PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
247 PM CDT MON APR 22 2002
 
...PRELIMINARY TORNADO ASSESSMENT FOR WAYNE COUNTY ILLINOIS...

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 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: STATE EMA REPORTED ON SUNDAY NIGHT...OF 41 PEOPLE       
   ADMITTED TO LOCAL HOSPITALS.

*  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.

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ZAGORSKI/LAMM/POOLE