Tornado smashes Illinois neighborhood

A powerful, multiday severe weather outbreak occurred from the Central Plains to the Northeast June 7 - 12.

Numerous strong tornadoes, hundreds of damaging wind reports, several large hail reports, and significant flooding all occurred.

In total, there were over 1,700 storm reports between June 7 and June 12.

Severe siege since June 7

On June 7, the most notable tornado was an EF1 in Bowbells, North Dakota. There were nearly 100 damaging wind reports, with a gust of 98 mph reported in Emmet, North Dakota. Of the 17 large hail reports, the highest was a report of 3.25 inches in diameter in Redig, South Dakota.

Two landspouts were reported on Monday, June 8, one in Nebraska and one in Texas. Of the 51 hail reports, the most impressive was a report of hail that was 4 inches in diameter in Bethune, Colorado. If you thought the 98 mph wind gust from June 7 was impressive, Salina, Kansas, reported a gust over 110 mph on June 8.

Among the almost 300 reports of severe weather on Tuesday, June 9 was a tornado near Freeland, Michigan, which overturned campers and lead to roof and siding damage of up to 40 homes.

Several thunderstorm wind gusts over 75 mph were clocked in the Plains, including an 85 mph gust near Heartwell, Nebraska, and a 78 mph gust in Richmond Lake, South Dakota.

Over 400 reports of severe weather were received by the National Weather Service the morning of June 10 through early June 11, mainly in the Midwest and Plains. That was one of the four most active 24-hour periods of the year, so far, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Most of those reports were thunderstorm winds and wind damage, particularly from a squall line of storms that roared from eastern Iowa through southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois (including Chicagoland), then into Lower Michigan. Structural damage was reported in Allegan, Michigan; Amherst, Ohio; Antioch, Illinois; Horicon, Wisconsin; and downtown Chicago.

Damaging tornadoes tore through areas near Jameson and Unionville, Missouri.

As June 11 progressed, it turned out to be yet another active day and evening with over 500 reports of severe weather in the Plains, Midwest and Northeast.

Destructive tornadoes tore through parts of Illinois, including the south and east sides of Streator, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago.

Numerous gusts at or over 80 mph occurred in Oklahoma and Illinois.

The storms shifted primarily to the Northeast on June 12, but there were still scattered storm reports across the Central Plains and Southern US.

Fortunately, the threat and number of storms diminished. However, there was still one tornado report in Arkansas and over 120 wind reports. There was a gust of 83 mph in Parole, Maryland. But the most impressive was a gust of 96 mph in Eva, Oklahoma.