What Caused the Deadly Midwestern Tornado Outbreak?

A slew of tornadoes slammed the state of Illinois and surrounding areas Sunday, killing at least six people and damaging or destroying thousands of homes, according to news reports. There were 81 tornado reports submitted to the National Weather Service Sunday, most of them in the Land of Lincoln, though more than one report could be for the same tornado.

The devastation was significant enough that Gov. Pat Quinn declared seven counties state disaster areas, including Tazewell County, where a twister left parts of the town of Washington in ruins.

One of the tornadoes in this area was preliminarily declared an EF-4, the second strongest type of tornado, said Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel. These twisters pack winds between 166 to 200 mph and are strong enough to destroy sturdy houses and hurl cars Read more...