PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
355 PM CDT MON APR 22 2002
...PRELIMINARY TORNADO ASSESSMENT FOR WAYNE COUNTY ILLINOIS...
...UPDATES DENOTED WITH ***...
ON APRIL 22ND 2002 REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF STORM DAMAGE IN
WAYNE COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PRELIMINARY
FINDINGS OF THIS INVESTIGATION...AS COORDINATED WITH COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.
* EVENT DATE: 21 APR 2002
* EVENT TIME: TORNADO TOUCHDOWN AROUND 400 PM CDT.
*** EVENT TYPE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS REFLECT F3 TORNADO DAMAGE LOCATED
IN SIMS...FAIRFIELD AND AREAS NORTH AND WEST OF WAYNE CITY.
* ESTIMATED MAX WIND SPEED: 158 MPH - 206 MPH
* DAMAGE PATH WIDTH: 500 YARDS
* DAMAGE PATH LENGTH: CONTINUOUS PATH FROM THE JEFFERSON/WAYNE
COUNTY LINE TO FAIRFIELD ILLINOIS. DAMAGE PATH APPROXIMATELY 20
MILES LONG.
*** INJURIES: 42 HOSPITAL-TREATED INJURIES
13 CRITICAL INJURIES
7 OF THE 13 WERE SENT TO ST. LOUIS AREA HOSPITALS
4 OF THE 13 ARE CHILDREN
* FATALITIES: 1 FATALITY - MICHAEL WATKINSON - 47 YEAR OLD
MALE. THIS FATALITY OCCURRED 4 MILES WEST OF WAYNE CITY ILLINOIS
OR ABOUT 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF KEENES ILLINOIS AROUND 400 PM.
MR. WATKINSON DIED DUE TO INJURIES SUSTAINED WHILE IN HIS MOBILE
HOME WHEN THE TORNADO HIT. THIS IS THE LATEST INFORMATION AS PROVIDED
BY THE WAYNE COUNTY ILLINOIS CORONER.
* ADDITIONAL FINDINGS: THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH ON FRIDAY MORNING APRIL 19TH
STATED THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER WOULD PERSIST THROUGH
THE WEEKEND. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH
MENTIONED THE CHANCE FOR SUPERCELLS WITH THE POSSIBILITY FOR ISOLATED
TORNADOES. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS ISSUED ON SUNDAY APRIL 21ST
ALSO CONTINUED TO STRESS THE POSSIBILITY FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES
ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
THE PUBLIC FORECASTS ISSUED FROM 400 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONTINUED TO FORECAST THUNDERSTORMS AND THE
POSSIBILITY FOR SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE ON SUNDAY.
AT 1100 AM CDT ON SUNDAY...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...INCLUDING WAYNE COUNTY ILLINOIS. THEN AT 215 PM
CDT SUNDAY...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER UPGRADED THIS WATCH TO A
TORNADO WATCH...VALID UNTIL 600 PM CDT.
AT 401 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING FOR WAYNE COUNTY...VALID UNTIL 430 PM CDT.
* ACCORDING TO RECORDS FROM THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN
OKLAHOMA...THIS IS THE FIRST NATIONAL TORNADO FATALITY FOR 2002.
THIS WAYNE COUNTY ILLINOIS DEATH OCCURING ON APRIL
21ST...REPRESENTS THE LATEST CALENDAR-YEAR "FIRST TORNADO
FATALITY" SINCE RECORDS HAVE BEEN KEPT. UNTIL NOW...THE LATEST
CALENDAR-YEAR "FIRST TORNADO FATALITY" WAS APRIL 12TH...RECORDED
IN 1961.
PERSONNEL FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PADUCAH REMAIN ON
SITE IN WAYNE COUNTY ILLINOIS AND CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE IN WAYNE
COUNTY. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
THE STORM DAMAGE INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY.
$$
ZAGORSKI/LAMM/POOLE
------------------------------
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