.[43] |
| Sources:National Weather Service Springfield, MO, National Weather Service St. Louis, MO, National Weather Service Paducah, KY, National Weather Service Louisville, KY, National Weather Service Jackson, KY, National Weather Service Morristown, TN | |||||||
The initial squall line formed in central Kansas, to the northwest of Hutchinson. In Hutchinson, several airplanes were flipped at a local airport, and 21,000 people were left without power. A woman was killed in New Albany, Kansas, when her mobile home was blown forty feet off of its foundation.[44] National Weather Service survey teams found that winds reached 120mph in the area, which also resulted in the destruction of a church and the town's post office, in addition to damaging several homes. A total of 130 buildings were damaged in Cherokee, Kansas, including a high school gymnasium. Schools in several counties closed for the day, and a twenty-mile stretch of the Kansas Turnpike was closed for an hour due to flooding.
The derecho continued to intensify as it reached southwestern Missouri, where the storm forced several television stations in Joplin, Missouri, off the air after their transmission towers were downed; one station's tower landed on its studios.[45] Numerous schools were damaged throughout the Springfield, Missouri, area, including a roof collapse at the Fair Grove High School, resulting in three injuries to students. There were numerous reports of tree and roof damage throughout Springfield, prompting some business to close. Drury University canceled some morning classes. A total of 346 buildings suffered some damage in Greene County, Missouri, and four people were injured, but none required hospitalization.[46] A high school in Fair Grove suffered damage.[47]
As the initial line weakened, the mesoscale convective vortex on the northern end began to strengthen and separate from the squall line. A long-lived supercell formed within the MCV in Madison County, Missouri, producing hail up to baseball size and a few tornadoes, in addition to the more widespread, damaging, straight-line winds throughout the area.
Numerous trees were knocked over from Shannon County, Missouri—near the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserve—northward through the Mark Twain National Forest and other forested public conservation lands. Devastation was especially pronounced in the area west of Ironton, Missouri, around the popular Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park and the Bell Mountain Wilderness area. Over 50 miles of the long-distance Ozark Trail were damaged, requiring many months of repairs to rehabilitate.
As the MCV crossed the Mississippi River and entered into more populated areas, it strengthened greatly, while it nearly separated from the initial line. Numerous buildings were severely damaged or destroyed throughout southern Illinois. Immediately after the MCV struck, Carbondale was reported to be virtually impassable due to the amount of debris on roadways. Marion, Murphysboro, Grand Tower, Johnston City, Herrin, Energy, and Carterville, Illinois, declared curfews and states of emergency due to power outages and the massive amounts of damage caused by the storms. Some of these cities were even left without water due to the power outages.[9] [48] [49] In the city of Carbondale, damage was estimated at US$3,000,000, excluding damage at Southern Illinois University. Officials deemed 34 buildings a "total loss" and reported that 3,000 trees were felled throughout the city.[50]
Preliminary estimates placed damages at Southern Illinois University in excess of US$5,000,000. Numerous buildings on campus sustained roof damage, and nearly 100 windows were blown out of residence halls. Due to infrastructure damage from the storm, most communication by land line and mobile phone was reported to be impossible.[50] In Carterville, Illinois, officials found 17 buildings to be a total loss. The city's public works garage was shifted off its foundation, and the police station sustained damage.[50] In Franklin County, Illinois, 13 buildings were deemed to be beyond repair; damage assessments found that 184 buildings received some kind of damage from the storm. Winds were estimated between 80and in the county.[50] At one point, 68,000 people were left without power in southern Illinois alone, prompting unusual methods to restore power, such as using helicopters to clear debris and position power poles.[51]
As the squall line continued east, it began to break apart into separate supercells; several of these supercells produced tornadoes.[52] [53] An EF3 tornado touched down in eastern Garrard County before tracking into southern Madison County, Kentucky; two people were killed in this tornado, five others were injured, and 150 homes were damaged. All of the injuries and deaths occurred in one mobile home near the intersection of KY 1295 and KY 52 in southern Madison County.[54] [52] Most of the damaged homes were in a subdivision in the Waco area, just north of the Blue Grass Army Depot. One mobile phone bill from a damaged house was carried 35miles before coming to rest on the property of a National Weather Service employee.[52]
The squall line and associated convection resulted in significant flooding south of St. Louis, Missouri and in eastern Kentucky.[55]
Prior to becoming a mesocyclone, the system produced upwards of 4inches of rain over parts of Kansas during the morning hours.[56] In Rice County, high waters washed out several small bridges and low water crossings and damaged concrete structures, leaving roughly $340,000 in losses.[57] In some places, rainfall reached 4inches within a 30-minute span, leading to widespread street flooding. Up to ten drivers required rescue after their cars stalled in the flood waters.[58] Flowing water over the Kansas Turnpike forced officials to shut down a 20miles stretch of the highway for over an hour.[59] One person needed to be rescued in Lyon County after driving into a flooded street. Barricades were set up in some areas of the county due to rising waters.[60] In Reno County, four bridges sustained severe flood damage and another was destroyed. Damages to the bridges amounted to $500,000.[61] In some places, schools canceled classes due to the heavy rainfall.[62]
In parts of Missouri, up to 4inches of rain fell in a short period of time, triggering flash flooding. Along Missouri Route 89, flood waters reached a depth of some 2 feet (60 cm.).[63] Numerous side roads throughout several counties were closed due to flooding.[64] In Washington County, the Big River overflowed its banks and inundated a nearby highway.[65] More significant flooding took place in St. Francois County, where some homes had up to 8feet of water in their basements and railroads were partially washed out.[66] A water rescue took place near the town of Bloomsdale.[67] Some of the most severe flooding took place in the town of Doniphan, in Ripley County, where 5.03inches of rain fell in a 24-hour span. Ten people needed to be evacuated from their homes due to rising waters. The county courthouse and local high school sustained major water damage. At the school, all of the classrooms were flooded by up to 18inches of water, and a nearby parking lot buckled under the water. Several other structures in the area were also inundated during the storm, and two people needed to be rescued from their vehicle, which was stalled in waist-deep water.[68] In Laclede County, severe flooding washed out low-lying roads and drainage culverts.[69]
On July 2, 2009, President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in Franklin, Gallatin, Jackson, Randolph, Saline, and Williamson counties in Illinois; Dolph A. Diemont was named as the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinating officer for the area. FEMA also stated that further disaster declarations were possible as requested by the state.[70] Missouri Governor Jay Nixon requested federal assistance for 46 counties in Missouri; damage in those counties was estimated to exceed US$48,700,000.[71] On November 30, 2009, Senator Claire McCaskill announced that the State Emergency Management Agency of Missouri would receive $1,228,208.25 in federal grant money to cover the state's costs in "administering and managing" FEMA Public Assistance grants. In addition, it was announced that the Citizens Electric Corporation would receive a $1,395,201.46 grant to offset costs incurred in repairing infrastructure in Perry, Sainte Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau counties.[72]